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UPDATE!! WE WON!!!   Date Posted: Dec 5, 07 - 7:42 PM  We went to court tonight(Wed Dec 5) on our "barking dogs" charge and we're pleased to report the case was thrown out of court. The SPCA did not file the proper papers, the animal control officer didn't show up nor did the coward who filed the charges. Thanks to all of you who showed your support for our animals. Thanks to you and the court system we proved that DOGS DO HAVE RIGHTS. You just have to stand up to the system sometimes....... Don and Marie MYRA              Thanks Everyone         SCOTTY ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original story below ----------------------------------------------------------------- We are fellow dog owners charged with "Owning a dog that persistantly disturbs the quiet of a neighbourhood or any resident thereof by howling, barking or in any other manner" contrary to section 4 subsection A3 of the "local municipality" dog bylaw. This complaint was lodged by a resident of our neighbourhood but I know the same thing is happening in YOUR backyard too. Ever since the person who brought the charge against us moved into our neighbourhood  he has reported on numerous occasions to the SPCA that our dogs are barking. Rumour has it he records the time on a sheet of paper whenever our dogs bark. Since the first couple of visits from the SPCA we have tried our best to supervise our dogs and reduce the time they are out of the house. Now our dogs are only allowed outside to do their "business" and never for more than a couple of minutes at any one time. And yes - they do bark but usually only if they see one of our neighbourhood crows in the trees. I would like to add we have a 8 to 10 foot high solid board fence totally enclosing our yard that I thought may cut down on the noise. We even built it higher than his roofline to try to keep our dogs from seeing through or over the fence. Since I heard barking occasionally from other neighbours yards I thought I should investigate to see if they were having the same problems. Sure enough he had already laid a complaint with the SPCA over one instance of barking by another neighbour's dog. While canvassing other dog owners within the area I became more aware of this person and his intense dislike for dogs(and children). One woman I spoke to told of an incident with a bunch of little kids playing across the street from him. He said they were being too loud(this was before 7:00PM) All the people I spoke with were long time residents of the area who own their own houses. The person in question lives in a  duplex owned and leased by a division of the "local municipality"  I would hate to see anyone else go through the harassment that we have endured because of this person. Not once did he contact us directly with his concerns - he prefers to call the SPCA or the Police instead. When we contacted the Police to ask if we could charge him with harassment we were told basically that under the "local municipality" dog bylaw he has more rights than us. I do not know if there is anything that we as dog owners can do. Right now the scary part is that if we lose the court case the "local municipality" has the right to destroy or impound our dogs. I repeat: Please be aware of these people and their personal vendetta against our animals. It's not just our neighbourhood dogs at risk. We're not the only area that has "Good Dogs - Bad Neighbours" YOU could very well be next. Finally let me state  that the SPCA Animal Control Officers are only doing their job enforcing the "local municipality" bylaws and they have gone above and beyond the call of duty trying to help us understand the situation and our options. When an officer shows up at your door with a complaint about your dog barking please remember he is NOT the bad guy - it's most likely the one who lodged the complaint you have the problem with. By the way - Both  our dogs came from the local SPCA. Myra(Springer) is deaf and was likely abandoned for that reason. Little Scotty(Terrier) was even born at the SPCA. Thanks for reading - Don and Marie  Email us if you have any questions or comments. This webpage designed,  maintained and hosted by MaritimeDragRacing.com® Atlantic Canada's leading source for Drag Racing news, results, team and track information - Updated Daily