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Residents get hackles
up over barking dogs

By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

For two years, Ed Wagner has listened to his neighbor's four Rottweilers, bull mastiff and Belgian sheepdog bark, whine, moan and howl.

The Mililani resident complained to police, the Hawaiian Humane Society and the Mililani Town Association, but the problem continued.

Frustrated, Wagner called Councilwoman Rene Mansho to help.

Yesterday, Mansho held a round-table discussion at City Hall to hear the public's concerns on animal nuisance problems and to come up with solutions along with Humane Society officials, police and city lawyers.

Wagner presented a videotape of the sound of the dogs' nonstop barking and whining.

A city ordinance prohibits dogs barking for more than 10 minutes or intermittently for 30 minutes or more.

Wagner wants to limit the number of dogs to one per residential lot under 7,500 square feet, but Mansho said the community strongly opposed such limits. The law allows 10 dogs per household.

Charles Duncan, manager of field services at the Humane Society, said the difficulty in citing barking-dog owners is that an officer can't issue a citation if the dog is not barking upon investigation.

A warning is issued first. A citation is issued only if it is within six months from the warning or a previous citation.

So suggestions were made to eliminate the warning, extend the six-month period and increase the fines, which range from $25 to $100.

Duncan said the Humane Society issues collars that emit a spray of citronella that discourages barking to repeat offenders.

Officers hand out pamphlets with several suggestions for quieting barking dogs.

Skip Lee, a dog trainer, recommends training dogs both to speak and to be quiet on command to solve the problem.

The Humane Society received 2,386 dog-barking complaints from July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999. It issued 54 warnings and 11 violations.

Compared to Oahu's 90,000 dogs, "percentage-wise the problem is small; noise-wise it's big," said Pam Burns, the Humane Society's director.

Police also respond to barking-dog complaints because it might indicate a burglary, said Sgt. Fay Tamura.

But a Makakilo couple said police dispatch tells them it's not a police job when they call 911. They are so fed up with barking dogs, they are selling their home.

Wagner said, "I think dogs can be put in jail, and owners can be put in jail in serious situations like this."

Mansho will have an ordinance drafted and will hold a follow-up meeting.