Hollister
– The City Council is considering new rules that would make it a
little tougher for Hollister residents who want to complain about
noisy dogs.
Hollister – The City Council is considering new rules that would make it a little tougher for Hollister residents who want to complain about noisy dogs.
Under the proposed rules, which the council will discuss at its meeting Monday, animal control officers will need to find at least two complaining neighbors before they can impound a barking dog. Police Chief Jeff Miller said one goal of the new rules is to ensure that the noise is really a problem.
“There are cases where officers can be tools or weapons for one neighbor to harass another,” Miller said.
According to Animal Control Director Julie Carreiro, such cases are not common, but she’s hoping the new rules will eliminate the problem altogether.
City Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia said she supports requiring at least two complaints before an animal control officer can take action.
“That seems fair,” Valdivia said. “If more than one person reports it, then there’s something going on.”
The proposed rules will also expand and clarify the existing ordinance; for example, instead of prohibiting a dog owner from allowing his animal to “habitually howl, bark or in any other way disturb the peace and quietude,” the revised ordinance offers specific time limits.
“This cleans up the language and makes it more equitable and more enforceable,” Miller said.
Carreiro said complaints are likely to increase in the coming months as the weather heats up. As Hollister gets warmer, more people open their windows and start noticing animal noises, she said.
However, Carreiro said it’s hard to estimate the number of complaints she receives in an average week.
“It really varies,” she said. “There are some weeks where we get none at all, and some weeks where we get three or four a day. … The only real consistency is the full moon.”
When the moon is full, Carreiro said, there are more shadows, which gets dogs – and people – excited.
City Manager Clint Quilter said that if the council votes in favor of the changes Monday, the ordinance will come back for a final vote at a later meeting.
