Don’t muzzle working dogs too
Published: July 5, 2009
The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is mulling expansion of the barking dog ordinance and will receive public input on July 8. If indeed the ordinance is expanded to include property greater than five acres, it may very well have unintended consequences for the rural way of life in Albemarle County.
We started an Angora goat farm in 1991. We put up four-board fencing with electric wires in between the boards. It did not keep predators out. In 1992, we lost half our herd to dogs wandering through the countryside at 6 a.m. A month later we bought our first livestock guardian dog and have had no losses to predation since that time.
Several years later another Angora goat producer leased the pasture down the road from us. After transporting her bucks there one evening, she went back the next day and all were dead.
There are now livestock guardian dogs at three different locations on our road alone. The only other alternatives to keeping our livestock safe are traps and poison. Along with many other farmers, we do not consider that a safe option.
Livestock guardian dogs are not attack dogs. They deter by barking. They stay in the fields with their animals and ensure their safety. We would not be able to have our farm without them.
There are many reasons to oppose expanding this ordinance. This is but one of them.
We cannot control people who let their dogs run freely through the countryside. We cannot control people who park their cars at the end of our road and take their dogs for a walk down our road. We cannot control the coyotes that wander by at all times of the night. We cannot control the bears that will wander down the mountain as soon as the wild blackberries are ripe. We can, by the use of livestock guardian dogs, level the playing field. Livestock guardian dogs are the biologically correct predator deterrent in for many livestock producers.
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Reader Reactions
James D.
I hope you attended last night’s meeting. I was there. Also spoke up for my rights as a property owner in Albemalre County, where I’ve lived all my life.
Maybe you understand the ruling now. Three strikes and you are out under the barking ordinance. So tell me that you could NOT possibly lose you dog. All kind of things could happen to make you lose that dog not just barking excessive.
I don’t think dogs bark hours at a time unless there’s something seriously wrong. I would think the adult would have sense enough to find out what is wrong.
James D,
I’m sure you very disappointed with the outcome of the meeting with the BOS this evening. I’m shocked that would say that the BOS would act differently on the ordinance due to the face that the Lawwill’s work for the County. Apparently you have not lived here for very long. When a dog barks for a long time period there is a logical reason. I myself have 7 dogs and when they bark for an extended period of time it is because they sense danger and that is their way of letting me be aware that something isn’t right. It is disturbing to know that there are individuals who frown upon animals (especially dogs). The people who are complaining are those who are unhappy with where they have chosen to live. A person that moves from a city lifestyle to the country should expect to hear dogs barking, frogs croaking and birds chirping. A property owner cannot control nature… People that are having a hard time dealing with the country life need to GROW UP and take a good look around and realize that there are more IMPORTANT things to be concerned over in the county than a dog doing what nature has intended the animal to do. As for the individuals who attended this evenings meeting to support animal rights you should be commended.. For the individuals such as James D who were in favor of the ordinance need to take a second look at the lifestyle and location they are living in and get back to the reality of country life!!
Chevy,
Since you brought it up, both of the Lawwills work for Albemarle county. Perhaps that is why the BOS will not do the right thing and provide equal protection for all county residents.
I must have missed the part that states “you can’t have a dog that barks”. What proposal are you reading? Are you sure we are talking about the same thing because that’s not what I’m reading? Please let me know your source since i’d like to correct that bit of misinformation.
Thanks!
Chevy, I actually agree with you for the most part…but you are ignoring the fact that this law DOES NOT say you cannot have dogs, or even that they can’t bark. The only thing it “dictates” is that dogs should not bark excessively(for periods longer than 30 minutes) Simply put, it’s a matter of personal responsibility, which evidently some people are too immature to handle. If your dog is barking for that long, then something is obviously wrong…if you ignore the barking, then you are ignoring a problem. If you go and see what’s wrong…then they will not have any reason to bark for 30 minutes(plus…)
Again, everyone! THIS DOES NOT SAY YOU CANNOT OWN DOGS! Only that they cannot bark for periods longer than 30 minutes…how many more times do I need to say that before it sinks in? (my hopes aren’t too high…)
Oh and did I mention that this law DOES NOT say you cannot own dogs or that they can’t bark?
Daily Regress I do not know what you’re talking about. We are talking about the extension of the current ordinance that the County is dictating to people. I’m sure people have enough sense to take care of their dogs, we are talking about adults not children.
P.S. I’ve here in the County for 70 years
Just a few things to clarify.
There are SIX dogs for SIXTY goats. Not SEVEN dogs for THIRTY goats. Also it is a 40 acre farm with about 10 acres fenced in(not 2.5.) There are fences that run on both sides of the driveway all the way up to the house( not 1000 feet away.)
I do not know the families that are at odds over the barking dogs. I only know of Mr. Lawwill as he was principal for Albemarle High School where my daughter graduated.
The rural life as I see it is filled with sounds that you expect to hear. Such as children playing, dogs barking, cows low, birds sing, bees buzz etc. If you live there long enough you tend not to hear them. Much like the folks that live in cities get accustom to the vehicle traffic sounds, sirens from emergency vehicles, the scrapping cats and yes the barking dogs. All of these are apart of our life. It’s nature for the animals to make the sounds they make. God made all creatures for a purpose.
I find it hard to accept that the Lawwills leave for extended time and not have someone looking after their farm in their absence. It sounds like they have to much invested to be that negligent.
Dogs are not only workers they are a great comfort and companion. They bark when they sense danger, strangers, other dogs and animals and so on. Yet I can not imagine a dog barking without cessation. Everything has its limits.
The dogs are doing the job they were intended and expected to do guarding the goats. The little dogs that live next door bark because they know you only as a stranger. They are just reacting to the surroundings in the manner that God gave them.
I am not aware of neighborhood associations being in the rural area where I reside. Aren’t those more for the subdivisions where homes are located closer?
I have dogs and am an avid animal person. When you ask me to give up my best friend you are then trespassing on my rights. I see it the same way for the Lawwills. You are asking them to give up their rights.
Wow, some of you really show your inability to read, or even comprehend the magnitude of a situation.
This is not a law saying that you cannot have dogs…take a second….let that sink in…good…(though, I doubt it actually will) This is a law saying your dogs should not bark for more than 30 minutes at a time. Is that really that unreasonable???? Something tells that it’s not. If your dog is barking that long, then there’s obviously something wrong and you’re being an irresponsible dog owner by not checking in on them and comforting them.
But that’s right…it’s rural character! Because if no one was here…dogs would be barking all of the time, right? OR MAYBE people move from New York…pretend to be “farmers” and implement their suburban sociopathic tendencies on others, who are peacefully trying to reside in the country.
And what should I do? I’ve lived in rural Virginia my entire life…where should I move? Since you apparently have the liberty to dictate that to me. Anyways, to me rural character is the sound of nature, gun shots, the occasional dog bark(occasional), cows and their feces and so on…that DOES NOT include excessive dog barking…I don’t know where some of you came up with that extreme misconception.
Again(maybe it’ll finally dawn on you this time), this is not a law against occasional dog barking, this is a law against excessive dog barking….there is a huge difference between the two.
It is unfortunate for the goats to have been placed in an unguarded state. In addition to a guard dog, a real predator proof fence (wire rather than 4 simple boards) would have avoided any loss. What Ms.Lawwill failed to mention is she does not need 7 dogs to guard her 30 goats, but uses them for breeding purposes. Under the guise of guarding livestock, she is introducing this excessive barking to a primarily residential area. She may have 38 acres but uses only 2.5 penned acres for the goats and dogs…1000 feet away from her house. I don’t recall anyone saying she should not, or that anyone else should not, let their dogs bark or not have them. However, no one has the right to let pets or working animals bark for hours non-stop or leave them for a long weekend unchecked so that they bark endlessly. When common sense and common courtesy fail, government needs to set guidelines. Common courtesy could have avoided this whole issue. Everyone has a right to have whatever animals they want, however, that right ends when you CHOOSE to trespass on a neighbor’s rights! This is something within their control that they have chosen to ignore for 10 years despite the neighborhood association addressing them (and no it was not just one neighbor) —Lawwill has choosen to ignore the excessive barking of her 7 working dogs for her approximately 30 goats because current county law allows them to. Ms.Lawwill also didn’t mention that the leased pasture mentioned in her letter has only 1 dog guarding about 30 goats, or the fact that the other person is responsive when their dogs bark. No issue there, that’s the way it should be done.
I cannot believe people in this county are fighting with neighbors over dogs!! I know that there are people in the area that do not like animals but the majority of those who are complaining are those who come from suburban areas that are used to no more than sounds of fire engines and automobiles. If you don’t like the rural living then MOVE BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM. I recently became a resident of Albemarle and DETEST the way that the county thinks they can control over what my husband and I have worked so hard to own. It’s almost unbearable for a family of 4 to live in this area due to the high tax rate but then to think that the County could soon possibly be able to tell you what animals and how many you can have on your proerty is down right outrageous!! The last time I checked ALL animals including dogs were created by the Good Lord above just like humans. If he didn’t want humans to talk we would have been born without vocal cords and if he didn’t want dogs to bark they wouldn’t have been born with vocal cords either. Telling property owners that their dog or dogs cannot bark is like telling adults they can’t speak or children they can’t laugh. The United States of America has a “Freedom of Speech” act and I believe that stands for ALL species that are living. What’s next? I guess the County will dictate to you how many children you can have, how often they are allowed to be outside and how many animals of what type your allowed to have. NOT IN MY TIME!! I’m an animal lover of all types of animals and I’ll be darned if I will sit back and not voice my opionon to the Board of Supervisors that think they can tell the tax payers how many dogs they can have. As far as I’m concerned I OWN my property and not lease it from the County. Instead of the County being concerned about the amount of dogs a person owns they should be more concerned about the amount of people building homes and building without valid permits or worry a little more for the safety of our children. Again, I will say for those of you who do not like the rural area that your currently living in “GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM”. “IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE COUNTRY LIFE WITH DOGS BARKING AND FROGS CROCKING GO BACK TO THE CITY!!“
After reading the most recent issue of “THE HOOK” I was FURIOUS with the comments that Mrs. Mallek made about Mr. and Mrs. Lawwill’s dogs. Did she not think that if a stranger approached the property that the dogs wouldn’t bark. In one of her comments she indicated that she “had a very short fuse for this, because I don’t let my own dogs bark”. I would like to know what she does to prevent her dogs from barking. Could not allowing your dog to bark be a form of animal cruelty? I find it very hard to belive that Mrs. Mallek owns a farm with dogs and that don’t bark. She has indicated through her comments that she has made her mind up to vote in favor of this ordinance simply by visiting one family’s farm. Maybe the citziens of the County should pay a visit to her farm and see if her dogs would truley not bark. I hope that the remainder of the Board Members have more compassion for the dogs and don’t allow a few simple minded individuals not let nature be nature.
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