County mulls expanding law on barking dogs
An uninterrupted night of sleep is rare these days for James Dubovsky, who says his neighbor’s six dogs bark incessantly.
Dubovsky, a Free Union resident, complained about his situation Wednesday morning before the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.
“It’s unfortunate that we and other victims must come before you to protect our quality of life,” he said.
Dubovsky has little ability to stop the barking, he says, because his neighbor is exempt from the county’s dog-barking ordinance enacted last year. Under the ordinance, it is unlawful for a dog to make excessive, untimely or continuous noises, such as howling or barking, for 30 consecutive minutes or more. The rule, however, applies only to properties in the county’s “growth area” and properties smaller than 5 acres that are located in the “rural area.”
Several members of the Board of Supervisors said they have heard similar complaints from other residents.
“There’s an obligation for people to take care of their pets and to make sure their pets aren’t bothering people continuously,” Supervisor Dennis S. Rooker said.
The board voted unanimously Wednesday to hold a public hearing on July 8 to consider expanding the dog-barking ordinance to include Albemarle’s rural areas, which make up roughly 95 percent of the county.
The board, however, appears split over whether to enact such a policy. Supervisors Kenneth C. Boyd, Sally H. Thomas and Lindsay G. Dorrier Jr. said they are not interested in expanding the ordinance countywide, while Rooker and Ann Mallek favor the idea. Chairman David Slutzky said he is on the fence, as he wants to preserve the rural way of life, but also wants to ensure that residents can enjoy their homes without having to listen to dogs barking endlessly.
The supervisors said they want to hear the opinion of the public on the matter before taking action. “I could definitely be persuaded,” Slutzky said.
Crozet library design
In other actions Wednesday, the Board of Supervisors endorsed the design of a new library to be built in downtown Crozet.
The planned 18,300-square-foot library would be significantly larger than the existing library, which is only 1,900 square feet. The county sees the library as an important anchor that would increase the quality of life in the growing Crozet community.
Melanie Hennigan, a principal of the project’s architecture firm of Grimm + Parker, said the two-floor building will be energy efficient and bright and welcoming to children, teenagers and adults.
“It’s going to be a place where when people visit the library, they’re going to want to come back,” she said.
The first floor most likely will feature two public meeting spaces, while the second floor will feature a children’s area, a meeting room, the library’s collection, a fireplace with sitting areas, computer stations and more.
Construction was originally intended to begin next month, but the project has been delayed until July 2011 because of a lack of funding brought about by the economic downturn. If construction proceeds on pace, the new library would open by fall 2012.
Hennigan and several other library advocates recommended that the county accelerate its plans for the library to take advantage of construction prices that have dropped significantly because of the slowdown in the market.
Bill Letteri, director of the county’s office of facilities development, said he expects the favorable prices will start to erode by early 2010.
“I hope you’re right,” Slutzky responded. “Because that would mean the economy’s turning around.”
New life for old school
In other news, the board approved a one-year, $15,000 lease for a private arts school to operate in the vacant Old Crozet School.
The board gave its OK to a plan that would allow Old Crozet School Arts and the Field School, a private middle school for boys, to occupy the building.
Sharon Tolczyk, the arts school’s artistic director, said the school will offer classes to students of all ages in visual arts, theater, music and dance.
Bright Stars
The board also heard a presentation about the county’s “Bright Stars” program, in which at-risk youngsters attend a pre-kindergarten program to prepare them for school.
Students who attended the program in its first year, in 1995-96, are graduating from high school this spring. One student just graduated from Blue Ridge School and is going on to Virginia Commonwealth University. Another is graduating from a school in Richmond. And 10 will graduate Saturday from Monticello High School.
Terry Higgins, the program’s coordinator at Stone Robinson Elementary School, said the first class of Bright Stars has gone on to win academic accolades, such as awards for digital imaging, journalism and auto repair.
Mary Archer, 17, is one of the first Bright Stars. She will graduate from Monticello and plans to attend Piedmont Virginia Community College for two years before transferring to VCU, where she hopes to study mass communications. She would like to work as a journalist one day, she said.
While she cannot remember much about Bright Stars, she believes the program set her on the right track to prepare her for school. “It was really helpful,” she said.
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PART 2
I hope that everyone who is reading this that believes that there should
be a barking ordinance will take the time to understand the situation
BEFORE they are quick to judge about these “barking dogs.“ Anyone who
meets these dogs will see that they are well loved and well taken care
of. The dogs only bark when they are unfamiliar with a person or if any
animal is trying to harm their animals, which is exactly what these dogs
are supposed to do. The dogs never bark consistently for 30 minutes and
on the few occasions that they do bark for thirty minutes, ALL the dogs
are barking in the neighborhood because there is a bear or a coyote or
something that is attempting to harm the livestock or destroy personal
property. Would you like to see the logs we were told to keep
by the police? The average time was about 2 hours with the worst being
from 10:30 PM to 3:45 AM. If you place your 6 dogs 1000 feet from your
house why do you think you will hear them? If they only barked for 30
minutes there would be no issue but they don’t and the fact you don’t
even know proves you ignore their barking or cannot hear them! If your dogs don’t bark, then the law won’t affect you will it?
I don’t know why this “neighbor” finds it necessary to consume their
daily life with finding ways to try and create a hostile environment in
the small, rural neighborhood. I could not possibly imagine living my
life like that and maybe one day they will wake up and get a life.
I am glad to hear you say “small”. This is not Montana where you
have 400 acres to allow dogs to roam and defend livestock. You have
about 30 goats and 6 maremmas to defend them on 2.5 fenced acres on your 38 acre farmette. That is one dog for
every 6 or 7 goats! When you learn to take responsibility for your dogs
perhap we can all get on with our lives.
For the record these are the correct facts in response to the postings by A.Lawwill on June 18
PART I
This is absolutely ridiculous that people (actually just ONE family) are
so concerned about “barking dogs.“I recall the neighborhood
association and another neighbor addressing your barking dogs with your household. Also
no one lives behind or on the otherside of your property. Do you
know that these “barking dogs” are livestock guardian dogs and live on
a farm with 40 acres? Yes we know that 6 maremmas live on 2.5
fenced acres about 1000 feet from your house. Do you know that
this farm has been in place since 1990? Yes we know you created a
farmette which means that your business is a hobby income not a primary income. You chose to place the dogs on the
road and now the dogs get agitated with wildlife, vehicle and foot
traffic. Do you know that the “neighbors” who are complaining
KNEW about the guardian dogs BEFORE THEY BOUGHT THEIR PROPERTY?
Yes we knew you had 2 dogs but didn’t know you would add 4 more to guard
30 goats. The truth is they are not all needed as guardian dogs for the 30 goats on 2.5 acres but rather you are breeding them for profit. At $800 a puppy we understand your motive. Do you know that
these “neighbors” shoot off guns to show their dislike to the “barking
dogs” which in the end just makes it worse because it scares the dogs.
So, of course; naturally they are going to bark, like they are supposed
to. Just as barking dogs are acceptable in the county so are
firearms. So this is not an issue. Any shots are preceeded by
barking which helps to scare off the rabbits or deer that are threatening
your dogs. We have nothing against dogs, it’s the people that chose to
not properly train their dogs that is the issue. D0 you know
that these “neighbors” posted signs on the property line saying “STFU”
(you can use your own imagination as to what that stands for?)
The signs also say WOOF and nothing vulgar. Again not illegal and are
considered art. Did you know that these neighbors CHOSE to
build right on the property line of this farm with the “barking dogs”?
If you consider 250 feet from the property line of your farmette “on the property
line” then yes we built on the property line. The County code says 25
feet is the required setback. Check the county’s GIS site for the real
facts. The fact is you placed your fence on the property line.
Do you know that the majority of the homeowners in this community have
“barking dogs” and we can all hear them? So can we but NOT at 10
PM, 1 AM, 2 AM or 6 AM or for 2-4 hours at a time. Everyone except your
farmette seems to be aware of their dogs barking and control them when needed. We are
guilty of also having had a dog! Do you know that this “neighbor”
has played tape recorded barking dogs and wild animal sounds the and
plays it over a loud speaker constantly to try and annoy their
neighbors who have the “barking dogs”? Guilty as charged. County
ordinance says this is a no-no so it stopped. Does hearing a recording of your own barking dogs bother you? You can allow your 6 maremmas to bark but if
someone plays that noise back at you that is bad? Sounds like a double
standard! Do you know that this “neighbor” shines a spot light
on the farm to try to annoy the people who live there? We have a light on our barn. If there is a noise we turn the light on. Do you know
that when this neighbor had some livestock killed by a bear the animal
control officer suggested getting a livestock guardian dog, like his
neighbor? We have corrected our mistake and bears have
not been an issue since. We were never told to get a guardian dog. Are you fabricating false statements again?
This is absolutely ridiculous that people (actually just ONE family) are so concerned about “barking dogs.“ Do you know that these “barking dogs” are livestock guardian dogs and live on a farm with 40 acres? Do you know that this farm has been in place since 1990? Do you know that the “neighbors” who are complaining KNEW about the guardian dogs BEFORE THEY BOUGHT THEIR PROPERTY? Do you know that these “neighbors” shoot off guns to show their dislike to the “barking dogs” which in the end just makes it worse because it scares the dogs. So, of course; naturally they are going to bark, like they are supposed to. D0 you know that these “neighbors” posted signs on the property line saying “STFU” (you can use your own imagination as to what that stands for?) Did you know that these neighbors CHOSE to build right on the property line of this farm with the “barking dogs”? Do you know that the majority of the homeowners in this community have “barking dogs” and we can all hear them? Do you know that this “neighbor” has played tape recorded barking dogs and wild animal sounds the and plays it over a loud speaker constantly to try and annoy their neighbors who have the “barking dogs”? Do you know that this “neighbor” shines a spot light on the farm to try to annoy the people who live there? Do you know that when this neighbor had some livestock killed by a bear the animal control officer suggested getting a livestock guardian dog, like his neighbor?
I hope that everyone who is reading this that believes that there should be a barking ordinance will take the time to understand the situation BEFORE they are quick to judge about these “barking dogs.” Anyone who meets these dogs will see that they are well loved and well taken care of. The dogs only bark when they are unfamiliar with a person or if any animal is trying to harm their animals, which is exactly what these dogs are supposed to do. The dogs never bark consistently for 30 minutes and on the few occasions that they do bark for thirty minutes, ALL the dogs are barking in the neighborhood because there is a bear or a coyote or something that is attempting to harm the livestock or destroy personal property.
I don’t know why this “neighbor” finds it necessary to consume their daily life with finding ways to try and create a hostile environment in the small, rural neighborhood. I could not possibly imagine living my life like that and maybe one day they will wake up and get a life.
-Alexandra Lawwill
What gives me the right you ask? Because where I live my un-neighbor has 4 dogs and doesn’t take any interest in quieting them. For some reason your clan thinks one does not have the right to quiet inside their house. Does violation of my space inside my home violate my property rights? I expect dogs to bark but not while I or you are asleep. For some reason you people think your right to impose your noise inside my house for hours is part of your property rights…IT IS NOT!!! This talk of pigs and property rights is a bunch of hogwash. This has nothing to do with property rights but the rights of careless dog owners whom you are defending for some weird reason. Are you one of those who ignores their dogs alarm? If so, you probabaly don’t care if someone is burglarizing your property.
But what really give me the right is this is still a free country without your censorship of what I write. When I see comments that show no thought, just ignorant rage I respond. You can call me a jerk and I really wouldn’t give a hoot! Thanks! 
Walter, what gives you the right to down these people that have written their opinions on this subject and support the land owners rights, taxes paid on their land, dog tag license paid to the county. The dogs aren’t living free on property etc.
What does an election have to do with this subject?
This is a free world and everyone has the right to their opinion. You must not have animals or own property.
This is for folks to express their opinions not to be degraded by others.
Walter, what gives you the right to call people ignorant or class as a clan? I was expressing my position as were the other writers. We are entitled to our opinions as are you.
And as far as Palin supports, what does that have to do with this issue?
Slurs, great this is what we resort to.
Apparently the same ignorant property rights clan posted the last 3 posts. My guess is they were Palin supports. Same mentality or lack of. Too Funny!
If the property is over 5 acres then the dog owner should have a 200 foot buffer between the dog and the property line. This should provide enough of a distance to reduce the sound to a reasonable level.
If I owned 5 acres and my neighbor complained about my dogs and were jerks about it I would simply buy some pigs and put a pen at the property line until they became a little more reasonable.
A lot of people that I have met that go crazy when dogs bark are also proneto road rage and seem a little on the tense side. This makes me wonder who really has the ability to solve the problem.
I cannot believe that this issues has risen once again. Apparently some county residents have nothing better to do than complain about barking dogs. Instead of residents being concerned about barking dogs they should be more concerned about the increase in county taxes. If a taxpayer owns his/her own property it shouldn’t matter how many dogs they have or how long/often they bark. If the county can determine if your dog is barking to much or to often what’s to say that they will not soon be able to tell taxpayers how often they can talk or for how long on property that they OWN? It makes one angry to think that residents have nothing better to do than complain about something so petty.
I can not believe that this foolish issue is surfacing again. What will be next for our “neighbor” to complain about? The crickets, tree frogs and help us those noisy fish in those ponds.
With the devices people find themselves sleeping with or go to sleep by there’s television, music,traffic, fans etc and a dog barking makes such a problem for so many. I wonder how people in our past were able to live among each other without these petty complaints? Barking dogs just didn’t start in the past few years.
It’s not the animals, it’s the PEOPLE that can not get along for what ever the reason may be. It is a shame and a pity that so many people feel that they have the right to dicate to their neighbors and others what they consider to be the correct way to live, what to possess and how much to to much.
I would suspect that most if not all of these complaints stem from neighbors that have issues. Instead of trying to live in some harmony let’s see how much trouble we can create and the more the better.
The City does’t seem to have these problems I don’t know why it is such a deal in Albemarle.
Those that are concerned about the barking of these dogs how would you be feeling about those dogs if they were protecting something of yours like your home or your family? How would you be feeling about those dogs if you were disabled and that dog was able to do things for you that you couldn’t do for yourself? How would you be feeling if you were elderly, living alone and that dog was your only companion? How would you tell a child that they couldn’t have a dog because they bark? How would you feel about that barking dog if a criminal was about the harm a police officer? I suspect you would take a different stance. That barking dog…well I guess it just depends on why that dog is barking huh.
I for one would prefer to be in the company of an animal than some people. That animal takes care of it’s own a lot better than humans.
The people of Albemarle County should focus on being a better neighbor to each other instead of dwelling on how many ways I can cause them heartburn.
The Board of Supervisor should not be given the right to instruct property owners what they can and can not have. As long as your paying taxes on your property they should not have any input on what you have or don’t have.
If this continues I suppose our neighbors and the supervisors will one day tell us who can live where, how to live, and maybe even what time you should retire for the day.
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