Dog ownership is on the rise. Unfortunately, so are irresponsible dog owners.
Loud and excessive barking has become a problem in rural communities like Shirley; communities where many people moved because they afforded the peace and quiet that couldn’t be found elsewhere.
But irresponsible dog ownership is only part of the problem. Neighbours who are aware of the problem and don’t report it are just as guilty.
Behind this refusal to take action is the faulty reasoning that merely talking to the offending neighbour (let alone contacting the Capital Regional District) will make them come across as unkind.
But kindness can hardly justify the consequences of unwarranted leniency. If you don’t take action, you’re part of the problem, and it will only get worse.
More food for thought:
• Animal control complaints are anonymous.
• If you allow your dog to bark for hours on end, you’re a bad neighbour.
• If you’re affected by a nuisance dog and don’t report it, you’re a bad neighbour. It affects others too.
• Mistaking “kindness” for “permisiveness” doesn’t make you a better neighbour. It makes you a bad neighbour. You are contributing to the problem. You are making the community a worse place.
If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for others around you. That’s what “the community” is supposed to be about.
Damaris Garz
Shirley
