Some legal troubles have fallen on a Great Pyrenees dog in Graham County recently…
Michael Eddings, owner of Leo, shared that his seven-year-old dog’s barking has racked up over $750 in noise violation tickets as well as attorney fees.
Eddings stated that given Leo’s large size, of course his bark may be quite loud for those around him.
“Leo’s bark does travel, but it’s just because he’s 120 pounds,” he commented.
And while Graham County does not specify quiet hours, it does distinguish between what it could identify as unpleasant and needless noise. Apparently the requirements state that noise should not be clearly heard from a distance of more than 50 feet from the original source.
Now, Eddings feels that him and his family are being unfairly targeted by the Graham County Sheriff’s Office as a result of noise complaints, even though Leo does not bark more than any of the other dogs in the neighborhood.
“I have a neighbor that has three or four dogs that bark,” Eddings said. “And my neighbor across the street has dogs that bark. So, I think singling us out for one dog is a little ridiculous.”
And with the citations piling up, Eddings was forced to appear in court, where he was absolutely shocked to hear the offer from the district attorney’s office.
“He said that if you have the vocal cords removed surgically, they would drop all charges,” he said. “It’s crazy, it’s inhumane.”
The idea was made by an associate district attorney, according to Graham County District Attorney Ashley Welch. Here is the statement from Welch:
“I have confirmed that an assistant district attorney in my district suggested, as a possible solution to violations of a town’s noise ordinance, that a dog’s vocal cords be surgically altered. Whether offered in jest or seriousness, the suggestion was inappropriate. I am unable to offer additional comment as this is now a personnel matter.”
Eddings is expected to appear for court again this October.
“We’ll put up a fence, things like that, but I’m not going to put on a barking collar and I’m not going to have surgery,” he said.
Sheriff Jerry Crisp of Graham County revealed that Eddings has been given multiple tickets for not only his dog’s loud barking but also music. Following the last citation however, there hasn’t been any additional complaints from neighbors.
Watch it here: Youtube/ABC News
Sources: Westernjournal, Thenationaldesk, Newsweek
