This morning, a neighbor’s dog woke me at 7:30, barking. Loudly. Continually. He kept at it for thirty-five minutes, non-stop. This is not an unusual occurrence. This happens regularly. The neighbors, it seems, are oblivious. The owners aren’t bothered. The neighbors around aren’t bothered–only me. So, does the fault lie with me? Should I be fine with needing to turn on the TV or close the door on a warm day, so the barking isn’t so loud? There’s a city ordinance, but it evidently means nothing and the dog owners know it.
I like dogs. And, cats, and most all animals. I’m convinced they are not inherently troublesome. But, they are a gift to mankind and it is our responsibility to take care of them, treat them kindly, and train them to be good doggy or catly citizens in a people-dominated world. Strange as it may seem, I do think that people are important enough to be considered too.
If a person stood in his yard yelling at the top of his lungs for thirty minutes, something would be done. It would definitely be a danger signal, a cry for help in some form and it would be investigated quickly.
I’ve wondered if the dog is unhappy. Is he hungry? Is he hurting? Has he been treated badly and is taking it out on the world? He looks fine as he stands atop his platform that juts above the privacy fence. But, how am I to know? And, why is this allowed to continue, day after day, week after week?
Am I over-reacting? Should I simply turn on the TV even if I don’t want to? Should I rearrange working in the yard or sitting on my deck until a time when the dog is quiet? Should I be happy that this is a dog-friendly neighborhood? I don’t know. It’s hard to keep my head on straight when it’s hurting.
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