Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

This letter has to do with the rights of our pets and our rights as citizens.

I have lived in my house for 20 years with dogs. Over half of everyone on this block has dogs. Never in my life have I ever had trouble because of my pets. Never has anyone complained.

Naturally there is always barking, kids playing in the street, ballgames in the street, motorcycles, and hotrod cars are sometimes louder than a dog’s barking. We also have music loud enough that you need ear plugs, but no one ever complains.

Now people with dogs on the block are getting citations for barking. We all know a dog is likely to bark when someone walks down the street. If that person has a dog there will be barking.

My dog barks at strangers that pass by. What dog does not?

I was not given a first warning. I was given a citation just on the accusers’ word Other people on the block let their dogs run lose and they got no citation. One person does not want to hear dogs barking so we all get citations. I keep my dog in the house and only in the back yard with supervision. He has hip and leg problems and cannot walk every good.

Some of us have been robbed.

The accuser does not stop to think the dogs might be barking at a prowler and they may be stopping a crime.

 We all have a legal right to have dogs. The pet has a right to bark in their yard when playing or to defend their property from intruders. If you are going to give citations for noise do it for all noise that disturbs people.

The accuser should not have the right to accuse people of crimes we have not committed or dictate how we live or take our rights away to suit him.  



Susan McElvain

Manteca