Selectmen rule on excessive barking

Oct 23, 2019

The Board of Selectmen voted on Tuesday night to impose a set of restrictions upon three Cane Corso dogs to prevent them from excessive barking. 

Animal Control Officer Cheryl Gorveatt-Dill received numerous complaints from the residents of  Barrett Way in East Wareham regarding the continuous barking of the dogs belonging to their neighbor, Calvin Carnes.

Neighbors came to share their concerns. 

“The dogs have been barking constantly. In the day and night time as well. It is annoying. It is frustrating,” said Eve Aseltine. “I kind of feel bad for the dogs. I am sure they are barking at the squirrels, but when it is two or three hours I feel bad for the dogs. Something is bothering them and they are needed to be taken care of.”

Patricia Morrison, a neighbor who lives across the street from Carnes also shared her concerns.

“These are very big dogs. The day goes by, the night goes by, the dogs are barking,” said Morrison. “This has been going on for months.”

Gorveatt-Dill noted that despite multiple complaints directed towards the owner, Carnes collaborated and agreed to all of the suggestions presented by the Animal Control Officer. 

“Recently I have been doing as much as I can do to keep them quiet,” said Carnes. “I want to do everything I can to make this barking issue go away.”

The officer brought up the following suggestions to resolve the situation: take all reasonable measures including but not limited to supervised or limited outdoor activity; use of a construction barrier between the street and the property, take all measures including but not limited to use of a muzzle (if weather permits), supervise any outside activities prior to 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. In addition to that, the officer asked that the dogs be humanely restrained outdoors in a securely and locked pens to avoid the risk of them getting loose and running off the property.