OXNARD : City Settles Dispute Over Dog’s Barking

Agreeing that problems with a 10-pound terrier who barked too loud and too often had been solved, the dog’s owner and the city of Oxnard on Monday settled a dispute over the issue out of court.

The city will not declare Missy a nuisance. And Missy’s owner, Ann Perez, will not seek a hearing on a lawsuit she filed against the city and a county animal control officer.

Superior Court Judge Barbara A. Lane approved the deal after Perez told the judge that Missy actually likes the collar, which emits a high-frequency sound that discourages dogs from barking.

“She knows she can’t go outside without the collar,” Perez told the judge. “It has programmed her to know not to bark unless the barking is required.”

Perez had filed a lawsuit in February to block an order that Missy be silenced through a surgical procedure known as “debarking.” The suit had described the operation as cruelty to animals.

The problem was solved in two ways. First, the neighbor who complained most bitterly moved out of state to accept a new job. Perez said her new neighbors are animal lovers who own a dog and a cat and enjoy Missy.

Also, a local pet shop owner provided Missy with a collar that controls a dog’s barking. Nicholas Bonge said the collar works in about 80% of the cases in which it is used.