F.I.D.O

Who You Gonna' Call?

Peace Officers?

It's 12:30 AM and you've been awake for an hour, listening to a barking dog. You're pretty sure the noise is coming from across the street, about three doors down. Uncomfortable with walking around in the dark, you remember when the Denver Police helped with a noisy fraternity party last year. But when you call the police, you're surprised to learn that the police won't respond to a barking dog complaint (don't they wonder if the dog's barking at a burglar?). You're told to call Animal Control during regular business hours!

To Serve and Protect

Although City Code specifically grants Police and Special Police the ability to issue a complaint to the owner of a barking dog, the guys and gals in blue simply won't respond. Seems odd, because standard anti-crime advice from the police is "buy a dog." You'd think they'd want to investigate the barking to thwart a potential crime. Councilman Hackworth told F.I.D.O. that the police were simply too busy with more important matters; then we learned about that lounge at the airport.

Animal Control

Animal Control gets stretched pretty thin. Assuring the welfare of animals in the City and County of Denver is a big job. Call their number (303-698-0076) and you'll hear a daunting menu of choices. Unfortunately, seeking relief from excessive barking is not one of them. F.I.D.O has worked with Animal Control to improve their response to problem barking; there is still work to be done.