Oregon court rules LGDs must be debarked in case against farmers

[Beer can]

How are your chickens doing ? Do you still pop in on our thread ? havent seen you in a while

Haven't been on 'our thread' much since the change.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Hard to really comment on this one.
I've found when it involves a news story then there's four sides to the story. In this case. The dogs owner's, the neighbor's, the reporter's and the truth. I'd rather hear the truth then the other three stories.
Like most news stories like this things are twisted, added, left out, etc.
Usually brings up more questions like in this case. Seems some things in this story doesn't add up so hard to comment.

 

[sannabelle]

Hard to really comment on this one.
I've found when it involves a news story then there's four sides to the story. In this case. The dogs owner's, the neighbor's, the reporter's and the truth. I'd rather hear the truth then the other three stories.
Like most news stories like this things are twisted, added, left out, etc.
Usually brings up more questions like in this case. Seems some things in this story doesn't add up so hard to comment.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[pennyJo1960]

seems kinda odd but humans can commit some pretty stupid behavior

 

[sannabelle]

Ain't that the truth..

 

[Bunnylady]

Just curious as to what everyone thinks of this. Found it interesting that they claim the dogs aren't truly working dogs because the "income" (animals) they protect only bring in 26,000$ a year revenue.

Wading through the legalspeak on the judgement (which I don't pretend to really understand), what I get is this: The owner of the dogs, Karen Szewc, started breeding Tibetan Mastiffs on her 3.4 acre property in 2002. Her neighbors (Debra and Dale Krein) have basically been complaining about the noise ever since. Persistently barking dogs are a violation of the county noise ordinance, and she has been cited and fined repeatedly. Szewc was denied the "farming use" defense for a variety of reasons, among them being the fact that farming at the level she was doing it is not an approved use under the zoning of the property, and that the noise isn't a necessary part of the farming operation. The neighbors sued, and were awarded a pretty substantial sum in 2015, which was upheld on appeal; Szewc apparently felt that gave her dogs carte blanche to be as noisy as they please and the neighbors just have to suffer since they're being paid for their trouble? In fairness to her, she has tried shock collars, fencing to block the view, etc, all to no avail, so the debarking is a sort of course of last resort to give the neighbors a break.

Incidentally, it's a little unclear how much money the "farm" actually makes. Karen Szewc is a fiber artist that turns the wool of her sheep into little figures and things that she sells at her shop, craft fairs, a page on etsy, etc; the lines get a bit blurry as to how much money can be attributed directly to the farming operation.

 

[ChickenMath101]

2015. Denise Norton, Seattle. $500,000 judgement was awarded to her neighbors because of her dog's relentless barking. (Neighbor sued and Denise didn't show up for court because she thought it was a bogus lawsuit. Not showing up=automatic judgement.) These lawsuits may be frivolous, or not-but they are happening more and more frequently across the country. People expect to be able to enjoy their homes without constantly listening to the loud noise of barking.
If I had a choice I think I would prefer to have my dog debarked than to lose my home. :/
Does anybody know if she has the choice to rehome the dogs without de-barking them?

 

[Bunnylady]

Does anybody know if she has the choice to rehome the dogs without de-barking them?

She has had the option all along of moving the dogs to another property, but of course, they wouldn't be with her sheep and goats then. These dogs are supposed to be livestock guardians, so of course, she wants them where she has livestock for them to guard.

 

[Leighe]

In fairness to her, she has tried shock collars, fencing to block the view, etc, all to no avail, so the debarking is a sort of course of last resort to give the neighbors a break.

If she is breeding to sell then she needs to sell. I suspect she just loves the dogs but there is no way she needs 6 LGD's for 3.4 acres. She has manipulated the system and sadly the ones hurt the most by her actions are her neighbors and especially her dogs. She is not a good dog owner IMHO.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I agree I could house my client dogs of 12 to 15 and my own 7 with no barking or very little no dog ever debarked I only had litters like every 3 to 4 years then neighbors would come over to see puppies