Residents demand action on barking dog law failures

During a recent government meeting, residents voiced significant concerns regarding local animal control laws and infrastructure challenges in Anne Arundel County.

One resident highlighted ongoing issues with a neighbor's dog that has been howling and barking incessantly. Despite multiple complaints and visits from animal control, the dog owner has not complied with requests to mitigate the noise, which has led to frustration among neighbors. The resident pointed out that while the law prohibits pets from disturbing the peace, the penalties are minimal and ineffective, suggesting that more stringent consequences are needed to enforce compliance. They offered to share their door camera footage to illustrate the severity of the disturbance, emphasizing the need for legislative reform to address such nuisances effectively.

In a separate discussion, Kate Fox, a Davidsonville resident, addressed the county's infrastructure issues, particularly in light of proposed growth and development. She referenced surveys indicating that residents are opposed to further development without adequate infrastructure to support it. Fox argued that the current criteria for assessing road capacity are insufficient and called for a revision of the Adequate Public Facilities (APF) criteria to better reflect transportation needs. She also advocated for raising impact fees, noting that the last increase occurred in 2008, which has contributed to the current infrastructure deficits.

The meeting underscored the community's desire for improved enforcement of existing laws and a more strategic approach to infrastructure planning as the county navigates growth and development challenges.