Union County sheriff urges tighter, clearer standards for Beresford barking-dog ordinance

Grayson Lass, a Union County sheriff and Beresford resident, asked the City Council to review Beresford's ordinance 5.0217, subsection E, saying the current language could classify ordinary, short-lived barking as a violation.

Lass told the council he lives at 406 West North Maple Street with three dogs and has had roughly four complaints in three years. "They bark at people... cats... [and] tornado sirens," he said, adding that camera footage on one recent call showed barking had stopped by the time officers arrived.

The request centered on whether the ordinance is too broad. Lass said Brandon's ordinance, and Sioux Falls's enforcement practice, offer models that set clearer thresholds: Brandon requires written complaints from two separate households and defines a nuisance as "an ongoing problem over several days and/or at several intervals throughout its 24-hour period," while Sioux Falls's practice can include an officer listening from a parked vehicle and, if noise continues for several minutes (about eight to 10), knocking and attempting contact.

"My reading of this, as not an attorney, basically says that any dog that makes any noise at any point is in violation of the ordinance," Lass said. He told the council he is not opposed to reasonable enforcement but that the current language could capture routine, short bursts of barking.

Council members and staff discussed options for narrowing the standard and reducing ambiguity. City officials suggested consulting the Southeast Council of Governments (CCOG) model ordinance and checking with municipal partners and police about local enforcement practice and complaint volumes. Councilmember Larry Rohrer and others said they favored encouraging neighbor-to-neighbor conversations where feasible, but also recognized some residents prefer anonymous complaints.

Council members did not vote on an ordinance change. Instead, the council directed staff to do background research, consult with CCOG and local enforcement (including police staff), and report options back to the council at a future meeting.

The discussion included these clarifying details from the meeting: Lass said he has three dogs (two German shepherds and a husky); he estimated four complaint instances in three years; Brandon's ordinance requires two written complaints from separate households for enforcement; Sioux Falls officers will listen from a parked vehicle and may act if steady barking continues "several minutes, 8 to 10." The council asked staff to compile enforcement data, model ordinance language, and practical thresholds for nighttime versus daytime disturbances.

The council emphasized this was a research-and-report direction rather than a formal policy change; any amendment would return to a future meeting for formal consideration.