Langley resident urges county action on persistent kennel barking

James Cowperthwaite of 5979 Ariel Way in Langley told the Island County Board of Commissioners that a licensed kennel at 5950 Max Walton Road has generated nearly continuous barking for years and that efforts to resolve the problem through law enforcement, animal control and county planning have been unsuccessful.

"It has since been steady barking since," Cowperthwaite told the board, saying he has raised the issue as far back as 2018. He said he has contacted local law enforcement and the animal control officer but that enforcement is limited because the kennel is a licensed business. "By the sound of the barking over the years... it is the kennel owners' 2 dogs, 1 large, 1 small, that make all the racket for most of it," he said.

Cowperthwaite said the barking affects his ability to enjoy his property and creates stress; he described hearing the dogs for as long as 12 hours a day and said the county told him the zoning allowed the kennel. He said he sent a letter to Island County Planning and Community Development on Sept. 9 and had not received a response as of the meeting.

Commissioners thanked Cowperthwaite for bringing the concern to the board and acknowledged that business licensing by the state complicates local remedies. One commissioner said noise regulation is on the planning department’s work plan for the coming year and that staff will explore options that balance business rights with residential impacts.

No formal action or vote was recorded on the complaint during the meeting.