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Residents tell Middlesex supervisors kennel barking, sleep loss prompt urgency for enforcement
Summary
Multiple residents told the board they have documented frequent barking and said the noise has harmed sleep and health; commenters urged stronger enforcement and changes to kennel permitting and zoning.
Several residents at the Middlesex County public hearing urged immediate action over what they said is persistent barking from a nearby kennel.
Earl Simpson, who said he has lived on Carlton Road for more than 50 years, told the supervisors the kennel's noise had driven neighbors away and asked the board to "step in and take care of the problem somehow." Mary Ann Willis, a long-time next-door neighbor, told the board she supported action and asked for an enforceable rule that covers noise heard across multiple properties.
Mark Pantalescu said he kept a four-month log and recorded "162 barking incidents" over 44 days and 38 barks that woke him between 10 PM and 7 AM; he tied the sleep interruptions to rising blood pressure and urged stricter penalties and owner training. The board and County Attorney discussed enforcement thresholds and noted that animal-noise language in the draft would create a chargeable offense when the sound was "plainly audible" across a residential boundary for a specified interval.
Board members acknowledged the residents' concerns and discussed complementary steps such as addressing kennel permits through zoning rather than embedding all permit conditions in the noise ordinance. The board adopted the ordinance and directed staff to report back if the measure proves insufficient.
