Barking dog could cost North Seattle family its home

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfgate.com/local/komo/article/Barking-dog-could-cost-North-Seattle-family-its-6072740.php

He isn't a prized breed or a champion at the kennel club. He's just plain old Cawper, and he may cost his family more than $500,000....

Their North Seattle neighbor sued them over Cawper and his barking -- and won in court for nearly half a million dollars in the form of a default judgment.

In a sprawling 36-page complaint, Norton's neighbor Woodrow Thompson alleged that Cawper is known for "raucously, wildly bellowing, howling and explosively barking" and that he is an outrage, with intentional infliction of emotional distress -- and that his barking caused "profound emotional distress."

Thompson's complaint suggests Cawper is capable of barking at 128 decibels through double-pane windows. According to Purdue University research, that would mean Cawper is louder than a chainsaw, a clap of thunder and just a hair quieter than the takeoff of a military jet.

[shenmue]

1. Awww

Poor feller. He dunno any better.

[Arugula Latte]

2. I have to say, I would hate to live next door to that.

I like purrs, not barks. But ... $500,000? Seriously?

Seems like a better solution would be to find a nice farm Cawper could live on.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

3. Yikes. I understand in some jurisdictions you have a grace period to appeal default judgments.

But it sounds, from the video, she waited a long time. Years? It is already in the sherriff sale stage?

I know there is a principle in common law about "shocking the conscious of the court." I don't know if something like that would apply. hopefully there is some recourse.

[NV Whino]

4. Well, Cawper looks to be part hound

I can imagine that his baying would be annoying. But, seems to me there are other solutions and this should have gone to arbitration to find them.

[Taitertots]

5. I hope this starts a trend. Where irresponsible owners have to pay for their inconsiderate behavior

If your dogs sit outside barking, it is because you trained them that it was acceptable. Dogs can guide blind people, there is no excuse for an untrained dog constantly barking.

[revolutionbrees]

7. Agreed.

The area we live in had previously been rural, but when the owners died, their son sold it and it was developed into a new subdivision, but he retained the original home. The dog had lived with the parents and was not used to all the noise and activity of his new surroundings. He was quite the nuisance for the first year because he basically thought he was still in the country, chasing squirrels and baying at other animals. He was quite loud, but he had been a hunting dog and it was his nature to track animals and sound off to the hunters. Finally, the son decided the dog would be happier spending his final days with a relative further out in the Parish.

[KamaAina]

10. Brees? Parish? Do I detect a Louisianian here?

Spent two years in NOLA myself.

[revolutionbrees]

12. Ouachita Parish

My family has been in New Orleans since 1736. I keep trying to leave but always return. It's the voodoo.

[KamaAina]

15. Oh, Monroe.

Do you remember anything about some guy up there who claimed to not be part of the state, like Hawaiian sovereigntists, because of something called the "Washitaw (Ouachita) of Dougdemoni" that was some kind of French land grant? I read about this in the cat box liner (Times-Picayune )in the (pre-Internet) late '80s.

[hedgehog]

6. I spent an hour last summer with a barking dog next to

me in bed, trying to get him to stop barking. On the plus side, we live in the country. On the negative side, it's so quiet here I'm sure the barking carries.

(BTW - any advice on getting him to be quiet sometimes much appreciated!)

[Taitertots]

8. iPhone dog whistle app w/ Bluetooth stereo

Combined with repeatedly calling the city noise complaint number to have them cited for noise violations.

[roody]

9. Extremely long walks and runs?

[ballardgirl]

11. I saw this on the news last night

and had to wonder how stupid this woman could be. First, she is clueless that her dog barks/howls during the day? And then to just disregard the whole legal process. What? That said, her neighbor should have sought out mediation before filing this suit. I do understand - we have a couple beagles a block over who can really get going sometimes. Poor dogs.

[benld74]

13. We have 3 dogs behind us

that are let out daily
1) the small ones on the deck
2) the large one by their pool

And all the do is B-A-R-K non stop until they are let into the house. Sometimes they are let out numerous times per day. NEVER for a walk, just let out.

THAT is the problem, take the poor things OUT for A WALK! But NOPE they don't. That is just being druel to animals IMHOP.

[Baitball Blogger]

14. If they are intentionally letting the dog out on the porch every time

you walk into your back porch, then it is intentional infliction of emotional distress.