It's a dog's life (when you live in town)

It's a dog's life.

something that you say which means that life is hard and unpleasant I've got to go to the supermarket, then cook a meal, then pick Dave up from the station - it's a dog's life! 

the Free Dictionary.com

Having lived in these parts for two and half decades (and counting) I have come to the realization that there are basically two kinds of people who live around here: There are country folk and there are townies. Country folk live in the country (obviously) and are accustomed to country life. That maybe doesn't include the “wide open spaces” described by the Dixie Chicks in their song of the same name but they like their space and their ability to live as they please without prying neighbors. Townies (people like us) live in town and because we do we have to abide by certain constraints which are called “ordinances.” And there are many. In fact, the book of ordinances sitting in Carmen's office at City Hall is bigger than the traditional family Bible! But there's a reason for that.

Unlike Holy Writ this canon is still being added to

He was a great dog but he
liked to run and frequently did

In a perfect world, neighbors would respect each others property and not (for example) blow snow onto their neighbor's lawn (yes, there's an ordinance against that because there were a few folks in town who were doing just that). In a perfect world, neighbors would think carefully about how the junk in their yard affects the property values of those who live near to them. In a perfect world, neighbors would not just let their dogs run loose on the streets (as they do in many developing countries) and would pick up after them after they did their business. But...we don't live in a perfect world and so municipalities like ours develop codes and ordinances that govern things like how long your grass gets, how many pets you can have, how many cars you can keep on your property and when you might want to put a coat of paint on your house (to name just a few). If these measures sound “draconian” and overbearing then townies should be reminded that this is the sort of thing that comes with living in town.

You may not care in the least whether or not we get new sidewalks in the downtown area (we may yet!), you may not even notice that the long bridge has been without lights since last summer when one of them fell over (but gratefully no one got hurt), but a dog doing what dogs do in your front yard gets you on the phone speaking with your alderman or the mayor pronto. This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to townie-life. In this week's Chetek Alert the City posted a friendly reminder to all of us townies about things like the disposal of yard waste, how long are grass may get before we are reminded to cut it and rules that apply to the dogs among us. In case you don't subscribe to the Chetek Alert (and you should) here's how it reads (in case you can't read the fine print on the image):

Read all about it

Animals: Animals are not allowed to run at large within the City limits and must be leashed when walking. The owner or person in charge of the animal shall not permit solid fecal matter to be deposited on any street, alley or other public or private property, unless immediately removed. Animals on property must be tied or enclosed in a proper enclosure to keep the animal from interfering with passing public or neighbors. No more than 2 dogs or cats may be kept on any residential lot within the City of Chetek without council permission. Annual licenses for dogs are now overdue – unless your dog is new or a puppy 5 months or younger. Call city hall for more information – 715-924-4838.

Barking Dogs or Crying cats: It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly keep or harbor any dog which habitually barks, howls or yelps, or any cat which habitually cries or howls to the discomfort of the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. Such dogs and cats are hereby considered to be a public nuisance. A dog or a cat is considered to be in violation of City Ordinances when two (2) complaints are filed with the Chetek Police Department within a four (4) week period. Such violations are subject to penalties under Section 1-16. Contact the Chetek Police Department regarding violations – 715-924-3686.

It's pretty common-sensical: When you walk your dog (or dogs), make sure they're on a leash and make sure you pick up after them. You can't run a shelter for wayward dogs or cats in the middle of your neighborhood no matter how much you love animals. And if your dog has a nasty habit of barking every time the wind blows, maybe you need to invest in a shock collar to curb its enthusiasm. All of these matters are covered in our Code of Ordinances (which contrary to the Code of the Brethren of Pirates of the Caribbean fame are not guidelines but, in fact, laws that come with fines attached to them) in Chapter 18 (which is all about animals). You can go to the City's website and see for yourself in the drop down box under “Government” specifically Sections 25, 29, 31, and 32.

But what if your neighbor acts like they live in the country and won't keep their dog or dogs quiet or allows them to wander the neighborhood depositing their poop wherever they feel the need to do so? What then? Well, if you ask me, the first thing you should not do is call your alderman or the mayor. Rather, the best thing to do is see first if you and your neighbor can work it out. They may not be aware that there dog is getting out of their kennel during the day or night. Better to believe the best about them and see if the matter can be amicably resolved. We used to own a dog that

He became what's referred to as a nuisance pet

became unpredictable and twice in a three month period threatened two of our neighbors as they were either biking by our house or when one of their kids came to shoot buckets with our daughter in the driveway. Both of them were very gracious to us when I offered my sincere apologies. We loved Jack, pain that he often could be, but eventually we had to put him down for the benefit of our neighbors and ourselves.

Wouldn't it be great?

Presently we have a neighbor who has an old dog who frequently wanders into our yard, digs through our compost pile and does his duty where I least expect it - until I step in it. Let me suggest if one of your neighbors comes to you with a complaint about your beloved Bowser that you listen to them. He may be old and hard of hearing but if he's guilty of the misdemeanor courtesy demands you apologize and offer to go pick

Gross, right? But if you don't like it
you might want to consider moving
to the country

up your dog's business. That's just being neighborly. We also have a neighbor who puts their dog on a chain early in the morning who then proceeds to act like a rooster at dawn alerting the neighborhood that he's on guard. Last summer it was annoying as this was a daily thing. Since that time it's gotten a lot better – or I've grown tone-deaf to its barking! Of course, a citizen has the right to call their alderman or mayor or even the police to file an official complaint but it's still better if you can work it out between you. I'd like to think that's not yet pie-in-the-sky by-and-by.

I've hardly read a page or two from the Code of Ordinances (has anybody read them all other than, say, Randy Osberg, our city attorney?) but I think that the entire tome could probably be summed up with the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Jesus in Luke 6:31, NIV) or “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31, Jesus citing Leviticus 19). That's it in a nutshell. Be a good neighbor and don't be that neighbor that everybody else around you can't wait until you move out.