Senate Bill No. 147

(By Senators Jackson, Ball, Deem, Snyder, Unger and Hunter)

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[Introduced January 19, 2000; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend article twenty, chapter nineteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-five, relating to allowing county commissions to enact ordinances pertaining to barking dogs.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article twenty, chapter nineteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-five, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 20. DOGS AND CATS.
§19-20-25.
Barking dogs.
The county commission of each county may promulgate and enforce ordinances that require owners of dogs to prevent the dogs from barking excessively in such a way that annoys persons within hearing distance. The ordinances may prescribe a penalty for failure to quiet the dog after the owner is given advanced warning.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow county commissions to pass ordinances relating to requiring owners of dogs to prevent them from barking excessively in a way that annoys neighbors.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.