There’s nothing more annoying than living next door to a dog that won’t stop barking. Dogs bark for a variety of reasons, from boredom to fear. Unfortunately for both neighbors and dog owners, the behavior isn’t always curbed as easily as all parties might want – meaning the steps involved in resolving an excessive barking case can be numerous.

Sometimes the solution is as simple as confining the dog to the house during the workday, but oftentimes, resolving the issues requires major changes on the part of the owner, either through restructuring their routines with the dog or by investing in training. As such, it’s likely that the problem will be ongoing and may require multiple complaints on the part of the neighbor – and multiple touchpoints from local Animal Control – before the situation is resolved or becomes serious enough to escalate.

Animal Control Procedures for Excessive Barking

Every Animal Control department has its own procedures for handling animal nuisance complaints, but generally the process begins with an initial formal complaint from a neighbor followed by an inspection and courtesy notice from Animal Control outlining a grace period for the owner in order to allow them time to correct the issue. In some cases, the situation is resolved after the initial notice – but oftentimes additional steps are required.

Following a second complaint, many departments send an officer to discuss the situation in-person with the dog’s owner and provide educational assistance. Pending no resolution, next steps are often a formal citation and even a hearing for the dog’s owners.

Technology to the Rescue

While navigating the human component of these cases can be complex – from mediating neighbor relationships to dealing with difficult owners – the steps involved in processing and filing excessive barking cases are not necessarily difficult. They can, however, be tedious with lots of details to keep track of.

In order to properly document a case, a lot of information needs to be gathered: name and address of the complainant, information on the offending dog and its address, logs of details on the frequency and duration of the disturbance. And with lengthy grace periods in between steps of the process, it can sometimes be difficult to remember the details of each case when it’s time to pick it back up – especially if departmental processes spread information out between Excel sheets and other locations. Apart from keeping track of all the relevant information, excessive barking cases also require a lot of communication with the parties involved, from keeping complainants and internal team members in the loop about case developments to reaching out to the dog’s owners with information or citations. It can be a lot to keep track of, and easy for details to slip between the cracks.

This is where technology can be helpful. From keeping track of all details in one place to functionality that makes it possible to file cases, generate notices and pull reports in just a few clicks, case management software designed specifically for Animal Control services takes the tedium out of managing excessive barking cases.

The Benefits of Animal Control Software

Some of the most helpful Animal Control software features when it comes to managing excessive barking cases includes:

Animal and Contact Databases: Searchable databases of all parties involved, including the dogs, makes it easy to look up submission details and case history, including if this particular animal has caused a disturbance before.

Workflow Automations: By setting up rules and logic within the system, certain tasks have the possibility to be automated, from assigning a case to an officer to automatically notifying assignees of developments on the case.

Reporting: Whether you need to gather information for an upcoming hearing or share case information with leadership, one-click reporting makes it easy to provide visibility when it’s needed.

Comcate for Your Animal Control Software Needs

With dedicated Animal Control software, you can spend less time managing the minutiae of case details and more time on the tasks that really matter – like talking with residents and building relationships in the community. At Comcate, we believe in the power of technology to help create more efficient government for everyone. That’s why we offer flexible, affordable software designed specifically for local government agencies, including Animal Control.

Our Animal Control Manager solution helps officers around the country streamline services, from connecting lost animals with their rightful owners to making case management for excessive barking easier. As a cloud-based software, our Animal Control Manager works just as well in the field as it does in-office, making it easier to file cases on the go, conduct mobile inspections and print notices of violation on-the-go. Interested in learning more? Fill out the form below!

Schedule a Meeting with Comcate Today!

Learn how Comcate can help make government delivery simple, and offer a modern digital experience to help you increase transparency, efficiency, and performance across your departments. If you have any questions about implementing our software, please fill out the form below or call us directly at (415) 632-1248.

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