By Nick P. Angelides,Special to the Sun Journal

GREENE – Concerns about barking dogs brought residents to the selectmen’s meeting Monday night.

After years of complaints, residents of Hummingbird Hill Road submitted a petition of neighbors tired of the continual barking that takes place at a dog kennel owned by Dr. Jan and Joanne Kippax.

Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout Jr. said that although he received more than 100 complaints of barking dogs in the communities he covers every year, and that he was aware of the four-year problem, he has not documented any formal complaints.

The Kippax family raises Great Pyrenees dogs for show, and Strout said they are not in violation of any town ordinances and are up-to-date on the necessary licenses. “There is not a whole lot that can be done,” he said. “That breed of dog tends to warn by barking, and once one starts, it spreads to the others.”

Kennel neighbors Greg and Jane Seeley said they want some support from the town on the issue. “We have provided some strength in numbers and now I want to see what can be done,” Greg Seeley said.

Attorney Alan Stone said he represents the Kippax family and asked the board if a sit-down meeting could be arranged with a representative of the neighborhood, a selectman and the Kippax family.

The parties agreed to have a meeting, and Selectman Timothy Doyle said the steps that have been taken to address the barking issue are “a good start.”

“It is obvious, however, that Dr. Jan Kippax needs to take larger steps” to address the problem, he said.

No meeting has been set to date.

Copy the Story Link