Roaming peacocks ruffle feathers in Bristol Township

Residents also complain about barking dogs

BRISTOL -- People driving along Mahan Denman Road might notice more than a chicken crossing the road. Peacocks are roaming the area.

Township trustees said at their recent meeting they've received calls from residents who have seen peacocks running across or along the road.

Trustee Ramon French said peacocks and peafowl are classified under agriculture poultry / fowl in the Ohio Revised Code, the same as chickens and ducks, and need to be kept on their own properties by the owners.

"There have been calls of people seeing peacocks running at large and by the roads,'' French said.

Officials said they are concerned the big birds will get hit or cause accidents for motorists.

French said letters will be sent to area property owners who have poultry to let them know the peacocks and any other animals need to be confined.

Violators could face a misdemeanor.

Peacocks are native to India, but like emus they often are found on farms with chickens, turkeys and ducks.

Trustee Chairman Doug Seemann said they also have received calls in recent weeks from the same area, plus other parts of the township, about constant dog barking, which he said is more difficult to address.

He said nothing in the township's zoning code deals with dog barking.

Seemann said other communities such as Howland do have barking dogs in their zoning code, but even then challenges exist, as it is difficult to locate the dogs or get them to stop barking.

Trustee Mark Webb said knowing what time of day a dog is barking is important because loud noise in the middle of the night is nuisance, and constant and continual barking during the day becomes very annoying.

"I feel for the residents because this is an obvious problem, but this would be very difficult for us to regulate. You have to identify where the barking is coming from," Webb said.

Officials said trustees can do little but understand that neighborhoods, especially at night, need to be quiet and not have dogs barking for long periods.

"We do not have our own local police force to ride out to a location where there is a dog barking," French said.

Seemann said even having the Trumbull County sheriff check on the situation also may not always work as the dogs may stop barking before a deputy arrives.

Officials said residents may be able to file civil complaints in the matter.