French mayor’s edict to silence barking dogs

A MAYOR in France yesterday issued a decree banning dogs from barking too much in his village, prompting a furious response from “animal freedom” activists.

Jean-pierre Estienne, the mayor of Feuquières, near Amiens in the northern Oise département, published the “unprecedented” decree after some of the village’s 1,500 inhabitants complained that the incessant barking of some dogs is making life intolerable.

From next week, owners of dogs who fail to keep in check “prolonged or repeated barking” are liable for a fine of €68 (£59).

However, the decree triggered an angry response from animal welfare groups.

Stéphane Lamart, an animal-rights activist, told Le Monde: “This is completely barking. You may as well stop church bells ringing on Sunday morning!”