Croatian Court Bans Dog From Barking

Dog owners might want to reconsider before relocating to northern Croatia, where a court recently gave a dog an injunction for … barking.

Medo, a 3-year-old mutt, has been given a temporary court order to stop barking between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m, the Associated Press reports. His owner’s neighbor is suing for more than $1,500 in damages, claiming that Medo’s barking has negatively impacted her health.

“He barks normally, like any dog does,” owner Anton Simunovic said. “He barks when he sees a cat, or if someone unknown comes to his territory.”

The temporary court order has prompted Simunovic to confine Medo to a barn at night. Until a court in Pula issues a final ruling, the injunction stipulates that Simunovic will be charged up to $3,160 if Medo barks at inopportune hours.

While Medo hasn’t made friends with his neighbors the pup has a strong social media solidarity movement.

Almost 43,000 people have joined Medo’s Facebook page, many of whom are posting pictures and videos of their pets barking in support:

[AP]