Contact Animal Services about problem dog
Published 2:02 pm Wednesday, June 14, 2017
What can be done about a neighbor’s dog that barks all day long in Calcasieu Parish?
Contact Calcasieu Parish Animal Services, which will dispatch an officer to look into the situation, said Nathan Areno, agency director.
“If no complaint was filed previously, a bark packet will be delivered to the dog owner. The packet explains the laws concerning nuisance barking, and gives the pet owner an opportunity to correct the problem,” Areno said in a statement forwarded to The Informer.
“Many dog owners do fix the problem on their own. If the dog continues to be a neighborhood nuisance, the officer will get statements from the complainant and witnesses. Upon receiving the statements, citations will be issued. The fines for the offense increase per occurrence.”
Under Section 5-78 of the Calcasieu Parish code, the fines for owners of nuisance animals are $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and $500 for a third offense. A fourth offense will lead to impoundment of the animal.
The code says a nuisance animal is one that “molests passersby, moving vehicles, or other animals while at large” ; “damages private or public property”; “barks, whines, or howls in an excessive, continuous, or untimely manner”; or “causes unsanitary conditions or odors about the premises of the owner or others through urination or defecation.”
For more information, call Animal Services at 721-3730.
State regulates station fuel pumps
Who has jurisdiction over credit card skimmers on gas station pumps?
The installation of card skimmers on fuel pumps and the use of the account information the skimmers steal fall within the jurisdiction of several agencies, including federal and state authorities.
If you think you’ve fallen victim to pump skimmers, contact local authorities — police or sheriff’s deputies — and call the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry, whose Weights and Measures Division oversees fuel pumps statewide.
“The LDAF continues to work with the United States Secret Service, state and local law enforcement as they continue their investigations into skimming devices,” reads a department news release issued at the end of March.
“In the past month, the LDAF confiscated at least 15 skimming devices throughout the state. These devices contained approximately 4,000 credit/debit card numbers, according to the Secret Service.”
The state Agriculture Department offers the following security tips:
“Whenever possible, do not use the debit card function at the gas pump. Use it as a credit card in order to protect your PIN number.”
“Monitor your debit/credit card activity online and contact your bank to report unrecognized charges.”
“Whenever using a credit card, try to use a pump that is easily seen by gas station employees. Pumps that are less visible are commonly targeted because crooks can easily install a skimmer which normally takes very little time.”
“Check the pump card reader for signs of forced entry like bent panels or broken security tape.”
The Division of Weights and Measures can be reached at 866-927-2476.
Be sure to contact your bank or card issuer if you notice unfamiliar charges on you account statements.
The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.
