Nashville Neighbors Want To Silence Woman's Dogs

"They habitually bark -- during the daylight hours, during the nighttime hours," said Dornseif. "It's not a real pattern. It's repeatedly, it's just consistently."

Neighbors said Maynard owns eight dogs in all. Dornseif sent WRAL digital pictures showing the dogs at the fence bordering her yard. As soon as she opens the back door, she said they all start barking.

"One is loud. Eight are much louder," said Dornseif.

She and other neighbors have complained and called the police numerous times in the past couple of years. In July, officers issued a misdemeanor criminal summons for Maynard saying her noisy animals violate town law. Neighbors have also started a petition protesting the dogs that has garnered 120 signatures.

Nashville Police Chief Bill Creech said the department has received many complaints from neighbors about the noise, as well as complaints from the owner claiming neighbors are harassing her dogs to make them bark.

"We don't provoke it," said Dornseif. "We do everything we can to prevent it."

Nashville actually has a town ordinance that says residents can have no more than three dogs. But in 2003, a judge said Maynard could keep all of hers because she had them before the ordinance was in place.

Maynard declined to comment on the case, and her attorney advised her only to say she's lived in the town all her life, her family has always had animals, and she takes good care of the dogs.

Maynard went to court this week to answer the summons, but her case was continued. A judge has not set a new court date.