Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the Constitution, but what about the freedom to bark?
The North Dakota Supreme Court has rejected a claim that an anti-barking ordinance is unconstitutional.
Fred Kilkenny got a ticket for his barking dogs in Belfield, N.D., even though he was in Mississippi at the time helping Hurricane Katrina victims. His lawyer argued that Belfield's anti-barking law is too vague to be fairly enforced.
But the judges on the state's high court saw no reason to muzzle local officials. The ruling noted that similar dog-barking ordinances have constitutional teeth.
Kilkenny may take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.