‘Barking’ parrot causing neighborhood disturbance in Cape Coral

A woman faces a $500 fine after a neighbor complained about her barking dog in Cape Coral.

The only problem? The barking hasn’t been coming from her dogs; her parrot is the source of the noise.

10-year-old Zazu has picked up on quite a few habits, mimicking what he hears around him. And now, his owner says he’s started barking like a dog.

“There are so many reasons that a dog will bark, and the bird can hear it…and now the bird has been barking like a dog,” said owner Cheryl Kasper.

Kasper says the bird has only been “barking” for about a month, after it heard her dogs bark.

But people in her Cape neighborhood don’t think it’s a cute trick. Kasper was issued a warning from Lee County Domestic Animal Services and could face a substantial fine if the noise persists.

Neighbor Tom Tipton didn’t file the complaint against Kasper, but says he didn’t even know she had a bird.

“The barking doesn’t stop until the movement stops in the neighborhood,” Tipton said.

Kasper says her dogs stay inside, except for going on walks. But Zazu enjoys the tropical weather on the lanai.

“No one else has ever complained,” Kasper said. “I would do anything to avoid conflict. I do not like conflict.”

The neighbor who allegedly filed the complaint didn’t answer their door. But Kasper wishes her neighbor would have come to her first.

“I think it’s a frivolous complaint, to be honest. I mean, we’ve been sitting here talking and the bird is still quiet,” Kasper said.

She says for now, Zazu will need to be moved inside the home, which is not ideal for the bird’s breed. Kasper also says she is taking her concerns over to Lee County Domestic Animal Services Tuesday.