Man in chateau bow-wow

[TexasStooge]

PALO ALTO, Calif.(Court TV) — Richard Dillon is in the doghouse after being arrested for barking at a police dog.

Dillon, 25, faces a misdemeanor charge that he willfully and maliciously interfered with a Palo Alto police officer's duty by teasing and agitating the officer's dog. Dillon could face up to a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.

The incident occurred March 5, when Dillon, a bartender, and a co-worker were walking in downtown Palo Alto and passed a group of officers standing by their patrol cars.

Dillon claims that the dog in one of the cars was already agitated and barking at other passers-by when he returned a single friendly bark.

A Palo Alto police spokesman acknowledged that barking in itself may not warrant a citation, but the law clearly prohibits actions that harass and agitate police dogs.

An Ohio appeals court recently ruled that a lower court judge was right to dismiss charges against a man who was arrested after barking back at a police dog.