'Emu issues' in Stanislaus County, California - Animal Court is now is session

No, this isn't your proverbial "kangaroo court" but a real, live courtroom in Stanislaus County.

As reported in the October 2 Washington Post [scroll down to the bottom of the page]:
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Mischievous chickens, rambunctious dogs and unruly cats are not beyond the long arm of the law.

Pet owners are being rounded up by court officials to face charges from failing to keep their pets on a leash to complaints about incessant barking and vicious animals, and they are being ordered to appear in Animal Court.

There are no lawyers.

Defendants represent themselves. [I assume this refers to the owners, not the animals]

Instead of the traditional fine, the five-member panel of judges - made up of veterinarians, dog trainers, and law enforcement officials - may suggest the complaining neighbor play with the offending pet or order obedience training. [Again, I assume for the animal, not the owner]

"We've had snake issues, emu issues, just a variety of crazy issues," Animal Services director Michael Rodriguez said.

"We've forgotten the art of communicating with our neighbor [I assume he's referring to humans rather than animals], and that's why we have these problems."

"We're trying to resolve these conflicts and teach responsible pet ownership here."