Home > Pet Care Tips >
Barking Dog Problems
Barking is a natural behavior for dogs. Dogs bark to express
joy, fear, and loneliness. They bark during play, "work" and to
alert their owner to something unusual in the home or yard.
At times, chronic dog barking, howling or other dog noises can
interfere in the well being of neighbors. It is the
responsibility of dog owners to keep their dog from annoying
neighbors. Chronic barking can result in the issuance of a
citation with a fine.
Title 8 of
the Sacramento County Code: No
owner of an animal, wild or domestic, shall permit … the
animal to … Make loud or disturbing noises without
provocation, including, but not limited to, chronic howling,
yowling, barking, whining or other utterances …
To the extent
possible and practical, follow the following steps:
1. If possible, talk to your neighbor about the problem. Often
they are not aware that their dog’s barking is creating an
annoyance.
2. Call the County’s Nuisance Complaint Intake Center at (916)
368-7387 and ask that a letter be sent to your neighbor to
advise that their dog’s barking is creating a barking nuisance.
Often neighbors will curb a problem after receiving notification
from regulatory officials. A helpful tip sheet will also be sent
to help them with their animal.
3. If the barking annoyance continues, ask the Nuisance
Complaint Intake Center to send a second letter.
4. If, after
the second letter is sent to the dog owner and the barking
annoyance continues, call the Department of Animal Care and
Regulation at (916) 368-7387 and ask to speak to an Animal
Control Officer assigned to barking dog problems about
completing forms that will
provide an Animal Control Officer with the authority to issue a
citation to the dog owner.
Tips for Curbing Barking
If you are experiencing a barking dog problem
in your neighborhood, the Sacramento Mediation Center may be
able to assist you. Call (916) 441-7979 for more information.
Inquire about the availability of documents in alternate formats.
|
Text only 
