VERY NOISY PETS

Submitted by ub on

A barking dog can become a nuisance, especially in the early morning hours, or late at night.

Some dogs are allowed to bark a lot, disturbing people who find it annoying. Living in a vibrant state like New York, some noises are part of the urban or community living, but there are also laws that protect people from having to listen to dogs that bark excessively

Over a decade ago and before 2004, the New York noise code stated that no one could let an animal or a bird cause any unnecessary noise. This statement was found to be too vague, and the Mayor of New York City introduced new noise control legislation in 2004. The law in New York City now states that a dog owner or anyone in control of the dog cannot let the dog bark loudly or consistently for an unreasonable amount of time.

Current legislation, as of 2004, also states that dogs are not allowed to bark for more than 10 minutes between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and no longer than 5 minutes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. for dogs at a residence. This adds an enforceable time limit to the vagueness of the previous wording and the term "unreasonable amount of time." This law is modeled after and similar to dog barking laws in most states.

Anyone being bothered by a consistently barking dog should first talk to the dog owner to resolve the situation. If that does not work, dialing 311 and reporting the violation of the New York barking dog code should be the next step. Contacting the police is another option, but often the police put a barking dog low on their priority list. While most dogs bark, dog owners should be considerate of their neighbors.