Can I call the cops if my neighbor’s dog won’t stop barking? The Ultimate Guide

Can You Call the Cops About a Neighbor’s Barking Dog?

You can call the police if your neighbor’s dog is barking, but never dial 911 to report a barking dog. Use the police department’s non-emergency line. Before you call the police, however, keep a few things in mind:

  • Calling the police could escalate an already unpleasant situation. Do this only after you’ve tried everything else. (See our section below on ultrasonic training devices to stop nuisance barking). Remember: You still have to live near your neighbors.
  • The police may be limited with what they can do. Unless your neighbor is breaking laws (and it may be up to you, the complainant, to show evidence), the police may not be effective.
  • They might refer you to animal control or another agency that handles code enforcement for nuisance animals.
  • It’s not typically a one-and-done neighborhood barking dog solution. The police may ask your neighbor to put the dog inside, but eventually the dog will go out again. You may have to call more than once.
  • Who to Call to Complain About Barking Dog

    If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowners’ association or property manager, start there. It is very likely that your CC&Rs (covenants, conditions & restrictions) have provisions for excessive barking. Contact your HOA board of directors and ask them to notify the neighbor of the barking dog. Remember, barking noises alone are not breaking any rules. It’s excessive barking that you want to report.

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    Can I call the cops if my neighbor’s dog won’t stop barking?

    Is there anything you have ever wanted to know from the police department? Well, this is your chance to ask.

    Whether you have a question about certain laws and how they might affect you, your family or friends or how to stay safe in certain situations, we want you to ask them. Every week we will run one question and answer. To submit a question, email [email protected].

    Question:

    When can a person call the cops on a neighbors barking dog?

    Answer:

    We don’t go out on barking dogs at all. It’s a nuisance complaint so we are not going to respond in person. If there is something else going on, like the person can see the dog and it doesn’t have food and water or it is tangled, that would be different. That would be a neglect call. But if it’s simply barking, we won’t respond in person.

    In a situation like this, what we do is direct people to our website, www.scanimalshelter.org, and that explains everything they can do. There is basically a lot of information that explains how the barking process works. They can file a complaint online. When they fill out an online complaint Animal Services sends out a notice that there is a complaint. The dog owner then has 30 days to abate the nuisance. If the 30 days has passed, and there is still a problem, Animal Services will send a second notice to the animal owner that gives them an additional 15 days to abate the nuisance. If after the end of the 15-day period the noise is still a problem, you and other households that have kept similar logs can cite the animal owner. County guidelines for public nuisance complaints state that there must be a minimum of two complaints from separate households.

    If someone did actually call the police, the police will usually refer them back to us. As a general rule, I don’t think people should be calling the police about a barking dog. Honestly, most of the barking issues are not an ongoing problem. It’s usually an issue where someone went out of town for the weekend and the dog was left, or its routine has been disrupted in some way.

    Honestly the best way to solve a barking dog problem is to communicate with your neighbor. If that doesn’t help then maybe try going to some sort of mediation. We really recommend that people try and communicate.

    ~Lisa Holland, Field Services Dispatcher, Santa Cruz County Animal ServicesGet more local news delivered straight to your inbox.

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    Neighbor’s Dog Barking? Your Legal Rights…

    Living in a dog-friendly neighborhood is great. There’s something about a community that’s full of dogs that makes the area feel homier and safer. The only downside is if one of your neighbor’s dogs is a barker.

    The problem with barking dogs is that while one or two woofs aren’t a big deal, continuous barking quickly becomes nerve-wracking. Even worse, one dog barking usually sets off several other dogs until the noise is almost unbearable.

    If your neighbor has dogs that are prone to barking, there are a few things you can do about the situation.

    The first is to kindly alert your neighbor to the situation. You want to do this in a non-confrontational way. Many people are very attached to their dogs and don’t respond well to criticism but will often explore options if the issue is addressed in a low-key, conversational manner. Hopefully, you’re not the only neighbor who comments on the situation.

    Give the dog owners a few days to explore training and other options. If the dogs continue to bark, your next step is getting recorded proof of the issue. Taking a short video of the barking is the best way to show that this is a chronic problem. Don’t expect this to be a simple process. You need to figure out a way to get a video that proves the dogs bark continually but also shows that you’re doing nothing to make them bark. You also have to be mindful of trespassing and privacy laws while taking the video.

    It’s time to file a noise complaint. This can be a bit challenging. Most homeowners associations deal with noise complaints, but if you’re not part of one, you’ll have to find out which city department deals with barking dogs. In some areas, it’s the police. In others, it’s animal control. When you file the complaint, try to do so anonymously. Not knowing which neighbor filed the complaint minimizes the risk of retribution if your neighbor is upset.

    If the barking continues, your last recourse is taking your dog-owning neighbor to smalls claim court. Don’t expect to get a big settlement from the case. At the most, you might get a paltry sum for pain and suffering. The biggest thing taking the owner of a barking dog to court does is let them know that they are legally and financially responsible for their dog’s actions.

    Before you start to take action against your neighbor’s barking dogs, make sure your own dogs are quiet.