Laws About Barking Dogs in Chicago, Illinois

Barking dogs can be a nuisance for anyone trying to get some peace and quiet. They can especially be a problem at night when people are trying to sleep. In an effort to curb noisy dog behavior, Chicago City Council passed an ordinance in 2009 that would impose hefty fines for pet owners who can't keep their dogs quiet. The fines would apply to those who have already received citations for dogs that bark excessively.

  1. Identification

    • Although some neighbors would probably prefer the law to apply to all barking dogs, barking dog fines in Chicago are usually only imposed on pet owners whose dogs bark continually. A person will not usually be cited if his dog is reported for barking and no indication of continuous barking is evident. Under the law, continuous barking constitutes barking that goes on for 10 minutes or more. In addition, if a dog barks off and on for a good part of the night, the owner could incur a fine for that, as well. Furthermore, the barking must be louder than what would be considered a normal conversational tone at more than 100 feet.

    Citations

    • Although neighbors of a home with a continuously barking dog can call animal control to report the dog, it doesn't necessarily mean that the owners will receive a citation. Once a complaint is received, an animal control officer will visit the home where the suspected barking dog resides. Unless the animal control officer hears the barking himself, he will need at least two more neighbors to sign and "swear" the citation. These neighbors cannot reside within the same household, which means that three different neighbors at three different residences would have to sign the citations, swearing that they have heard the barking dog.

    Fines

    • If an animal control officer witnesses the dog's barking or gets three different households to sign a citation, he can issue a dog owner a citation for a barking dog. Barking, however, is not the only action that can be fined. A dog owner can also be fined if his dog whines, makes loud noises, cries, howls, or whimpers excessively. If a citation is issued, the fine can range from $50-$250 per offense. In addition, pet owners can receive fines if they have other animals that make excessive noise and have had animal control called on them for it.