How long can a dog bark before calling the cops

Got a barking dog in your neighborhood? The first step should be talking to your neighbors about the problem. But what if these efforts don't work?

It might be time to talk to the animal control department in your city or county.

Reasons to Call Animal Control Over a Barking Dog

A barking dog can seriously get on one's nerves, to the point where you might feel the urge to call the police. However, the people in the local animal control department are likely to be more receptive than police or other municipal officials.

Some cities have set up special programs to handle dog complaints. The animal control department establishes a simple procedure for making a complaint, and follows up promptly—and repeatedly, if necessary. This is a great idea, for two main reasons. First, it gives a specific city official or department—usually the health, police, or public safety department—responsibility for the problem. Otherwise, if it's not clear who's primarily responsible, someone with a complaint is likely to get shuffled from department to department, explaining the problem to six different people during each call.

A dog complaint program also lets everyone—dog owners and their neighbors—know what they can expect. A predictable system of warnings and sanctions tells dog owners what's expected of them and lets neighbors know what it will take to solve a problem before it drives everyone in the neighborhood batty. Of course, it doesn't do much good unless these rules are published and readily available—which, unfortunately, is rare.

Tips When Calling Animal Control

When you call, don't just make your complaint and hang up. If it's really a persistent problem, you need to be persistent, too. Find out how to follow up and get results. Ask the person you talk to—and write down his or her name, so you won't have to explain your problem every time you call—about the department's procedures.

In particular, you'll want to find out what the department will do, and when. For a barking dog, the department might need to receive a certain number of complaints within a certain time before it will act. If that's the case, you might want to discuss the problem with neighbors; if they feel as you do, enlist their help.

Barking is a dog's natural means of communication.  It may signify alertness to danger or another animal or intruders or it may be the result of boredom.  

Nuisance dogs

A dog is considered a nuisance by law when a dog persistently barks in a manner to such a degree or extent that it unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of any person.

Many dog owners are not aware that their dog is barking and/or that it’s a nuisance to others. Dogs often bark when people are not home so the owner may have no idea of the problem. Sometimes a dog will bark at every noise or passer-by however it is not considered normal behaviour for a dog to bark for long periods of time.

What can I do about a nuisance dog?

First, try to solve the issue yourself

Visit your neighbour and politely explain to the owner when the dog is barking and how it affects you. This conversation should be courteous, informative and supportive of any suggestions. 

Alternatively, you can download and complete a ‘Barking Dog Card’  (we can also post you one if you need, just call our Rangers team on 9405 5000).

Barking Dog card

Making a formal complaint

If your attempt to resolve the issue directly with your neighbour has been unsuccessful and the persistent barking has not decreased, an official barking dog complaint may be lodged with the City in accordance with the Dog Act 1976, section 38 which in part states:

A person may lodge a complaint in a prescribed form with an authorised person, alleging that a dog is a nuisance. If an authorised person is satisfied that a dog is a nuisance as alleged in a complaint, the authorised person may issue an order to a person liable for the control of the dog requiring that person to prevent the behaviour that is alleged to constitute the nuisance by a time specified in the order.

If you wish to lodge a formal complaint, a 7 day diary and information pack will be provided for you to record:

• The address of where the dog resides
• dates and times that barking has occurred
• how long the dog barked for on each occasion

The reason the City requires a completed diary is to gather evidence of the times and duration of the barking in question so that, if we establish that the barking is indeed a nuisance, we can ensure that both the owner of the animal and the Ranger assisting are able to identify the root cause of the issue and work towards a suitable solution.  

To better assess a case of nuisance barking, the City suggests that two or more neighbours take part in the diary recordings.

Please note: The completion of the diary is necessary to provide sufficient evidence for the City to act on.

What happens next?

• If the diary supports the complaint of nuisance barking the City will contact the dog owners to arrange a visit to discuss the issue
• A letter will also be provided to the dog owner detailing the times the nuisance barking. This will provide a further opportunity for the dog owner to abate the nuisance barking.

Should the City require further evidence of nuisance barking, you may requested to complete additional diary(s) for evidentiary purposes.

Failure to comply with a request to resolve a nuisance dog complaint may result in an infringement or even legal action against the owner. In this instance, you may be required to attend court and give evidence against the dog owner.

Report a barking dog

For further information about the barking dog process, please contact our Ranger Services Team on 9405 5000

It is perfectly normal and reasonable for animals to make noise from time to time, just as children make noise when they play outside. In Brisbane, animal noise such as a barking dog, a squawking parrot or the trilling call of a guinea-hen is considered a nuisance when it unreasonably disrupts or inhibits activities at adjoining premises or nearby residential land. 

Under Council’s Animals Local Law 2017 (the local law), a person must not keep an animal if it causes a noise nuisance. In determining whether a nuisance has occurred, an authorised person can consider a number of factors. These include:

• whether complaints have been received from multiple persons, occupying separate dwellings in the same or adjoining streets as the noise
• the frequency and intensity of the noise
• the time and duration of the noise, specifically:
  • where the noise is made for more than a total of six minutes in any hour from 7am to 10pm on any day
  • where the noise is made for more than a total of three minutes in a 30-minute period at any time after 10pm and before 7am on any day.

Please note that Council is unable to respond to noise nuisance complaints regarding wild pigeons. You are encouraged to try and resolve any noise issues relating to domestic pigeons amicably with your neighbour prior to contacting Council.

Complaint process and response timeframe

The complaint investigation process for animal noise nuisance can, in many instances, be lengthy as Council works directly with the animal keeper and complainant to find a practical, long term solution.

If the matter is reported to Council:

• in the first instance, the complainant will be encouraged to try to resolve the matter amicably with their neighbour by handling the animal noise complaint
• if the noise continues, the complainant may report the matter to Council
• Council writes (via mail or email) to both parties about the issue and provides relevant fact sheets and supporting information to assist in resolving the matter
• both parties are encouraged to talk to their neighbours to discuss the problem and seek a possible solution
• if the animal keeper takes no action to resolve the problem within 14 days of reporting the matter to Council, the complainant may complete an animal noise diary and return it to Council should they wish for a further investigation to be conducted
• If an animal noise diary is received, Council will investigate the complaint.

People are sometimes unaware their animals activities are causing a nuisance. Brisbane City Council encourages all residents to talk to their neighbours about nuisance problems before making a complaint to Council.

If a dog or any other pet is causing a noise nuisance to you, Council recommends that you approach the pet's owner as soon as the problem arises and try to seek a practical long-term solution to amicably resolve the matter. The owner may not realise the noise is an issue because the:

• animal may only create the noise when the owner is away
• owner may not hear their pet make the noise from areas inside the house
• owner may be a very sound sleeper and not be woken up when their pet creates the noise.

To assist neighbours with resolving animal noise issues without Council intervention, we have developed the:

If the owner of the animal agrees to do something about the animal noise, wait a few weeks to see if they have been successful in their efforts. Your support and ongoing feedback about the animal's behaviour can assist the owner with resolving the problem.

Report the matter to Council

If the animal continues to make noise after you have discussed the noise nuisance with the animal keeper and they have had at least 28 days to resolve the problem, you can report the issue to Council by phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 07 3403 8888 or write to Council online.

Please note: Where the exact address of the animal noise is unknown, Council is unable to accept the complaint.  For example, in high rise apartment buildings, you are encouraged to contact the body corporate to resolve the complaint.

Complainant

Council will send (via mail or email) a letter, fact sheet and an animal noise diary.

Animal keeper

At the same time, Council sends a letter and information pack to the complainant, Council will also promptly provide information to the animal keeper (via mail) and provide some potential solutions. The animal keeper will be asked to take action to eliminate the problem. Council and the neighbourhood must allow a reasonable timeframe, usually 28 days, for the owner to take action to address the animal noise.

If a completed animal noise diary is received, a Council officer will review the diary to assist further investigation.

The returned animal noise diary is a key piece of information that assists Council understand the nature of the situation.

Complainant animal noise diary

Complainants are requested to complete all fields in the animal noise diary for a minimum period of 7 consecutive days and return it to Council. The animal noise diary helps Council establish patterns of when the animal is creating the noise nuisance and provides information on possible triggers for the noise.

Once Council has provided you with a complaint reference number, you can start completing the diary either via:

Complaint investigation

After a completed animal noise diary has been returned to Council, the complaint will be profiled for response by a Council officer.

Council will take necessary actions to ensure the complainants identity will remain anonymous.  However, as enforcement action may be reliant, in part or whole, on the evidence put forward by the complainant, and if the matter progresses to Court, the identity of the complainant may become known. A person making a complaint and supplying evidence should be aware of this fact. 

There may be circumstances where a Council officer will need to attend the complainant’s premises throughout the investigation. Part of the investigation may require a Council officer to share the contents of the noise diary with the animal keeper which during this process the identity of the complainant may become apparent.

If the officer determines the animal is causing an ongoing noise nuisance, Council may issue a notice to remedy. If the animal keeper still takes no action, an infringement notice may be issued. Alternatively, Council may determine that education is the most appropriate response.

Handy hints for owners of barking dogs

Barking dogs are the most common animal noise complaint Council receives. Council’s My dog is barking, what should I do? page provides handy hints and tips for dog owners to help resolve a barking issue.  

If you think an animal is making noise because it is being mistreated or has no food, shade or water, please contact the RSPCA Queensland on 3426 9999 or online immediately.

Council is not authorised to act on animal welfare matters.