You can report noise from a barking dog. If you believe the noise is a sign that the animal is being abused or mistreated, report as animal abuse, instead of a noise complaint. To report animal abuse, go to the Animal Abuse page.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) may need to take enforcement action if barking can be easily heard from inside a nearby residential property:
- For 10 minutes straight between the times 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM or
- For 5 minutes straight between the times 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM
You also can report noise from domestic animals other than dogs.
What You Need
For DEP to respond to your complaint, you must provide the address where the dog is barking and your contact information. Your information will not be shared with the dog's owner.
What Happens Next
DEP may send a letter to the dog's owner within 7 days of getting your complaint. The letter will explain how to curb the dog's barking. If a letter is sent to the dog owner, then DEP will send you a letter with instructions about how to follow up if the dog continues to be noisy. If DEP has sent letters to the dog owner, they may do a noise inspection.
Warning Letter
If you get a warning letter from DEP, you should send questions, comments, or disputes to the mailing address provided in the letter.
