Abilene, TX Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Sec. ' Chapter 19's nuisance article backs this up: Sec. 19-15(5) separately declares 'all excessive or unauthorized noises and annoying vibrations, including animal noises' to be a nuisance and therefore prohibited and unlawful citywide, giving Code Enforcement and the Health Officer an independent nuisance-abatement tool alongside animal control. When an Abilene Animal Outreach agent finds a barking-dog complaint substantiated and knows the owner's identity, Sec. 6-2 allows the agent to issue a citation rather than impound the animal, requiring the owner to sign a promise to appear in Municipal Court within ten days; signing is not an admission of guilt, but giving a false name or address to the officer, or failing to appear within the ten days, is itself a separate offense.

If the owner can't be located or refuses to sign, Sec. 6-3 authorizes impoundment of the animal instead. Because no specific fine is written into Chapter 6 for a noise violation, the general penalty in Sec. 1-9 applies: a fine of up to $500 per violation, with each day the noise continues charged as a separate offense. There is no numeric decibel limit for animal noise in Abilene's code; the standard turns on whether the sound would materially distress or discomfort an ordinary person nearby.