Ashwaubenon, WI Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Ashwaubenon, WI, also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances, define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 11-1-23(J)
- Standard
- Frequent or habitual noise, no decibel limit
- Covers
- Any animal or fowl, not just dogs
- Notice period
- 10 days to abate (non-emergency)
- First-offense penalty
- $1 to $5,000 forfeiture
Summary
Keeping or harboring a dog whose frequent or habitual barking, howling or yelping greatly annoys or disturbs a neighborhood is a public nuisance under Village Code Section 11-1-23(J), enforceable the same way as any other Chapter 11 nuisance: inspection, notice, abatement and a possible citation.
(J) Noisy animals or fowl. The keeping or harboring of any animal or fowl which, by frequent or habitual howling, yelping, barking, crowing or making of other noises, greatly annoys or disturbs a neighborhood or any considerable number of persons within the village.
Full Breakdown
Ashwaubenon does not run its barking-dog rule through a separate animal-control chapter; it sits inside the general public-nuisance list at Section 11-1-23, Affecting Peace and Safety. Subsection (J), Noisy animals or fowl, declares a nuisance to be the keeping or harboring of any animal or fowl which, by frequent or habitual howling, yelping, barking, crowing or making of other noises, greatly annoys or disturbs a neighborhood or any considerable number of persons within the village. The standard is frequency and habitualness, not a decibel threshold or a fixed number of minutes, and it covers any animal or fowl, not dogs alone.
Because this is a nuisance provision rather than a standalone noise ordinance, enforcement runs through Section 11-1-24: the chief of public safety, forester, building inspector or health officer, or their designee, has to inspect and confirm the complaint before acting. For a nuisance that is not an immediate danger, the officer serves written notice giving the responsible party ten days to abate the noise before the Village steps in. There's no fixed three-strikes rule specific to barking dogs the way the weed ordinance has, since Section 11-1-23 doesn't carry a chapter-specific citation-amount clause; a violation instead falls under the Code's general enforcement and penalty structure.
Violations & Fines
A confirmed violation of Section 11-1-23(J) is punishable under Chapter 1's general penalty, Section 1-1-13: a first offense forfeits not less than $1.00 nor more than $5,000.00, plus court costs, with up to 90 days in the county jail if the forfeiture goes unpaid; a second violation of the same provision within a year raises the jail exposure to six months. Each day the noise nuisance continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a specific decibel or time-of-day limit for barking dogs in Ashwaubenon?
Who do I call about a neighbor's barking dog?
What happens if the barking doesn't stop after a complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ashwaubenon
Compare Ashwaubenon to another location·View the Wisconsin noise ordinances overview
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Barking Dogs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Brown County handle barking dogs.