Sandoval County, NM Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Section 4-9(c) of the Sandoval County Code of Ordinances, part of Chapter 4, Animals, declares it unlawful for any person to allow an animal to unreasonably bark or howl, or otherwise disturb the peace and quiet of county inhabitants. The same subsection folds in a companion prohibition on keeping animals in a way that lets noxious or offensive odors reach neighboring property, tying noise and odor nuisances into one violation. The county carved out livestock explicitly: 'the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to livestock,' so horses, cattle, sheep, goats and fowl kept for agricultural purposes fall outside the barking ban.

Enforcement runs through the sheriff's office. Section 4-3 gives 'the county sheriff's officers and the animal control officers' authority 'to issue citations for violation of this chapter,' and animal control officers work 'under the supervision of the county sheriff's department' and must carry identification proving their status. Chapter 4's definitions section folds 'disturbing the peace with loud or continuous barking' into the broader definition of 'nuisance,' meaning a barking complaint can also support a general nuisance abatement action alongside the noise citation itself. No permit process exists to excuse chronic barking; the owner's only defenses are showing the animal is livestock or that the barking was not unreasonable under the circumstances.