Dothan, AL Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Dothan, AL, 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
- City Code § 10-19(a)
- Standard
- Habitual, loud, frequent barking that disturbs the public
- Enforcing agency
- Dothan Police Department animal control
- Penalty range
- $1.00 to $500.00 fine, § 10-26
- Possible jail time
- Up to 6 months, court's discretion
Summary
In the City of Dothan a dog owner may not let the dog habitually bark or yelp in a loud and frequent manner that annoys and disturbs nearby residents, a rule enforced by animal control alongside the chapter's other duties of care for dogs.
(a)Barking. No owner shall permit a dog to habitually bark or yelp in such a loud and frequent manner as to annoy and disturb the public in the vicinity.
Full Breakdown
City Code § 10-19(a) sets the barking standard: no owner shall permit a dog to habitually bark or yelp in such a loud and frequent manner as to annoy and disturb the public in the vicinity. It sits inside § 10-19, "Additional care of dogs," alongside two related nuisance duties that often accompany a barking complaint: § 10-19(b) makes it unlawful and a nuisance to keep a dog or group of dogs under circumstances where the odor interferes with a neighbor's reasonable use and enjoyment of adjacent property, and § 10-19(c) requires the owner or person in charge to immediately remove and properly dispose of feces the dog deposits on property within the city other than the owner's own.
Enforcement runs through the animal control division of the Dothan Police Department under § 10-3, which investigates written complaints. Chapter 10's general complaint process in § 10-14 lets an animal control officer or law enforcement officer investigate a written complaint about an animal's behavior, issue a written warning, or order confinement within 24 hours, and failure to comply can lead to impoundment. Penalties for any violation of chapter 10, including the barking rule, are set out in § 10-26.
Violations & Fines
A sustained or repeated barking complaint under § 10-19(a) is enforced through the chapter's general penalty in § 10-26: a fine of not less than $1.00 nor more than $500.00, with possible imprisonment or hard labor in the Dothan city jail for up to six months at the court's discretion. Court appearance is mandatory for chapter violations beyond a first citation, and each day a nuisance continues can be charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dothan
Compare Dothan to another location·View the Alabama noise ordinances overview
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