Everett, MA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Everett writes its barking rule into the dog article of Chapter 3, so the person responsible is the owner, keeper, or anyone otherwise in control of the dog. The standard is continuous or repeated barking, yelping, howling, or whining that disturbs the peace and quiet enjoyment of a residential neighborhood, and Section 3-5(i) prints no decibel reading, hour window, or minute count.

Chapter 3 also defines a nuisance dog in Section 3-1. One prong covers a dog that, by excessive barking or other disturbance, is a source of annoyance to a sick person residing in the vicinity. Another covers excessive barking, causing damage or other interference, that a reasonable person would find disruptive to one's quiet and peaceful enjoyment. The hearing authority under that article is the police chief or his designee. Section 3-6 itself lists biting, injuring and chasing as the grounds for a confinement or muzzle order, and it separately preserves the police chief's option to use the procedure in MGL c. 140, §57 to determine that a dog is a nuisance dog or a dangerous dog.

Chapter 13A backs this up from the public nuisance side. Section 13A-70, Animals as Nuisances, requires an owner to exercise proper care and control of an animal to prevent it from becoming a public nuisance and deems excessive or untimely barking a nuisance. Section 13A-62(g)(13) declares a public nuisance the keeping or harboring of any animal or fowl which, by frequent or habitual howling, yelping, barking, crowing, or other noise, greatly annoys or disturbs a person of ordinary sensibilities or any number of persons within the City. Section 13A-62(g)(14) adds a measurable test: animals or birds that bark or chirp frequently or for long periods of time and create a noise plainly audible at the property line of the building, structure or apartment in which they are located.

Under Section 3-18, the police chief, his designee including the animal control officer, and any Everett police officer enforce the article, and can proceed by noncriminal disposition under Section 1-8.