Barking dog rules in Prince George's County, MD — also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances — define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Prince George's County treats a barking or noisy animal as a potential noise disturbance under the Subtitle 19 Noise Control ordinance. Allowing an animal to create a noise disturbance is listed as an example of a prohibited noise-producing act.
County Code § 19-122 lists 'allowing an animal to create a noise disturbance' among the illustrative acts that violate the noise ordinance. A noise disturbance is defined broadly as noise that is unpleasant, annoying, or detrimental to health, comfort, or the reasonable enjoyment of property. Animal-source noise is enforced by the Director of the Animal Control Division (or designee) within the Department of the Environment, not only general noise officers. Household pets on residential property that are maintained in accordance with local zoning requirements are exempt from the objective decibel standards, but they remain subject to the noise-disturbance prohibition. Persistent barking is therefore handled as a nuisance-style disturbance rather than by a fixed decibel meter reading.
A confirmed animal noise disturbance can draw a civil citation or misdemeanor charge, up to $1,000 for a first offense and $1,500 for subsequent offenses, with each day a separate offense.
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See how Prince George's County's barking dogs rules stack up against other locations.
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