Barking dog rules in Ontario, CA — also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances — define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Ontario Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals) treats persistent barking as a public nuisance: a dog that barks in a substantially continuous manner, day or night, to the annoyance of the neighborhood may be declared a nuisance and abated, supported by two sworn declarations from separate households.
Chapter 29 (Noise) expressly exempts animal noise and routes it to the animal code: section 5-29.06(k) states that noise from barking dogs or other intermittent animal noises is subject to OMC Chapter 1, Title 6. Under section 6-1.217, a dog that barks in a substantially continuous manner in the daytime or nighttime to the annoyance of people in the neighborhood may be declared a nuisance abatable under the barking-dog procedures. The companion article (sections 6-1.252 et seq.) requires two or more declarations under penalty of perjury, by declarants living in separate households within a 60-day period, each stating they reside within 200 yards of the premises and have heard the dog or animal make noise for substantially long periods within the past month, before the city may notice an administrative hearing and abatement.
A barking dog declared a nuisance is abated through the administrative hearing process in OMC Title 6; continued violations can result in administrative citations, fines, and abatement orders against the owner or responsible party.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in San Bernardino County.
See how other cities in San Bernardino County handle barking dogs.
See how Ontario's barking dogs rules stack up against other locations.
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