Santa Rosa, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

020 does not set a decibel limit or time-of-day curfew for a barking dog; instead it defines the threshold for opening a nuisance case. An Animal Control Officer cannot act on a single complaint. The code requires that three or more complaints or affirmations be filed in writing by people who live or work regularly in the same neighborhood as the animal, and it treats howling, barking or other noise the same as trespassing, property damage or vicious behavior as grounds for a nuisance finding.

Once that written-complaint threshold is met, the officer investigates the animal's conduct and the surrounding circumstances. If the officer determines a nuisance exists, the code requires written notice to the owner or custodian directing abatement, meaning the barking has to stop or be brought under control. A dog owner who receives that notice and does not comply commits a separate violation of Chapter 1-28, independent of the underlying barking complaint itself. 010, a misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both, while the City Attorney may instead charge the failure to abate as an infraction, punishable by a fine of up to $250 for a first conviction and up to $500 for a second or later conviction within one year.

010(C), an owner who ignores an abatement notice faces escalating exposure the longer the barking continues. The Animal Control Division within the Poundmaster's office, established under Chapter 7-16, handles complaint intake and investigation.