Sheboygan, WI Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Sheboygan treats animal noise as a keeping offense. Section 66-75 declares to be in violation of Article III the keeping of any animal, bird or fowl which, by causing frequent or long continued noise, disturbs the comfort or repose of any person in the vicinity. The words cover dogs, cats, roosters and any other animal, bird or fowl, and the test turns on the noise being frequent or long continued and on its effect on a person nearby. The section prints no minute threshold, no decibel level and no set hours, so a complaint about a barking dog rests on the pattern and the disturbance.

Section 66-107 has the chapter enforced by any peace officer, including a police officer, a fire inspector, a building inspector or a housing inspector, with inspections upon complaint. Section 66-71 also applies as the general rule against unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise. Penalties come from section 66-2(1), the ladder for every Article III violation. The animal noise rule can also feed the chronic nuisance premises article: section 66-150 counts both noise violations under Article III and animal violations defined in Chapter 18 as nuisance activity.

When the chief of police finds three or more nuisance activities resulting in enforcement action at a premises in a 12-month period, section 66-151 allows written notice to the owner. The owner then meets with the chief within five days under section 66-152 and submits an abatement plan within ten days of that meeting. Section 66-154 sends any appeal of the chief's determination to the licensing, hearings, and public safety committee of the common council, and Wisconsin Statutes chapter 68 does not apply. The text is as printed in the Municode edition current to March 8, 2023.