Tangipahoa Parish, LA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)
Barking dog rules in Tangipahoa Parish, LA, also called nuisance dog, dog noise, or excessive barking ordinances, define when a barking dog becomes a code violation and how complaints are handled.
Key Facts
- Nuisance trigger
- excessive barking, howling or whining (§10-80)
- Citation trigger
- 2 sworn complaints, or officer witnesses noise
- First step
- warning notice left at owner's address
- Citation destination
- justice of the peace for prosecution
- Penalty
- up to $500 fine or 6 months jail (§10-100)
Summary
Animal control treats persistent barking, howling or whining as a "public nuisance animal" once it interferes with a neighbor's enjoyment of their property, including repeatedly waking someone from sleep, under § 10-80. The parish issues a citation once it receives two sworn complaints about the same dog or an officer directly witnesses the offending noise, per § 10-83(c).
Public nuisance animal means any animal that unreasonably annoys humans, endangers the health, safety or life of other animals or persons, or substantially interferes with the rights of citizens, other than their owners, to enjoyment of life or property. ... (5)Excessively makes noises of such loudness, intensity and duration as to prevent or interfere with a person's ability to enjoy his property, when that person is in close proximity to the premises where that animal is kept or harbored, including, but not limited to, situations where:a.On more than one occasion has awakened the complainant up from sleep; orb.Continues in such a manner so as to cause mental anguish or suffering, loss of sleep or a disturbance of the peace. Such noises include, but are not limited to, continued and repeated howling, barking or whining. ... A citation or summons will be served to the owner of the offending animal if:(1)The parish animal control department receives at least two sworn complaints addressing the problem; or(2)The animal control officer or agent witnesses the offending noise making and judges it to be excessive.
Full Breakdown
Section 10-80's definition of "public nuisance animal" specifically lists excessive noise: barking, howling or whining loud, intense or long enough to prevent a nearby resident from enjoying their property, whether it repeatedly wakes the complainant from sleep or causes ongoing mental anguish, loss of sleep or a disturbance of the peace. Enforcement follows a set process under § 10-83(c): a complaint about excessive noise must be submitted in writing, describing how the noise affects the complainant and giving the owner's address plus the complainant's own name, address and phone number.
The parish animal control department then dispatches an officer to advise the owner of the problem and leaves a documented warning notice. A citation or summons follows only once the department has received at least two sworn complaints about the same problem, or once an animal control officer personally witnesses the noise and judges it excessive; the citation is then forwarded to the justice of the peace or another court of competent jurisdiction for criminal prosecution. This mirrors the parallel unsanitary-housing complaint process in § 10-83(b), which similarly requires a written complaint and warning notice before escalating to a citation.
Violations & Fines
A conviction for a public nuisance animal violation, including excessive noise, carries a fine of not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, under § 10-100(b), with each day the violation continues treated as a separate offense. The department can also seize and impound an animal found to be a public nuisance under § 10-84(b) until conditions causing the nuisance are corrected to the animal control director's satisfaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a barking dog become a legal nuisance in Tangipahoa Parish?
How do I report a barking dog to parish animal control?
How many complaints does it take before a citation is issued?
What happens after a citation is issued?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tangipahoa Parish
Compare Tangipahoa Parish to another location·View the Louisiana noise ordinances overview
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