Tonawanda, NY Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Section 133-5A of Chapter 133, the Noise Local Law adopted by the Town Board on April 2, 1984, declares it a loud, disturbing or excessive noise violation to keep, in any building or upon any premises, any animal or bird which, by frequent or long continued noise, disturbs the comfort and repose of the general public. The ordinance sets a bright-line duration test rather than leaving the standard to a neighbor's opinion: the animal or bird noise must be continuous for 10 minutes or intermittent for 30 minutes to count as a violation.

That threshold sits alongside the chapter's general prohibition at § 133-4, which separately bars making or continuing any excessive or unusually loud noise or noise disturbance anywhere within the town's corporate limits, exclusive of the Village of Kenmore. Unlike the numeric decibel table in § 133-6, which applies to stationary mechanical noise sources measured with a sound-level meter, § 133-5A explicitly covers barking, howling or other animal and bird noise regardless of measured decibel level, so an officer or Code Enforcement Officer can act on the duration standard alone.

The Town of Tonawanda Police Department and Building Department jointly enforce the chapter and use certified sound-level meters under § 133-8 for other noise categories, but a barking-dog complaint is assessed against the 10-minute continuous or 30-minute intermittent rule set out in this subsection.