Dogs barking too much could draw a $50 fine

Chicago City Council OKs ban on excessive barking

Owners of loudmouth dogs that keep their Chicago neighbors awake at night could pay through the nose if they don’t find a way to muzzle their pets.

Without a word of debate, the City Council on Wednesday authorized a crackdown that would slap hefty fines — ranging from $50 to $250 for each offense — against the owners of constant yappers.

Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th), chief sponsor of the ordinance, said he does not expect an avalanche of citations when the ordinance takes effect Nov. 17.

But, Chicago Police officers will now have the legal ammunition they need to resolve dog-related disputes that pit neighbor against neighbor, he said.

“Instead of appealing to peoples’ good nature, they’ll be able to solve the problem. … Just having the capacity to write a citation, people will be more cooperative,” he said.

Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), co-sponsor of the ordinance, said the real target is owners who either “can’t control their dogs or don’t care” to do so.

“Everybody’s a dog lover. But, nobody wants to hear a dog barking at 3 a.m. because of somebody who leaves their dog outside and doesn’t care enough for the dog to bring ‘em in out of the cold. The dog barks all night and keeps somebody awake who’s trying to go to work,” Mell said.

“If they’re that inconsiderate of the animal — if they just throw ‘em on the porch and let ‘em bark all night long — maybe they shouldn’t own a dog.”

The ordinance defines “excessive noise” as “continued, repeated or habitual barking, whining, crying, howling, whimpering, crowing, or loud noise.”

Fines would be triggered only if the racket “exceeds ten consecutive minutes” or occurs “intermittently for a significant portion of the day or night” and is “louder than average conversational level at a distance of 100 feet or more.”

Unless a police officer or animal control makes a “personal observation,” citations would have to be “signed and sworn to by residents of three different addresses.”

The three address requirement is aimed at preventing Hatfields-vs.-McCoys-style feuds between neighbors over dog-barking complaints.

Several aldermen have expressed concern that the ordinance could unfairly penalize homeowners whose dogs bark to alert their owners of an intruder.

Although barking dogs are clearly the target, the ordinance refers to “any dog or other animal” that makes excessive noise.

Ald. Lona Lane (18th) said last week she intends to use it against the hens and roosters who make a racket in her South Side ward.