Animal Noise

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The Henderson Municipal Code 7.08.030 pertaining to animal noise reads:
It is unlawful for any person to own, keep, harbor or possess any animal which, by unreasonably loud, unnecessary, or frequent barking, yelping, howling or other noise, causes unreasonable annoyance or disturbance to the neighborhood or to any person of ordinary sensitivity in the vicinity. In determining whether an animal's noise violates this section, factors to be considered include, but are not limited to, the time of day the sounds occur, the intensity and duration of the noise, whether the sound is recurrent, intermittent or constant, the circumstances which might cause the animal to make noise, and the proximity of the noise to others.


Barking Dog (Neighbor)

Is there anything I can do about my neighbor, who allows his/her dog to bark all the time? Yes, but unlike many other violations that Animal Control can issue citations for, animal noise is not so easy to resolve. This is because the person reporting the noise (victim) must be willing to give their information and even possibly appear in court if criminal charges are brought against the dog owner. The process for noisy animal complaints is as follows:

  • File a complaint online through Contact Henderson. You may also phone in your complaint to 702-267-4980 but you must leave all information for an officer to respond. This includes your name and address and the exact address where the noise is coming from. An officer will respond in person to advise the animal owner of the complaint as time permits. If an officer is unable to respond in a timely manner a letter will be sent to the animal owner.
  • If the noise continues a second complaint may be filed. The person reporting will be sent a packet to complete that includes a barking dog log, criminal complaint form and witness statement. All forms must be completed and submitted to Animal Care and Control to file criminal charges against the animal owner. The animal owner is also notified a second time, usually by mail, that their pet has continued to cause a disturbance and criminal charges may be filed.
  • If the reporting person does not want to pursue criminal charges they can opt to ask for mediation with their neighbor to resolve the problem. This is completely voluntary and both parties would have to agree to attend. Please contact Clark County Neighborhood Mediation Center online or at 702-455-3898.

After the parties have been to mediation and the situation continues the person or persons bothered by the noise may then decide to file a criminal complaint and take the dog owner to court.


Barking Dog (Your Own)

Is there anything I can do if my dog seems to bark all the time? Dogs will bark on occasion. Constant barking is a sign that there is a problem that you need to remedy. Among the many reasons that dogs bark are social isolation, territorial behavior, protective behavior, and separation anxiety.

A professional dog trainer can usually help reduce the barking if the cause is behavioral.  Otherwise, it is recommended that you consult your veterinarian, who may recommend humane collars or alternative options.