At a glance
- Who handles it
- The Animal Care & Control Team (ACCT Philly).
- The rule
- More than 5 barks or other animal sounds in 5 minutes that can be heard more than 50 feet beyond the property.
- How to report
- Call 267-385-3800, email [email protected], or use the online form.
- What happens
- An officer visits and can issue a warning or a citation.
- Fines
- $100 to $300 for a first violation, rising for repeats within 12 months.
The rule
Philadelphia sets a precise test. Section 10-403(6) of the Philadelphia Code bans more than 5 “expressions of sound” from one or more animals, such as individual barks, in a five-minute period, from any property, if they can be heard more than 50 feet from the property boundary.
It doesn’t apply to zoos, vet clinics, animal shelters, licensed entertainment venues, or schools and laboratories.
Before you report
- Talk to the owner, or leave a note. The barking dog letter generator writes a friendly one.
- Note when it happens. The online form asks when the problem can usually be observed. A few days on the printable bark diary answers that.
How to report it
Philly311 sends barking complaints to the Animal Care & Control Team. You can:
- call 267-385-3800,
- email [email protected], or
- fill in ACCT’s Animal Ordinance Complaint form and choose animal noise.
The form needs the address where the animal is. If you don’t know the owner’s name, type “unknown”. ACCT says your information is confidential and is needed so an officer can follow up.
What happens next
ACCT officers make a site visit and issue warnings or citations when they see a violation. Under section 10-404, the Health Department, the police and Licenses and Inspections can also issue a Code Violation Notice or start legal proceedings through the Law Department.
Fines
The noise chapter’s penalties rise with each violation within 12 months:
- first violation: $100 to $300,
- second: $200 to $400,
- third: $300 to $500,
- fourth or later: $500 to $700.
If a dog is in danger
Don’t use the online form for an emergency. ACCT asks you to call 267-385-3800, which is answered 24 hours a day.
Keep a record
A phone can keep the log while you sleep. Left near a shared wall or window, DogQuiet logs each bark it hears with the time, how long it lasted and a short clip, and makes a PDF report. It is an approximate record, not proof: it can miss a bark or log another sound, and it can’t measure the 50-foot test.
Other US cities
- New York CityNew York311, then the DEP
- Los AngelesCaliforniaLA Animal Services, in writing
- ChicagoIllinois311, then Animal Care and Control
- PhoenixArizonaThe City Prosecutor, by petition
- DallasTexas311, then Dallas Animal Services
- SeattleWashingtonSeattle Animal Shelter
- DenverColorado311, then Denver Animal Protection
Other countries: England and Wales, Scotland, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, New South Wales, Victoria, Brisbane. The general steps, the evidence officials ask for and when to call the police are in how to report a barking dog.
Sources
Official pages this guide is based on, all read in November 2026:
- Philly311. What can I do about excessive dog barking?. philly311.my.salesforce-sites.com/Articles/articles/FAQ1/What-can-I-do-about-excessive-dog-barking
- ACCT Philly. Animal Ordinance Complaints. acctphilly.org/animal-ordinance-complaints/
- The Philadelphia Code. § 10-403 Prohibited Conduct, (6) Animal Sounds. codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-282012
- The Philadelphia Code. § 10-404 Enforcement. codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-282046
- The Philadelphia Code. § 10-406 Penalties. codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-282069