How to report a barking dog in Phoenix

The rule

Section 8-2 of the Phoenix City Code, quoted in the City Prosecutor’s barking dog information sheet, says no one may keep a dog in the city “which is in the habit of barking or howling or disturbing the peace and quiet of any person within the City.”

The word that matters is habit. For a petition, the Prosecutor’s Office says your log must show a pattern of habitual barking, and occasional barking does not meet the requirements of the ordinance.

Before you file

The City’s own advice starts with the neighbour. Talking to the owner is usually the most effective way to solve it:

• Talk, or leave a note, when you are not frustrated, and keep it friendly.
• Tell them when the dog barks, especially if it happens while they are out. They may not know, or not know how bad it is.
• If you feel safe doing so, leave your contact details so they can reply.

The barking dog letter generator writes a friendly note. If talking fails, the City suggests mediation, but it doesn’t provide it: you arrange it yourselves, outside the court process.

The Barking Dog Hotline

Call 602-262-6466 to have information sent to the dog’s owner. The City’s information sheet says it sends the owner an anonymous letter. The same line can mail you a Barking Dog Petition.

How to file a petition

If talking and the letter don’t work, you can ask the City Prosecutor to bring a criminal charge. The petition requirements are:

1. Complete the Identification Form.
2. Get at least 3 people to sign the petition. No more than 2 of them may live at the same address.
3. Add evidence: either two copies of a video recording of the barking dog on a thumb drive, with a log giving a physical description of the dog and the dates and times it barked, or two copies of an audio recording on a thumb drive with the same kind of log, plus a written log.
4. Keep a copy, then mail the original Identification Form and petition to: Phoenix City Prosecutor’s Office, Attn: Charging Bureau, PO Box 4500, Phoenix, AZ 85030-4500.

A petition that doesn’t meet every requirement can still be sent for review, as long as the Identification Form explains why.

What happens next

1. If a charge is approved, you get a written notice to book an appointment to appear before a judge and give the facts behind the complaint.
2. A prosecutor then signs the criminal complaint.
3. If the owner asks for a trial, you are subpoenaed to testify. It may take around 3 months from the signing of the complaint to the first trial date.

If the owner has no earlier conviction for this offence, the charge may be turned into a civil violation instead of a criminal one.

Penalties

Keeping a dog in the habit of barking is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Phoenix, and a criminal conviction carries a fine of at least $150. If the owner hasn’t been found responsible or guilty before, the City Prosecutor can file the case as a civil violation instead, with a sanction of $150 to $2,500.

Outside Phoenix, and other problems

• If you live outside Phoenix, the City says to contact your local police department for information.
• For a dog that is being mistreated, abused or neglected, the City lists the Arizona Humane Society on 602-997-7585.

Keep a record

The petition needs a log that shows a pattern. 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, so you can see when bouts happen. It is an approximate record, not proof, and it is not the recording the petition asks for. Ask the Prosecutor’s Office what it accepts, and keep your own notes with the printable bark diary.

Other US cities

Other countries: England and Wales, Scotland, Toronto, Calgary, 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 October 2026:

1. City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office. Barking Dogs. phoenix.gov/administration/departments/law/prosecutor/barking-dogs.html
2. City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office. Information for the Complainant. phoenix.gov/administration/departments/law/prosecutor/barking-dogs/complainants.html
3. City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office. Process to File a Barking Dog Criminal Charge. phoenix.gov/administration/departments/law/prosecutor/barking-dogs/file-a-complaint.html
4. City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office. Identification Form and Petition for Barking Dog Complaint. phoenix.gov/administration/departments/law/prosecutor/barking-dogs/petition-process.html
5. City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office. Information to Help with Barking Dogs in the City of Phoenix (PDF). phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/lawsite/documents/barking%20dog%20petition%20information.pdf
6. City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office. Information for the Dog Owner. phoenix.gov/administration/departments/law/prosecutor/barking-dogs/dog-owners.html