The city of Houston, Texas, has an ordinance against barking dogs that disturb the peace. As stated in Sec. 30-5 of the Houston code of ordinances “The keeping of any animal …which causes or makes frequent or long and continued sound which unreasonably disturbs… reasonable persons of normal sensibilities…who reside in the vicinity thereof is hereby prohibited and declared to be unlawful.” Houston has several avenues for making a barking dog complaint. You may choose to use one or all of the methods depending on the severity of your situation.
Step 1
Call 311. This is the city’s non-emergency helpline where you can request various city services, including nuisance control for barking dogs.
Step 2
Call the Houston Police Department’s non-emergency number at 713-884-3131. The city’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care recommends this route for reporting barking dogs.
Step 3
Fill out a service request form online at webintake.houstontx.gov/web_intake/Controller. Choose the general “311” for service type. Then click the “Request this Service” link to make your complaint where you will be directed to fill in information such as the address of the dog’s owner.
Step 4
Make a report through your homeowner’s association if you have one in your neighborhood. The association can then send a letter informing the dog owner of the problem and of the local noise ordinances.