While your pet may seem like a member of the family, the State sees it as personal property instead. This confers responsibilities on you as the owner. Once of these responsibilities is to prevent your animal from becoming a public nuisance. You may have the right to freedom of speech and expression but your animal does not! If your neighbors find the barking of your dogs annoying or obnoxious and the Police agree, you can be cited with a “barking dog” ticket. As a civil infraction, this ticket involves fines and court appearances.
For example, the Harper Woods City Ordinance states:
The following acts, among others, are hereby declared to be loud, unnecessary, unnatural or unusual noises which annoy, disturb, injure, endanger or impair the health, comfort, safety, peace and quiet, welfare and enjoyment of the residents of the neighborhood in which the noise originates and are in violation of this chapter, but such enumeration shall not be deemed to be exclusive:
…
(3)
Animals and birds. The keeping of any animal or bird which by causing frequent or long continued noise shall annoy, disturb, injure, endanger or impair the health, comfort, safety, peace and quiet, welfare and enjoyment of any persons in the vicinity thereof.
If you have been cited under this ordinance or some other local municipal ordinance for public nuisance because of your pet’s barking or other noise, there are options available to you. Our experienced attorneys work in all Metro Detroit Courts and have developed relationships with the City Attorneys who will be assigned your case. We can work to get your case dismissed, or reduced to keep you out of jail, and your record clean. Even if you have multiple citations the fines may be reduced, or an agreement negotiated on your behalf. Contact Garmo & Kiste, PLC today concerning your barking dog ticket or municipal ordinance violation. To retain Garmo & Kiste, PLC call us at (248) 398-7100 for a free consultation or contact us with a private message.
