How Do I Report A Barking Dog in the Unincorporated areas of San Diego County?

If you believe the dog is barking because it is suffering or in distress, call County Animal Services’ emergency line: 619-236-2341.

If the dog does not seem to be in distress, make a noise complaint during regular business hours to your local agency:

It is a public offense for someone to own or keep an animal that disturbs the peace in a neighborhood. 

What can I do?

Modest changes in animal housing and care can help prevent or reduce noise:

• Often dogs bark out of boredom. Owners should ensure their dogs are part of the family and are provided with plenty of companionship and exercise.
• Owners should ensure their dogs are kept within an enclosure rather than being tied or chained.
• Dogs should be provided with covered shelter.
• It is helpful if dogs are indoors at night, whether in a home or garage. Be sure there is enough food and water for them.
• Owners who plan to be away overnight should make arrangements for the care of their pets.
• In some cases, professional training with a veterinarian or canine behaviorist may help.

One effective way to resolve on-going neighborhood noise problems is mediation or conciliation.

In mediation, the people involved meet with a mediator to reach a specific written or verbal agreement that can resolve the issue. Mediators are trained to impartially resolve conflicts and to help create agreements. Conciliation also helps people resolve an issue, but the parties don’t have to meet face-to-face. A conciliator meets with each side separately in an attempt to resolve their differences.

• These procedures are available for a fee and have worked well in resolving a number of disputes including animal noise disturbance cases.
• For more information contact: National Conflict Resolution Center at 619 238-2400 or www.ncrconline.com (Handles southern portions of San Diego County)
• For northern San Diego County call LifeLine, 760-842-6227, www.nclifeline.org