Proposed Clarksburg ordinance would outlaw owning dogs that bark for 15+ minutes

Yahoo

18-04-2025

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Clarksburg City Council met Thursday evening, where it discussed changes to a Noisy Dog Ordinance it adopted a few years ago.
During the meeting, the council unleashed the first reading of the ordinance. The current Noisy Dog Ordinance was passed in 2023, prohibiting residents within city limits from keeping dogs that create excessive noise. The proposed modification would make it unlawful to keep a dog that creates frequent or prolonged noise disturbances, particularly between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Under the modified ordinance, a dog may not bark continuously for more than 15 minutes during daytime hours, or more than 10 minutes between 10:01 p.m. and 6:59 a.m. Also, any disruptive barking, regardless of its duration or the time it occurs, may be deemed a disturbance of the peace.
'We've gotten numerous complaints from residents that some folks are just leaving their dogs tied up outside, you know, in horrendous weather that we had this past winter, and these dogs are just barking continuously. So, we have to address the situation,' Clarksburg Mayor Jim Malfregeot said.
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Another proposed change allows Animal Control, Code Enforcement or the Police Department to arrest the dog's owner or caretaker if the ordinance is violated instead of giving a citation. The proposed amendments seek to revise the language while recommending more expensive fines for violators.
'I think, I think we visited a lot of these issues in the past, and to me, a lot of this stuff is unenforceable, and it makes it difficult. And it's kind of, you know, personal account type of thing, and you know, I think if there is an issue, it will be seen, but at the end of the day, you know, adding a time limit to barking dogs seems kind of difficult to enforce, and you know, I really don't want the police to be out there enforcing laws that they just can't enforce,' Clarksburg City Council Member Will Hyman said.
Under the current ordinance, violators can be cited by an animal control officer, code enforcement official or police officer. If the municipal court determines that a dog exhibits frequent and habitual barking, howling, yelping, crying or squalling that results in unreasonably loud and disruptive noise, the court may order the owner to take action to cease the disturbance or issue a fine.
Additionally, the current ordinance outlines specific penalties for violations. A first offense may result in a $50 fine. A second offense carries a fine ranging from $100 to $500, while a third offense may result in a fine between $200 and $500. Additionally, the ordinance clarifies that repeated violations occurring more than 24 hours apart are considered separate offenses. However, only one violation may be issued to a dog owner within any 24-hour period.
The first reading of the new ordinance was passed by the council 6-1. The second and final reading will be held on May 1.
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