Chicago suburb to limit how long a dog can bark outside and how many pets are allowed per residence

A new set of laws governing pet ownership in Aurora, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, will limit how long a dog can bark outdoors and restrict the number of pets allowed to reside in each residence.

The Aurora City Council revised the pet ordinance this week, restricting each residence to no more than four pets total, and no more than two of the same species in one household. Specifically, the law defines a pet as a companion or farm animal, including “a dog, cat, ferret, rabbit, guinea pig, 5 hamster or other similar domestic animal commonly kept as pets.”

The new ordinance also seeks to limit outdoor noise by pets, restricting dogs barking outside to 15 minutes in the hours between 7AM and 10PM, and ten minutes from 10:01 PM to 6:59 AM the following day. The fine for breaking the ordinance is up to $100. A report must be filed including video or audio evidence of the “excessive noise,” or the noise must be reported by more than one household.

Families and households who already had more pets than the new ordinance allows are exempt under a grandfather clause, but must abide by the new ordinance going forward. Pet owners must register their pets with the local animal control department, and will be required to provide documentation showing pets have received proper vaccinations, spaying or neutering, and other routine veterinary procedures.

Many cities across the United States have noise ordinances that include noise from pets. As urbanization continues, noise pollution becomes a bigger threat to the wellbeing of residents.

“Noise pollution can cause health problems for people and wildlife, both on land and in the sea. From traffic noise to rock concerts, loud or inescapable sounds can cause hearing loss, stress, and high blood pressure. Noise from ships and human activities in the ocean is harmful to whales and dolphins that depend on echolocation to survive,” according to National Geographic.