LOS ANGELES — Barking dogs will be a Los Angeles moneymaker.
Animal Services officers last year wrote nearly 20,000 notices to pet owners who had violated city barking dog and leash laws, but there was no financial penalty.
On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to put some teeth in the ordinance after learning $2 million could have been raised if $100 citations were handed out. The $100 citations will now be issued and stiffer fines will be given habitual offenders.
The city's municipal code says pet owners cannot allow a barking dog to bother their neighbors. It also prohibits keeping dogs, cats, rabbits and other critters more than 35 feet from their house or to allowing a dog to wander the streets without a leash.
