Brecksville residents can no longer let their animals bark, whine, howl or crow repeatedly enough to disturb the neighbors, under a new ordinance the city council passed unanimously. The measure targets excessive noise from pets and fowl alike, closing a gap in city code that previously covered only dogs.
According to Cleveland.com, Brecksville introduced the ordinance after receiving complaints about crowing roosters. Councilwoman Ann Koepke described one resident’s ongoing problem with loud fowl on a neighboring lot. Brecksville City Council passed the ordinance on Oct. 6.
Before the new rule, Brecksville's city code addressed frequent and habitual barking by dogs, along with noise from drunkenness, fighting, quarreling and profane language, plus loud parties, blasting stereos and electronic amplification devices. But the code did not specifically address noise from chickens, roosters or other animals besides dogs, the outlet reports. City code also already prohibited noxious or offensive odors and unsanitary conditions tied to keeping animals or fowl, and barred residents from letting animals, including fowl, run loose.
How the New Noise Rule Works
The ordinance defines excessive noise as continued, repeated or habitual barking, whining, crying, howling, whimpering, squawking or crowing, or any loud noise louder than an average conversational level at a distance of 100 feet or more. An animal control officer or police officer may issue a citation after arriving at a complaint scene and hearing the excessive noise firsthand. Police may also cite an owner when three neighbors within 500 feet sign written noise complaints.
A first violation is a minor misdemeanor. If the same owner is cited twice within one year, the offense becomes a fourth-degree misdemeanor, and the owner may be required to give away or sell the animal. Under the Ohio Revised Code, a fourth-degree misdemeanor carries a maximum jail term of 30 days. Under a separate section of the Ohio Revised Code, the maximum fine for an organization is $2,000 for a fourth-degree misdemeanor and $1,000 for a minor misdemeanor.
Not the Only Town Dealing With Roosters
Brecksville is far from alone in wrestling with backyard birds. In New Jersey, Brick Township's council unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting residents from keeping new roosters, according to nj.com. That law lets existing roosters stay only if owners secure an approved enclosure and a permit from the zoning office, and officials there said the decision followed repeated complaints about the birds. Before the change, police in Brick Township generally had to witness the noise themselves to issue a violation — one resident described roosters across the street crowing around 5 a.m. and continuing to make noise throughout the day.
Rooster disputes have become something of a flashpoint nationally. The New York Times has described a Vermont feud over what counts as farm country as part of a wider battle dividing communities across the country, a framing that underscores how a single noisy bird can escalate into a broader fight over what residential neighborhoods are allowed to tolerate.
Brecksville's new rule doesn't ban roosters outright. Instead, it bars excessive animal noise, including noise louder than an average conversational level at a distance of 100 feet or more.
