An Act To Amend The Laws Regarding Nuisance Dogs

This bill (LD 133) amends Maine's definition of a "nuisance dog" to explicitly include dogs or wolf hybrids that disturb an individual's peace through excessive barking, howling, or yelping when the person is not on the dog owner's property. It allows any affected person to file a written complaint with law enforcement or animal control within 30 days of the noise disturbance. Authorities must investigate and may issue a civil violation summons if the complaint is validated. The law applies directly to dog owners and neighbors impacted by disruptive noise, while excluding incidents involving police dogs, provoked attacks, or crimes.