Pet owners could cop a $2,000 fine if their pooch barks at a dog park

Locals were shocked to see the sign at their dog park on the corner of Jean-Talon Street and Provencher Boulevard in Montreal's Saint-Leonard borough informing them that their pets were not allowed to bark.

Yes, really.

"It's stressful, to be honest. I'm always looking around to see if my dog is doing good, she's not barking too much … no it's not fun anymore."

"My first reaction was, 'What?' It's kind of ironic to see that we should prohibit our dogs from barking.

"It's their way of communicating with each other and there are some instances where they are obviously going to bark," another dog owner told the outlet.

CTV News reported the local council, the borough of Saint-Leonard, said the sign may be new, but the law is not.

A spokesperson for the council told the outlet: "This sign was intended to help reduce the nuisance experienced by the neighbourhood of this dog park."

The sign sent the internet into a field day, as one user wrote: "Bark ban? Is that a thing? Gotta be some crusty Dragon neighbours. Astrology humour."

Another said: "Dogs can't bark in this dog park in Montreal. Just another embarrassment for Quebec."

Meanwhile, a third shared: "City of Montreal figures out dogs bark."

It comes after the Atlanta City Council set a new regulation last year whereby pet owners would be fined up to USD $150 (AUD $223) if their pooch barks longer than 10 minutes.

Since 2018, dogs in the city couldn't bark for over 20 minutes without facing a monetary fine.

However, the council shortened that time, and, according to the law, the complaint must be made by someone who works or lives within a 1,000-foot (304 metres) radius of the property where the violation occurred.

If a dog violates this policy again, owners will be fined USD $250 (AUD $372), USD $350 (AUD $521) for a third violation and USD $500 (AUD $745) for a fourth violation.