Restraint and the Law
Download our educational brochure "Responsible Pet Ownership and the Law" here (PDF): Restraint brochure
A leash is a great way to protect your pet from the dangers of the outside world such as cars, wild animals, and other people's pets. By keeping your pet on a leash, you are also acting as a good neighbor.
The municipal ordinance (Title 17) requires generally that a person who owns an animal, such as a dog or cat, shall control it at all times. In a public place, with some exceptions, the municipal ordinance requires that an owner shall have his/her animal under control and shall not allow it to roam neighborhoods or have access to other people's property.
Control means to simultaneously monitor, direct, and restrict an animal's movement and activities. Five types of control are defined in the municipal ordinance.
- Control by command means to control an animal by visual or audible commands, or a combination thereof, to which the animal responds promptly and accurately.
- Control by confinement means to control an animal in a humane manner within any fully fenced pen, kennel, yard or structure, which prevents the exit of any animal confined therein solely on its own volition and the protrusion through the outer perimeter of the enclosure of the animal's paws and/or teeth.
- Control by leash means to control an animal by securely attaching a leash, chain, or an item which is physically capable of restraining the animal, including electronic collar, to the animal which is in the secure possession of a person physically and mentally capable of monitoring, directing, and restricting the animal's movements and activities.
- Control by attachment means to control an animal by a harness or other similar device attached directly or indirectly to a person or immovable object by means of a chain, leash or similar device in such a manner that when the animal is on private property, it cannot travel off the private property or into in any public vehicular or pedestrian way, or other public easement; or when the animal is on public property, the animal cannot travel more than three feet from the immovable object and is not unattended by the owner.
- Control by harness means to control an animal by a harness or other similar device attached directly or indirectly to a person or object during an event of competition, training, demonstration, or show.