Leominster, MA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Massachusetts law bars cities from banning or restricting dogs by breed, so Leominster's Chapter 6 dangerous-dog rules turn on an individual dog's behavior rather than its breed. 1 makes it unlawful for the owner to let it outside a proper enclosure unless it is muzzled and restrained by a chain or leash with at least three hundred pounds of tensile strength, no longer than three feet, under the physical control of a responsible person; the muzzle must not injure the dog or block its vision or breathing, but it must prevent bites.

On the owner's own property, which must be posted with clear, unambiguous warning notices readable by adults and children, the dog must be securely confined indoors or in a locked pen with secure sides and a secure top, embedded at least two feet into the ground if it has no floor, and the animal control officer must approve and inspect the enclosure's construction. 2 protects dogs that were provoked: a dog cannot be declared dangerous if the injury was inflicted on someone who was trespassing, committing a tort or a crime, or who had teased, tormented, abused or assaulted the dog, or if the dog was defending itself, its offspring, another domestic animal or a person from attack. 3, and a hearing authority appointed by the mayor decides dangerous-dog determinations and disputes.