Ankeny, IA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Ankeny's at-large prohibition in section 55.06 makes it unlawful for any owner or responsible party of a dog, cat or other animal to let it run loose anywhere within the city, whether in a yard, a park or the street. There is only one carve-out written into the section itself: a community cat enrolled in the City's trap-neuter-return program is expressly exempt. A violation is written into the Code as a simple misdemeanor, carrying a fine of at least $50 plus the state surcharge and court costs, but the responding peace officer can instead pursue it as a municipal infraction under Chapter 4 of the Code of Ordinances; the choice between the criminal and civil track is left entirely to that officer's discretion, so two owners cited for the same loose dog can face different consequences.

Once a dog or cat is picked up at large, section 55.15 puts the job of collecting and impounding it on the Ankeny Police Department or on the society the City has under contract for animal control, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. Getting the animal back after it is transported to the contracted society costs a flat $45.00 impoundment fee, separate from any licensing fee the animal still owes under Chapter 56.