Augusta-Richmond County, GA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 4-1-22 sets the street-specific rule: a dog on a public street must be on a leash with a person accompanying it, or secured inside a vehicle, cage, carton, crate or box that prevents escape; there is no third option under this section. It works alongside the broader control duty in Sec. 4-1-21, which bans any animal being 'out of control and/or unattended off the premises of its owner' and defines an animal as not under restraint whenever it is running at large, whether or not it wears a collar and tag, unless it is securely enclosed on the owner's property or on a leash and under immediate control, or off-leash and obedient to voice command while the owner stays in immediate proximity.

Section 4-1-21 exempts dogs actively engaged in hunting or field trials, dogs in designated off-leash dog parks, and dogs participating in shows or exhibitions. A dog found running at large on a public place, other than a dog park, or trespassing on another's property is 'immediately impounded by the Animal Control Department' under Sec. 4-1-23, and if the owner is unknown, any law enforcement officer or authorized county employee may take possession of the dog and impound it under Sec. 4-1-24. Every dog must also wear a collar under Sec.

4-1-19, with identification and a rabies tag except during shows or when using a training or choke collar. Section 4-1-61 sets the penalty for the entire animal chapter.