Bowling Green, KY Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Off-property rule
- Leash/lead required, responsible person in control
- On-property rule
- Secure enclosure or direct owner control
- Off-leash exception
- H.P. Thomas Bark Park enclosed area
- Fine
- $75 / $150 / $300 by offense
- Enforcement
- Animal Control Officer, police, sheriff
Summary
Off its owner's property, a Bowling Green dog must be restrained by a lead or leash and under a responsible person's control, per Sec. 5-1.08(g), with the sole exception of the enclosed area at H.P. Thomas Bark Park. On the owner's property, the dog must be in a secure enclosure or under direct control, and a stray at large can be seized and impounded.
b. Puppies and dogs: confinement shall mean on the premises of the owner and confined in a secure enclosure or accompanied by the owner on the owner's property and under his/her direct control. If off the premises of the owner, the animal must be restrained by a lead or leash and under the control of a responsible person, or accompanied by a responsible person into an approved off-leash area, and in conformance with all regulations and/or requirements imposed as a condition of utilizing such off-leash area. ... ... g. Running at Large in Public. When off private property, any animal must be restrained by a lead or leash and under the control of a responsible person, with the exception of the enclosed area at the H.P. Thomas Bark Park;
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-1.01 defines 'confinement' for dogs to mean staying on the owner's premises in a secure enclosure, or accompanying the owner under direct control, and if off the premises, being restrained by a lead or leash under a responsible person's control, or accompanying that person into an approved off-leash area under that area's rules. Sec. 5-1.08(g) restates the at-large rule directly: when off private property, any animal must be restrained by a lead or leash and under the control of a responsible person, carving out only the enclosed area of the H.P.
Thomas Bark Park. Enforcement runs through Sec. 5-3.01, which authorizes any City, State or County police officer, sheriff, constable or the City Animal Control Officer to enter private premises to apprehend stray or dangerous animals, and Sec. 5-3.02, under which the City may impound the animal immediately, issue a citation, or place a lien on the owner's property to recover enforcement costs. Both an unconfined dog on its owner's property and one running loose off it are charged as a Confinement violation under Sec. 5-4.01.
Violations & Fines
An unleashed or otherwise unconfined dog is a Confinement violation carrying a $75 civil fine for a first offense, $150 for a second within five years at the same property, and $300 for a third or greater, doubled if the citation is contested before the Code Enforcement and Nuisance Board; a loose dog may also be seized and impounded at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bowling Green require dogs to be on a leash?
Is there a dog park where dogs can go off-leash?
What happens if my dog gets loose in Bowling Green?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bowling Green
Compare Bowling Green to another location·View the Kentucky animal ordinances overview
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