Bridgeport, CT Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

030 puts the duty on people, not dogs: no person shall permit any dog to be at large in the city at any time. The section then defines at large in parts (1) and (2). Under part (1), a dog is at large when it is in any public street, alley, park, or other public grounds, or anywhere off the premises of its owner or of the person who has custody of it, and is not constrained by a leash. The phrase "at any time" means there is no after-hours exception; the leash requirement applies around the clock.

And because the definition reaches the person who has custody as well as the owner, a friend, family member, or dog walker handling the animal is bound the same way the owner is. Under part (2), a dog is at large even outdoors on private property when it is not contained by a fence adequate to prevent it from leaving the yard, not constrained by a leash, and not on a dog run adequate for the same purpose. The word "adequate" does the real work here: the test is not whether a fence or run exists but whether it actually prevents the dog from leaving, so an enclosure the dog can clear or slip through does not satisfy the ordinance.

The flip side is the yard exception: inside a fence that truly holds the dog, no leash is required. Each violation draws a flat $150 fine, assessed per offense, so separate loose-dog incidents are fined separately.