Burlington, NC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 6-20(a) makes it unlawful for an owner or anyone with possession, charge, custody or control of a dog to let it stray or run at large on a public street, sidewalk, park, or another person's property. Subsection (b) goes further, requiring every dog to stay exclusively on its owner's own premises unless it is off the property under the control of a competent person and restrained by a chain, leash or other means of adequate physical control; physical restraints and enclosures used to confine a dog on the property must also comply with the minimum-space and structural rules in Section 6-23.

Two exemptions apply: subsection (c) excuses service dogs trained to assist people who are blind, deaf, mobile-impaired or otherwise disabled from the physical-restraint requirement while off the owner's premises, so long as the dog is under the handicapped person's direct control and obedient to commands, and subsection (d) excuses law-enforcement dogs performing official duties or training. A dog declared dangerous or potentially dangerous under Section 6-22 faces stricter rules on top of Section 6-20, including mandatory muzzling when off the owner's property. Under Section 6-65(c)(3)(b), a Section 6-20 violation is a Level III civil offense, the code's highest civil tier, and Section 6-67 sets the fine at $100.00 for a first offense, $250.00 for a second, and $500.00 for a third offense or any offense after that. Burlington Animal Services officers enforce the section and may impound a loose dog under Section 6-37.