Carrollton, TX Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

City Code § 91.003 defines 'at-large' broadly: an animal not confined by a fence of sufficient strength and height to prevent escape, not secured inside a house or enclosure, and not restrained by a leash strong enough to keep it on the owner's premises when stretched to full length. An animal riding loose in the open bed of a pickup or similar vehicle, without a secure container, also counts as at-large. Section 91.010(A) makes it unlawful for an owner, or anyone with care, custody, or control of an animal, to 'cause, suffer, permit, or allow' it to be or remain a public nuisance, and being at-large is one of the public-nuisance categories the Designated City Official (DCO) enforces. If a fence fails to contain an animal, § 91.007(B)(2) makes the escape itself 'prima facie evidence' that the fence does not meet code, and an animal impounded at-large after a prior violation notice must stay at the shelter until the DCO inspects the property and confirms repairs.

Owners get one narrow defense: § 91.010(E) excuses an at-large violation if the owner proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the animal got loose because of a natural force, a fire, or the criminal act of a third party who did not live at the owner's residence. Repeat offenders face escalating consequences. After a third conviction for the same owner's animal within any 12 consecutive months, the DCO can petition the Municipal Court for a hearing, and the judge may order the animal removed from Carrollton city limits entirely, returned to the owner, or disposed of under the chapter's impoundment rules. An owner given an exclusion order must send the DCO the animal's new address within 72 hours.