Clarkstown, NY Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Town Code § 125-4(A) makes it unlawful for an owner to allow a dog to run at large on public property, or on private property without the consent of the person in possession of it, unless the dog is effectively restrained in the immediate custody and control of its owner by a chain or leash not exceeding eight feet in length. The code presumes that a dog found on private property belonging to someone other than its owner is there without consent. Owners are liable for a violation regardless of whether the dog got loose with or without their knowledge or fault.

The same section also bars a female dog in heat from being off the owner's premises unless restrained by a leash, at § 125-4(G). Enforcement runs through the Animal Control Officer under § 125-3, and Article I is adopted under the authority of Article 7 of the state Agriculture and Markets Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law. Separately, dogs must be licensed with the Town Clerk after four months of age under § 125-6, with a current rabies vaccination certificate required at application, and identification tags issued by the Town must be affixed to the dog's collar at all times.

Beyond running loose, § 125-4 also prohibits a dog from damaging vegetation or gardens without consent, chasing or harassing people, habitually chasing or barking at vehicles, or defecating and digging on others' property without consent. Violations of Article I carry a fine of not less than $25 and not more than $250 under § 125-7, and dogs seized for running at large are subject to per-day impoundment fees set in the Town's Consolidated Fee Schedule under § 125-5.