Columbus, IN Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Title 6 of the Columbus Municipal Code applies one restraint rule to every animal in the City of Columbus, Indiana, dogs included: "All animals shall be restrained." The definitions in § 6.04.010 do the work. "Restraint" means under direct control of the owner, or limited or restricted within the bounds of the real property of the animal's owner or agent. "At large" means any animal that is not under restraint or properly confined by the owner. "Confinement" is the physical securing of an animal by leash, lead or secure enclosure.

The Animal Care Services Manager and staff can order an owner or agent to confine an animal for serious or repeated violations of the restraint rule.

City parks and other property get their own layer. Under § 6.08.015, the governing board or commission for any city-owned property can set zones by resolution in which an animal must be on a leash, or is prohibited entirely, during times posted by signs. The resolution goes to the Animal Care Services Commission, signage is the responsibility of the board or commission in charge, and Animal Care Services enforces the zone.

Tethering is limited by § 6.08.100(B). An animal cannot be tethered or left unattended between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. During other hours a chained or tied animal needs a chain, leash or lead approved by Animal Care Services of not less than ten feet or two and one-half lengths of the animal, whichever is greater, and it cannot reach another person's property or the public right-of-way.

Unaltered dogs and cats carry a heavier cost: an owner of an unaltered dog or cat found at large is subject to the additional fines and fees in § 6.08.040. A dog in a doghouse during extreme weather has its own rules in § 6.08.100(D), which require a temperature-controlled facility at or below twenty degrees Fahrenheit or at or above ninety degrees Fahrenheit, unless a competent adult is outside in visual range of the dog.