Colusa County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Colusa County Code Chapter 3 (Animals and Fowl), Section 3-7, governs dogs in the unincorporated area. It states that no owner shall permit a dog to be in any area, other than private property where the dog is maintained, unless the dog is securely restrained by a leash held continuously in the hand of a responsible person capable of controlling it. The section defines "leash" as any rope, leather strap, chain, or other material not to exceed six feet in length, of sufficient strength and design to restrain the dog and held by a person actually controlling the animal. Five exceptions apply under 3-7: a dog assisting a peace officer; a dog under the control of a licensed hunter under Fish and Game Code Section 3031; a dog enrolled and participating in a training, obedience, exhibition, or competition class; a dog actively herding livestock with the livestock owner's permission; and a dog on federal or state land. Separately, Section 3-8 makes the owner of a dog running at large that causes injury guilty of a misdemeanor or infraction. Colusa County Animal Control enforces these rules countywide, including the unincorporated communities of Arbuckle, College City, Delevan, Grimes, Maxwell, Princeton, and Stonyford.