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

Santa Cruz County Code Title 6 (Animals) governs dogs in the unincorporated county and is enforced by County Animal Services / the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. Section 6.04.020 defines an 'animal at large' to include any dog found off the owner's premises that is not under actual physical restraint or control, such as a leash, tether, or in the grasp of a competent person, or otherwise confined by adequate fencing. Section 6.12.020 makes it unlawful for an owner to permit a dog to be away from the owner's premises if it is not under that actual physical restraint or control. In practice this is a leash law: in public areas of the unincorporated county a dog must be leashed and under control unless it is in a legally designated off-leash area. The County Code does not specify a maximum leash length in feet, so the controlling standard is 'actual physical restraint or control.' An animal control officer or peace officer who finds a dog at large may issue a citation to the owner, and a dog that cannot be safely returned to the owner's property may be impounded. Because incorporated cities such as Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, and Capitola adopt their own municipal codes, these County rules apply specifically to the unincorporated areas. This guide does not name any particular off-leash park, because off-leash sites must be legally designated.