Dearborn, MI Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 4-22 has three operative parts. First, dogs cannot enter any Dearborn city park except the Dearborn Dog Park, and that park-wide ban carries its own exception for verified service dogs. Second, on public highways and streets a dog must be held securely by a leash of suitable strength and length by its owner or another responsible person, and the dog must be currently immunized against rabies; an unleashed or unvaccinated dog on a street or highway is a violation regardless of whether it is supervised.

351, regardless of the dog's past behavior or the owner's knowledge of any viciousness, so a first bite carries the same civil exposure as a known repeat offender. A companion section, § 4-26, separately bars letting a dog 'run at large,' meaning wander unrestrained on any street, alley, park or public place, or on private property other than the owner's, which reaches situations off the leash entirely rather than an improperly secured leash. Violations of § 4-22 and § 4-26 draw the general Chapter 4 fine schedule set out in § 4-6: a civil infraction for a first and second offense, escalating to a 93-day misdemeanor as defined in § 1-9 for a fourth offense.

A dog kept in the city over six months old must also carry a current license under § 4-23, with fees set in § 12-6 of the Code of Ordinances.