Eagan, MN Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Eagan City Code § 10.11, Subd. 1 defines "at large" for a dog, cat, or ferret as being off the owner's premises and neither controlled by a leash or chain nor confined in a vehicle or cage, unless the animal is inside a city-designated off-leash dog area. Subd. 2 then makes it unlawful for an owner to permit a dog, cat, ferret, horse, or miniature pig to run at large and specifically requires that a dog, cat, or ferret be kept on a leash or chain at all times when off the owner's premises.

A city police officer or animal control officer may seize, impound, or restrain any covered animal found running at large, and the code's impoundment and redemption provisions in Subd. 4 and Subd. 5 then apply: the pound must hold the animal for at least five regular business days before it can be sold or humanely destroyed, and an owner reclaiming a dog, cat, or ferret must pay impoundment fees, obtain a license if one is required, and supply proof of rabies vaccination within 48 hours of release.

The leash duty does not apply inside an Eagan off-leash dog area, but only while the dog's owner stays close enough to physically restrain the dog when directed by an officer.