Indiana has no statewide leash law, so Elkhart County and the cities of Elkhart, Goshen, and Nappanee each require dogs restrained and set running-at-large rules. Statewide, an owner is strictly liable when their dog bites someone acting peaceably where they may lawfully be.
Leash and running-at-large rules in Elkhart County are local. The county animal ordinance and the Elkhart, Goshen, and Nappanee city codes require dogs to be leashed or confined off the owner's property, with strays impounded through county animal control. There is no statewide leash law, though Indiana Code 15-20-1-4 makes letting a dog stray off the premises without reasonable control an infraction. What binds every owner is bite liability: Indiana Code 15-20-1-3 makes an owner strictly liable for all damages when their dog, without provocation, bites a person acting peaceably in a place they may lawfully be, even with no history of viciousness.
A dog running at large in violation of the local ordinance can be impounded and the owner fined. A bite triggers strict owner liability for all damages under Indiana Code 15-20-1-3.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Elkhart County, IN
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See how Elkhart County's dog leash laws rules stack up against other locations.
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