Elko County, NV Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 7-2-6 of the Elko County Code makes the owner responsible whenever a dog is at large. Subsection (A) bars any owner or custodian of an animal from suffering, permitting or allowing it to run at large. Section 7-2-1 defines running at large as any place off the premises of the owner or person having custody and control of a dog and not accompanied by and under the control of the owner or another responsible person by physical restraint, signal command or voice command.

Subsection (B) lists five ways to comply. The dog can be inside the owner's residence or another building on the premises, or inside a secure fence, secured dog run or dog tight enclosure that keeps it from straying. It can ride in the owner's automobile or the enclosed cab of another vehicle, or in a truck bed if a leash prevents it from leaving the truck bed. It can be on a leash sufficient to hold it in restraint and not more than eight feet in length. Off the owner's premises it can be under effective voice or other nonverbal control. The Board of County Commissioners adopted the rule in Ordinance 1994-A and amended it in Ordinance 2023-02 on February 15, 2023.

Enforcement follows Section 7-2-7: a dog found running at large can be captured and turned over to the Animal Control Officer or a deputy sheriff, who can cite the owner to appear before the Justice of the Peace. A service animal captured at large is returned to its owner with no citation and no fine. Section 7-2-9 requires owner notice within twenty-four hours of impoundment, and an animal can be reclaimed within five days after the owner pays licensing and impound charges and shows rabies proof. Under Section 7-2-8(C), a dog impounded only once in any twelve month period is treated as a first offense, and impounds in any city and the county are counted together. The head of the household is responsible under Section 7-2-15, and a dog tag must be worn at all times under Section 7-2-5(A).