Broome County, NY Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Broome County's park rules, not a general animal-control law, set the leash requirement most residents will encounter. Section 281-3(P)(1) of Chapter 281, Parks and Recreation Areas, provides that "[d]ogs, cats and other domesticated pets are permitted, except on beaches and in buildings, only if they are controlled at all times by a leash not more than eight feet," and bars leaving any animal unattended in the park without the Commissioner's express written permission. The eight-foot cap exempts dogs assigned to a law enforcement K-9 unit, service animals, and any pet specifically authorized by the Commissioner for a different arrangement.

Section 281-3(P)(2) separately requires "proof of currently effective rabies inoculation," which County security or Department staff can demand on the spot. Because Broome is a New York county, this leash rule applies only to property the county itself owns or administers, such as its parks, Veterans Memorial Arena grounds and Forum; it does not reach private yards, sidewalks or streets, which fall under whichever town, village or city actually governs that parcel, such as Union, Vestal, Binghamton, Johnson City or Endicott. A near-identical restraint requirement applies separately to county office buildings and grounds under Section 222-4(R).

Violations of the park leash rule are enforced the same way as every other Chapter 281 rule: under Section 281-6, County security, Commissioner-designated agents and local, county or state police can issue an appearance ticket for a leash violation observed in a county park.