Fauquier County, VA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban
- dogs running at large at any time (§4-22(a))
- Definition
- roaming off property, not under immediate control
- Civil penalty
- $100 per dog (§4-28(d))
- Pack violation
- separate offense under §4-22.1
- Impoundment
- mandatory at Fauquier County Animal Shelter
- Hunting/show exception
- under owner's control during licensed activity
- Kennel dogs
- court may revoke kennel license for repeat violations
Summary
Unincorporated Fauquier County bans dogs from running at large at any time under County Code § 4-22, defining at large as roaming off the owner's property and out of the owner's immediate control. Violators face a $100 civil penalty per dog per day, plus impoundment and boarding fees, under § 4-28(d).
(a)It shall be unlawful for any dog to run at large at any time within this county. For the purpose of this subsection, a dog running at large shall mean a dog that is roaming or running off the property of its owner or custodian and not under its owner or custodian's immediate control.(b)Any owner or custodian whose dog runs at large shall be liable upon conviction to a civil penalty as set forth in section 4-28 of this chapter. ... Penalty for dogs running at large and dogs running at large in a pack. Any person convicted of owning a dog that ran at large or that ran at large in a pack in violation of sections 4-22 or 4-22.1 shall be liable to a civil penalty of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per dog. The civil penalty may be charged once per dog for each twenty-four-hour period.
Full Breakdown
Section 4-22(c) exempts dogs running during hunting season on a bona fide hunt or during training for one, and dogs at foxhunting, field trials, formal obedience classes or shows, as long as they stay accompanied by and under the control of a licensed hunter or their owner. A companion provision, § 4-22.1, separately punishes dogs running at large in a pack with other loose dogs. Any dog caught running at large, whether reported by the animal warden or a third party, is impounded at the Fauquier County Animal Shelter regardless of who found it (§ 4-22(e)).
The owner owes the shelter's daily boarding rate for a first impoundment, doubled for any repeat impoundment of the same dog, on top of the civil penalty, and all fees must be paid before release. If a kennel-licensed dog gets loose because of the owner's carelessness, the court may revoke the kennel license, and the owner then has 30 days to secure individual lifetime licenses on each dog (§ 4-22(d)). The Sheriff, deputy sheriffs and the animal warden enforce this article under § 4-10.
Violations & Fines
A $100 civil penalty per dog applies under § 4-28(d), chargeable once per dog for each 24-hour period as a separate offense, on top of actual boarding and impoundment expenses owed to the Fauquier County Animal Shelter. Running at large in a pack under § 4-22.1 is a separate violation from running at large alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to let my dog run loose in unincorporated Fauquier County?
How much is the fine for a dog running at large in Fauquier County?
Are there exceptions to the at-large rule for hunting dogs?
What happens to my dog if it's caught running at large?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fauquier County
Compare Fauquier County to another location·View the Virginia animal ordinances overview
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