Florence County, SC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 6-3, Running at Large, Animals, makes it unlawful for any owner or custodian of a pet or animal to permit it to run at large at any time on any street or highway or other property within Florence County, with a single exception for property the owner or custodian owns or rents. Subsection (d) adds a stricter public-place rule: no pet or animal may be on school grounds, in a shopping area, or a similar public place unless it is on a leash and muzzled at all times, a combined leash-and-muzzle standard that goes beyond a simple leash law.

An Environmental Services officer (ESO) who finds an animal running at large, or determines it has been abandoned, may pick it up or trap it and transport it to the environmental services facility, where it is held under § 6-6's five-day redemption window; livestock may instead be placed with individuals, agencies, or veterinary hospitals for the impoundment period. Within 24 hours of impounding an animal, the ESO must exercise due diligence to find the owner and explain how to regain custody. A resident may also trigger enforcement by filing a written complaint, which the ESO must investigate and may act on by impounding the animal and issuing a notice of ordinance violation. 00 plus court costs for a third or subsequent offense, and citations written under the section stay active for 24 months.