Franklin County, NC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Sec. 6-7(a) of the Franklin County Code makes it unlawful for an owner to permit an animal to be wandering stray and at-large, meaning off the owner's property and not under control by leash, cord, chain or other restraint under the Sec. 6-1 definitions. Franklin County Animal Services officers may confiscate any at-large animal and impound it at the county animal shelter under Article III. An exception exists for dogs at-large during a sanctioned show, obedience school, tracking test, field trial or hunting event supervised by an approved organization, so long as the dog is not a designated dangerous animal (Sec.

6-7(b)). Successive violations attach to the owner, not the animal: if the same owner lets a second animal run at-large, that is charged as a second violation (Sec. 6-7(d)). General penalties under Sec. 6-81(a) apply: a $100.00 civil penalty per violation, with each continuing day treated as a separate offense, payable within ten days, plus potential Class 3 misdemeanor criminal exposure under Sec. 6-81(d). Owners whose animals are confiscated and impounded also owe redemption fees set under Sec. 6-68 before the animal is returned from the shelter.