Gaithersburg, MD Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

City Code § 4-1 defines 'at large' as an animal that is off its owner's or custodian's premises, on someone else's private property, or on shared HOA or condominium grounds, and is not on a leash and under the restraint of a responsible person physically capable of controlling it, with an exception for city-designated dog exercise areas. Section 4-4(a)(1) then makes it unlawful to keep any animal, including a dog, in a way that constitutes an 'animal public nuisance,' expressly including an animal that is at large or tied and left unattended in a public area when the owner isn't nearby.

Enforcement runs through the animal control officer and the animal control board created by the chapter, and if the owner or custodian of an at-large dog isn't readily accessible, § 4-4(c) lets the city take the dog into protective custody and impound it pending retrieval. Repeat at-large incidents carry consequences beyond a simple citation: § 4-5(a)(3) lets the city manager designate a dog observed at large or impounded on three separate occasions within a 12-month period as a 'potentially dangerous animal,' which then requires secure confinement, a leash no longer than six feet, a photo on file with the city, and warning signage on the property.