Georgetown, KY Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Sec. 6-22 sets the leash and confinement rule for dogs in Georgetown. No dog can run at large except under the immediate control of its owner or handler, and the code lists three ways to achieve that: confinement in a compliant enclosure, being firmly secured by a collar, chain or other device so it cannot stray from the premises, or, off the owner's or handler's premises, control by a leash, portable pet carrier or other humane physical restraint. Sec. 6-19 defines immediate control as the ability to manage and direct the dog and says that ability is not limited to direct physical control. It defines restraint as an animal secured by a leash or lead under the control of a responsible person and obedient to that person's commands, or within the real property limits of its owner.

Enclosure standards are specific. A fence or structure must be of sufficient height and construction to keep the dog on the property, be in good repair, fit to ground level or be a fabricated structure that prevents digging out, and gates and doors must be locked or secured by a latch the dog cannot open. A buried-wire system counts as a proper enclosure only while the device and signal work and the dog stays on the property, with a sign posted next to the driveway or entry and proper shelter from the weather. Sec. 6-22(c) adds that an underground fence is not a secure enclosure for a female dog or cat in heat, who must be confined in a building or secure enclosure.

A dog running inside a public dog park complies with the section if its owner or handler is on the premises. Sec. 6-22(a)(1)b points to Sec. 6-25(f), which phases out chains and ropes other than as leashes. Under Sec. 6-24, the city or its designated enforcement officers can impound a dog running at large in an animal shelter.