Grant County, WA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- GCC 9.06.050 and 9.06.080
- Applies in
- Listed dog control areas only, not countywide
- Requirement
- Leash, pen, or fence at all times
- First offense
- $47 civil penalty
- Habitual violator
- 4+ infractions in 5 years is a misdemeanor
- Impound hold
- 48 hours, excluding holidays and Sundays
Summary
In Grant County's designated dog control areas, a list of specific unincorporated subdivisions like Desert Aire and Pelican Point, GCC 9.06.050 requires every dog to be on a leash or confined in a pen or fenced yard at all times. GCC 9.06.080 separately bans letting any dog run at large on a public street or someone else's property within those areas.
9.06.050 - Dogs to be controlled. It is unlawful for any owner or custodian to keep any dog in an area described in Section 9.06.030(7), dog control areas, unless the dog is controlled at all times by being on a leash, or secured or confined in a pen or by fence upon the property of the owner or custodian. ... Any dog not controlled as provided in this section shall be deemed at large and shall be impounded. ... 9.06.080 - Running at large. (a)It is unlawful for any owner or custodian of any dog to permit any such dog to run loose or be at large upon any public street, highway, or public place, or upon private property owned by a person or persons other than the owner or custodian of the dog, within the dog control areas of the county unless such dog is confined and controlled by a leash, rope, device or cord of such length as is sufficiently short to allow for the containment and control of such dog.
Full Breakdown
030(7) defines dog control areas as a specific list of unincorporated subdivisions and communities, including Desert Aire, Pelican Point, Ridgeview Estates, Quail Springs, Grace Acres Estates, Northridge Estates, the Beverly/Schwana Area and the Grant County Fairgrounds. 050 requires an owner or custodian to keep a dog on a leash, or secured in a pen or by a fence on the owner's property, at all times; a dog not so controlled shall be deemed at large and shall be impounded. 080 separately bars letting a dog run loose on a public street, highway or public place, or on someone else's private property, within a control area unless it is on a leash, rope or cord adequate to actually contain it.
100 lets the animal control officer, or any private person, seize a loose dog; it is held 48 hours, excluding holidays and Sundays, at a fee set with the Grant County Humane Society before the county may euthanize or otherwise dispose of it if unclaimed. 120.
Violations & Fines
GCC 9.06.170 sets civil penalties of $47 for a first offense, $95 for a second, and $190 for each subsequent violation. An owner found to have committed four or more infractions within five years is guilty of a misdemeanor under GCC 9.06.180's habitual-violator provision, and the owner remains personally liable for impound, board and veterinary costs under 9.06.040(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to leash my dog everywhere in unincorporated Grant County?
What counts as running at large?
What's the fine for a leash-law violation?
How long is my dog held if it's impounded?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grant County
Compare Grant County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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