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

Granville County Code Section 11-41(a) prohibits keeping a dog that is not under the direct control of its owner and that an animal control officer determines to be at large. Section 11-4 defines "direct control" as an animal obedient to a competent person's commands, confined in a vehicle or secure enclosure, or otherwise restricted to the owner's property; a hunting or working dog actively in the field is still considered under direct control. An animal control officer or other law enforcement officer may seize and impound a dog running at large under Section 11-8(a)(1).

Once impounded, the officer must make a reasonably diligent effort to identify and notify the owner, and the owner may redeem the dog under Section 11-9 only after completing any required restraint or enclosure fixes and paying the redemption service fee and per-day boarding fees listed in the county fee schedule. Under Section 11-12(c), an animal control officer may instead issue the known owner a civil penalty ticket for the at-large violation, listing the fee amount from the county fee manual; penalties increase for repeat offenses and must be paid within 20 days to the animal management director.

If the owner neither appears nor pays within that window, the county issues a criminal summons, and conviction under Section 11-12(b) can bring a misdemeanor charge carrying up to a $500.00 fine or imprisonment, with each day of continuing violation counted as a separate offense. The animal management director oversees the animal control division and reports to the county manager; the animal shelter is inspected quarterly by a licensed veterinarian.