Indiana requires owners to reasonably restrain dogs; letting a dog stray off your premises is an infraction, and failing to restrain a dog that then bites is a crime. Fishers and Carmel city codes require direct control by leash or fence.
There is no countywide leash ordinance for unincorporated land beyond state law, but the four cities (Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville) each require dogs to be under direct control. Fishers defines RUNNING AT LARGE as any animal that leaves the owner's land or is not under direct control, and DIRECT CONTROL as immediate, continuous physical control by fence, leash, cord or chain. Statewide, IC 15-20-1-4 makes an unrestrained dog that strays and bites a Class C misdemeanor, escalating to a felony if a death results.
Straying off premises: Class D infraction (Class C if repeat). A dog that strays and bites without provocation: Class C misdemeanor up to a felony if death results.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Hamilton County, IN
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See how Hamilton County's dog leash laws rules stack up against other locations.
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