In Chattanooga and Hamilton County, dogs must be leashed or confined whenever off the owner's property; letting a dog run at large is unlawful and enforced by McKamey Animal Center. State law also makes owners civilly liable for a loose dog's harm.
Chattanooga City Code Chapter 7 (Animals and Fowl) requires dogs to be on a leash or under physical restraint when off the owner's property, and tethering to a stationary object is limited to a reasonable period. McKamey Animal Center is the contracted animal-services provider for Chattanooga and much of Hamilton County. Statewide, TCA 44-17-403 imposes a duty to keep every dog under reasonable control and off the loose; TCA 44-8-408 separately criminalizes a dog going uncontrolled onto another's premises or a public road, with penalties escalating if injury results. Inside incorporated cities, the city's leash ordinance governs.
Loose dogs may be impounded by McKamey Animal Center with fees. Under TCA 44-8-408, a dog at large causing bodily injury is a Class A misdemeanor; serious injury a Class E felony; death a Class D felony.
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See how Hamilton County's dog leash laws rules stack up against other locations.
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