Hanford, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Hanford regulates dogs under Title 6 of the Hanford Municipal Code, with restraint and impoundment in Chapter 6.08. HMC 6.08.020 ('Restraint of animals') requires every owner or person in charge of any animal except cats to confine the animal exclusively on the owner's premises, except when properly restrained. While off the owner's premises, a dog must be securely leashed and the leash held continuously by a responsible person capable of controlling the dog, or the dog must be securely confined in a vehicle. The Hanford code defines proper restraint as a leash not in excess of 8 feet, a tethered lead, or a fenced enclosure that keeps the animal under the control of a responsible person or within the real property limits of the owner. 'Running at large' means off the premises of the owner and not under the immediate control of a person by means of an enclosure, leash, rope, or other means of immediate effective physical control. Any animal except cats found at large or trespassing on private or public property is declared a public nuisance and may be impounded. Hanford operates designated off-leash dog parks at Hidden Valley Park, Freedom Park, Redwood Park, and (planned) Lakewood Basin, Sherwood Basin, and Quail Run Basin parks; these are the only public locations where a dog may legally be off-leash. State authority for local dog control is California Food & Agricultural Code Division 14, Chapter 8 (sections 30951-31108), which sets statewide rules for impoundment, redemption fees, and rabies vaccination. Kings County contracts animal sheltering, and reclaimed dogs must be currently licensed and rabies-vaccinated.