Hendricks County, IN Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

04(A) of the Hendricks County Code, adopted under Ordinance 2000-30, states plainly that the owner shall keep his or her dog under restraint at all times and shall not permit the dog to be at large off the owner's premises. Chapter 91's definitions section defines RUNNING AT LARGE as any animal off the owner's or caretaker's property that is not under restraint or control, and UNDER CONTROL as completely regulating the animal's actions by verbal command or physical restraint. 03, the County Animal Control/Shelter and the County Sheriff's Department jointly enforce this restraint requirement along with the rest of Chapter 91 and the state's animal control statutes.

05(A) directs Animal Control to take the animal up and impound it at the county shelter or an approved alternate site for a minimum three-day hold before it can be claimed, adopted, or humanely disposed of. 05(G) gives officers discretion: if a loose dog's ownership is already known, the officer may cite the owner to appear in court instead of impounding the dog. This restraint duty applies only in unincorporated Hendricks County; Danville and the county's other incorporated towns enforce their own leash ordinances.