Huntsville, AL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 5-44(a)
- First-offense fine
- $25 minimum
- Third-offense fine
- $100 minimum
- Enforcement
- Huntsville Animal Services officers
- Fenced yard minimum
- 200 sq ft for first dog
Summary
Huntsville requires every dog owner to keep the animal under effective restraint at all times within city limits, on or off the owner's property, or face a citation.
It shall be the duty of every owner or person in charge of a dog to keep the animal under effective restraint, while the dog is within the city, whether or not the dog is upon or away from his premises. It shall be unlawful for the owner or person in charge of any dog to fail to keep the animal under effective restraint. Proof that a dog is not properly restrained, whether on or off the premises of the owner or person in charge, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation. Negligent failure to provide or maintain effective restraint shall not be a defense. Competent evidence that the failure was occasioned by an unforeseeable and independent act of a third person shall shift the burden on the city to prove otherwise.
(1) It shall be the duty of every person owning or having the custody or control of a dog to physically restrain the dog when such dog is left unattended outside. The dog must be restrained so as to prevent the dog from leaving the premises of its owner or from coming in contact with public right-of-way or the property of another.
(2) Dogs may be restrained by means of a trolley system, or a runner attached to a pulley on a cable run, if the following conditions are met:
a. Such restraint shall be fixed in such a manner to allow the dog free use of the restraint without it becoming tangled, wrapped around an object or shortened to prevent injury or strangulation.
b. The restraint shall also be an appropriate weight for the dog and shall be affixed
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 5-44(a) makes it unlawful for an owner or person in charge of a dog to fail to keep it under effective restraint anywhere within Huntsville, whether the dog is on or off its owner's premises. Proof that a dog was not properly restrained is prima facie evidence of a violation, and the ordinance spells out accepted restraint methods: a leash or hand-held control, a compliant trolley/tether system, a fenced enclosure of at least 200 square feet, or a working underground electric fence kept at least ten feet from any public sidewalk or street. Huntsville Animal Services (HAS) officers enforce the section and may seize dogs found running at large under Sec. 5-72.
Violations & Fines
Failure to restrain or confine a dog or cat carries minimum fines of $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $100 for a third or subsequent offense under the Sec. 5-5 penalty schedule; dogs at large may also be impounded by HAS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my dog need to be leashed on my own property in Huntsville?
What happens if my dog is caught running at large?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntsville
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Dog Leash Laws in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Madison County handle dog leash laws.