Hutto, TX Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 4.09.004, "Restraint of dogs in public place," sets two different leash-length ceilings depending on location: up to twenty-five feet is permitted in a public park, but the maximum drops to six feet on a street, sidewalk, public way, public square, or any other public place. The leash or chain must also have "sufficient tensile strength to restrain the particular dog," so an undersized lead on a large dog can independently violate the section even if it meets the length limit. A dog that is not restrained in compliance with section 4.09.004 is deemed "at large" in violation of section 4.09.001, the chapter's general restraint requirement, which makes it unlawful for any animal to be at large and holds the owner strictly liable, with no culpable mental state required.

Section 4.09.003 layers on additional tie-and-stake rules for animals secured on open or unfenced land: the tether must be at least ten feet long, must keep the animal more than ten feet from any street, park, sidewalk, or public building, and if a chain is used it cannot weigh more than one-quarter of the animal's weight. Article 4.09's guard-dog division, sections 4.09.031 through 4.09.034, imposes a separate six-foot fence-and-confinement standard for attack or guard dogs kept unattended, rather than a leash rule. A dog under proper restraint in the owner's own fenced yard is not covered by section 4.09.004, which applies only in public places.