Catawba County, NC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Sec. 6-3 defines 'at large' as any animal found off the property of its owner and not under restraint, or any dog previously declared dangerous or potentially dangerous that is not under restraint or confined to a secure enclosure even on its own property; dogs inside a county-designated dog park are excluded. 'Restraint' is defined precisely: a secure enclosure on the owner's property, a chain or tether no longer than 20 feet, a leash no longer than six feet, or another physical or electronic device strong enough to let the owner control the animal.

Voice command alone does not count as restraint. Under Article IV, an owner may not allow a dog to commit a 'nuisance' act listed in Sec. 6-3, which includes continuously or frequently roaming onto another person's property, chasing or attacking pedestrians and cyclists, or being housed or restrained less than five feet from a public street. Sec. 6-71 makes it unlawful for an owner to allow those acts, and an animal control officer investigates any written, signed complaint. Sec. 6-72 lays out escalating enforcement: a first violation draws a written warning to abate the nuisance; a second draws a declaration of nuisance plus a civil penalty, and animal services may require the owner to physically restrain the dog; further violations can be charged as a criminal misdemeanor, and a dog declared a nuisance and later found at large may be seized and impounded.