Madera, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Madera Municipal Code § 5-1.28
- Leash rule
- Must be tied, held, staked, or vehicle-restrained
- Covered areas
- Public streets/parks plus unenclosed private property
- Enforcement
- Seizure and impoundment by Animal Control
- Repeat penalty
- Misdemeanor after 2nd violation within 18 months
Summary
Madera Municipal Code Section 5-1.28 bars dogs from running loose on any public street, park or unenclosed private property unless held on a leash or cord, staked, or restrained in a vehicle, with seizure and impoundment for violators.
§ 5-1.28 DOGS RUNNING AT LARGE; LEASH REQUIREMENTS. No person owning any dog or having the care, custody, control, or possession of any dog shall offer, allow, or permit such dog to run, be, or remain at large on any public street, road, alley, park, square, or other public place, or upon any private unenclosed property within the city, and all dogs may be deemed running at large within the meaning of this section unless tied, restrained by chain, strap, or cord attached to their collars and actually held by some person, or tied or restrained in an automobile or other vehicle, or unless such dog is staked or fastened. Any dog found running at large on any public street, road, alley, park, square, or other public place, or upon any private unenclosed property within the city, shall be subject to seizure and impoundment. In accordance with § 1-2.01 of the Madera Municipal Code, any second or subsequent violation of this section within a period of 18 months of a prior conviction of this offense shall be a misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2024 S-50: Current through Ordinance 1010 C.S., passed 6-5-24).
Full Breakdown
28 makes it unlawful for any dog owner or handler to offer, allow or permit a dog to run, be, or remain at large on a public street, road, alley, park, square or other public place, or on any private unenclosed property within Madera. The section defines running at large broadly: a dog is deemed at large unless it is tied or restrained by a chain, strap or cord attached to its collar and actually held by a person, restrained inside an automobile or other vehicle, or staked or fastened in place.
There's no exception for a dog that simply wanders onto an unfenced yard; the unenclosed-property language reaches beyond streets and parks into private lots that lack a fence. 22 separately requires dogs in heat and puppies under four months to stay confined to their owner's premises. 02 layers on additional detail: a dog on its own owner's premises but loose outside an enclosure, with no one responding to a knock or door buzzer, can still be treated as at large, though the definition exempts dogs in an obedience class, at a show, or on a bona fide hunt while under a handler's immediate control.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of Section 5-1.28 results in seizure, impoundment and redemption fees before the owner can reclaim the dog. Under Section 1-2.01 of the Madera Municipal Code, a second or subsequent at-large violation within 18 months of a prior conviction is charged as a misdemeanor rather than the citation given for a first offense, on top of the impoundment costs already owed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dogs have to be leashed in Madera?
What happens if a loose dog is caught in Madera?
Is a second leash-law violation treated differently in Madera?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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