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Medina, OH Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Leash trigger
Required once dog leaves owner's premises
Female dog in heat
Must be leashed beyond premises
First offense
Minor misdemeanor
Impound fee
$3.00 apprehension + $1.00/day board
Impound hold
At least 5 days

Summary

Medina bars owners from letting a dog run at large or leave its owner's premises unleashed. A dog must stay confined, in a suitable conveyance, or under a responsible person's control off its own property, and a female dog in heat must be kept leashed at all times.

(b) No person being the owner of or having charge of any dog, whether wearing a registration tag or not, shall permit it to run at large upon any public place or upon the premises of another. ... The owner or keeper of every dog shall at all times keep such dog either confined upon the premises of the owner or keeper, or under reasonable control of some person. ... (d) No owner or keeper of a dog shall permit such dog to leave the premises of the owner or keeper, except on a leash, in a suitable conveyance or container and under the control of a responsible person. ... (e) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025-01: Local legislation current through June 24, 2025 | State legislation current through December 31, 2024).

Full Breakdown

01 makes it unlawful for an owner or keeper to let cattle, sheep, geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens, other fowl, or a dog run at large on any public place, unenclosed land, or another person's premises. Subsection (b) requires every dog owner to keep the animal confined on the owner's premises or under reasonable control of a person at all times, and bars a female dog in heat from leaving the premises unless properly leashed. A 1964 amendment, subsection (d), tightens this further: a dog may only leave the owner's or keeper's premises on a leash, in a suitable conveyance or container, and under the control of a responsible person.

Subsection (c) makes an animal's presence at large in a prohibited place prima-facie evidence of a violation, shifting the practical burden to the owner to explain how the dog got loose. 00 per day of board to reclaim it. Dogs wearing a valid county tag are not impounded on a first at-large finding, but a second offense triggers a warrant for the owner's arrest. C. 16.

Violations & Fines

A first at-large or unleashed-dog violation of § 505.01 is a minor misdemeanor under Ohio R.C. 955.99(A), typically a fine with no jail exposure. Beyond the criminal citation, the dog warden may impound the animal; reclaiming it within the five-day hold costs a $3.00 apprehension fee plus $1.00 per day of boarding, paid at the Police Department. A dog not redeemed within five days can be sold or disposed of under state law.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my dog be off-leash in my own Medina yard?
Yes. Section 505.01 only requires a leash, carrier, or a responsible person's control once the dog leaves your premises. On your own property the dog just needs to be confined or under reasonable control, so a fenced yard or supervised time outside satisfies the law without a leash.
What happens if Medina's dog warden picks up my dog?
The warden holds the dog at least five days. If it wears a current Medina County license and there is contact information, the warden notifies you rather than impounding on a first offense. Otherwise, you reclaim the dog at the Police Department by paying a $3.00 apprehension fee plus $1.00 for each day of boarding.
Is a female dog in heat treated differently under Medina's law?
Yes. Section 505.01(b) singles out female dogs in heat, barring them from leaving the owner's or keeper's premises at all unless properly on a leash, a stricter standard than the general confinement-or-control rule that applies to other dogs on the property.

Sources & Official References

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