Indiana has no statewide leash law, so St. Joseph County, South Bend, and Mishawaka each require dogs restrained and set running-at-large rules. Statewide, an owner is strictly liable when their dog bites a person acting peaceably where they may lawfully be.
Leash and running-at-large rules in St. Joseph County are local. The county animal control ordinance and the South Bend and Mishawaka city codes require dogs to be leashed or confined off the owner's property, with strays impounded by St. Joseph County Animal Care and Control. There is no statewide leash law. What binds every Indiana owner is bite liability: Indiana Code 15-20-1-3 makes an owner strictly liable for all damages when their dog, without provocation, bites a person acting peaceably in a place they may lawfully be, even with no history of viciousness.
A dog running at large in violation of the local ordinance can be impounded and the owner fined. A bite triggers strict owner liability for all damages under Indiana Code 15-20-1-3.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Mishawaka's dog leash laws rules stack up against other locations.
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