Monterey Park, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Monterey Park Municipal Code § 12.04.020, part of Chapter 12.04 (Prohibited Conduct) in Title 12, Parks and Recreation, singles dogs out from the general animal ban that applies within the limits of any park or recreation center in the city: they are the one animal allowed inside, and only while restrained on a leash of six feet or less. Every other animal, from horses and goats to cats and fowl, is excluded unless the recreation and parks department grants a special exhibition permit under the same chapter.

This section governs conduct specifically on city park and recreation center grounds, such as Barnes Park, Garvey Ranch Park, and Sierra Vista Park; citywide dog control outside of parks runs through the Los Angeles County Animal Code that Monterey Park incorporates by reference at Title 8, Chapter 8.14, and is enforced through the Monterey Park Police Department under the definitions that chapter substitutes ('department' and 'director' both mean the police department or police chief). Chapter 12.04 sits alongside other park-conduct rules, including a 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. park closure (7 p.m. at Beth Ryan Park) and a ban on unpermitted campfires and fireworks, all enforced the same way. Because Chapter 12.04 is not among the sections Title 4.10 designates as infractions, a leash violation defaults to the code's general misdemeanor classification.