Montgomery, AL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Sec. 4-13(a) makes it unlawful for a dog owner or keeper to allow a dog to run at large in the city. A dog is running at large if it is not under the control of the owner and not confined within a fence, wall or enclosure that effectively prevents it from reaching public property or another's private property, not on a leash of six feet or less secured by a collar or harness with swivel connections, or not enclosed in a vehicle. Lack of the owner's knowledge or consent is expressly no defense.

Subsection (b) separately regulates tethering as a primary containment method: only one dog per device, no unattended tethering of puppies under six months, a properly fitted collar or harness (never a choke, pinch or prong collar) attached to the cable, a swivel on both ends, and an overhead run set at least four and no more than ten feet off the ground with a cable long enough to reach shelter, food and water without leaving the owner's property. Tethering is banned outright during a severe-weather warning issued by the National Weather Service and whenever the dog would face dangerous conditions like attack, taunting or harassment.

Enforcement runs through the animal control unit, which may capture and impound a dog found running at large or in violation of the tethering rules; the shelter holds it up to five days, and a diseased, injured or apparently wild dog can be humanely destroyed within that window with joint approval of the shelter director, animal control supervisor and a licensed veterinarian. 00 per day of housing.