Newton County, GA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Sec. 8-137, Article VI, sets the county's confinement rule: owners must confine animals within an adequate fence or enclosure, or in a house, garage or other building, adequate to prevent the animal from running at-large. When a dog leaves its owner's premises it must be controlled by leash, but the leash is not required if the dog stays within sight of its owner and immediately heeds the owner's verbal commands, letting a well-trained dog walk off-leash under direct voice control. A dog riding in a moving vehicle must be confined inside the vehicle or securely tethered or kenneled in the back rather than loose.

Owners must also prevent their animals from becoming a danger to people or property anywhere, or from trespassing on someone else's property without permission. Separately, it is unlawful to allow dogs, horses, or any other animal, livestock or fowl to run at-large or become a menace or nuisance to neighbors or the public, and any animal violating this article is subject to impoundment by animal control. Sec. 8-137(g) additionally bars bringing a dog or cat into any food store, restaurant or place where food is sold, with narrow exceptions for animals trained to assist people with disabilities and law enforcement animals.

This confinement duty layers on top of the general nuisance provisions in Sec. 8-134, which separately treats excessive barking, uncollected excrement and unprovoked attacks off the owner's property as nuisances subject to abatement.