Ocala, FL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 46-185 sits in Chapter 46's Article IV conduct rules for city parks and recreation areas, right after the noise provision and just before the aircraft and littering sections. It prohibits any person from bringing, being responsible for bringing, or allowing to remain in a park or park area any unleashed dog, cat, or other animal in that person's possession, custody, or control, unless the director authorizes otherwise, and it expressly adds that nothing in the section should be read as permitting dogs to run at large.

The cross-reference at the end of the section points to Chapter 14, Animal Control, for the broader animal rules; Chapter 14 in turn adopts, by reference, the "Animal Control and Enforcement" provisions of the Marion County Code as amended, as the city's own animal control and enforcement law under § 14-1. That means the printed citywide leash, licensing, and at-large rules for Ocala are the county's provisions incorporated by reference, while § 46-185 is the standalone, park-specific leash rule that appears directly in the city's own code text.

Enforcement of § 46-185 on park grounds runs through police department officers and recreation and parks employees under § 46-3, which makes violating any chapter 46 requirement, or disobeying a lawful order from those officers, unlawful. Because chapter 46 sets no specific fine for § 46-185, a violation defaults to the citywide general penalty at § 1-9: up to a $500.00 fine, up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, with each continuing day counted as a separate offense.