Ouachita Parish, LA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 3-43 of the Ouachita Parish animal control ordinance declares all of the unincorporated areas of Ouachita Parish a dog control zone. Within that zone, Section 3-43(b) makes it unlawful for an owner or keeper to cause, permit or allow his or her dog to run, stray or otherwise be away from the premises of the owner or keeper and to be on public property or the private property of another without permission, unless the dog is under control by means of a leash. 'Under control' is defined in Section 3-42 as the owner or keeper restraining the dog to their immediate proximity by leash, preventing it from trespassing or chasing people, animals or vehicles.

Section 3-43(c) exempts dogs actively engaged in sheriff's office search-and-rescue missions, lawful herding of farm animals, sanctioned animal competitions, lawful hunting, related training, and supervised obedience training. A dog running loose also has to be identifiable: Section 3-44 requires every dog over six months old in the unincorporated parish to wear a rabies tag or nameplate, and an unidentified dog at large is deemed a nuisance subject to impoundment. Enforcement falls to the Ouachita Parish animal control authority, and violations of the leash requirement are separately classified as nuisance infractions under Section 3-45(1).