Porterville, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

City Code section 5-2.24 sets the leash rule: it is unlawful for an owner or handler in lawful possession or control of a dog to walk the dog on any public place or right of way without the dog secured or tethered by a fixed length leash not exceeding six feet. The section layers on a hard numeric cap, independent of handler skill: the number of dogs walked at once cannot exceed what the handler can reasonably and safely control, and in no circumstance can it exceed three dogs.

A companion provision, section 5-2.23, separately bars letting any animal run at large on public or private property without the property owner's consent, except in a park or area designated for off-leash activity; an animal caught running at large may be seized and impounded, and the responsible person may be cited on the spot. Section 5-2.22 adds a related duty: owners may not allow an animal to habitually or repeatedly attack, chase, molest, or frighten pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, or other users of public rights of way, a provision aimed at loose or aggressive dogs near roadways.

All three sections sit in Chapter 5, Article II of the Porterville Municipal Code, enforced by the Police Department's animal control unit, which may pick up and impound animals found in violation anywhere within the incorporated city limits.