Queen Anne's County, MD Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 9-17 of the Queen Anne's County Code prohibits animals at large. An animal is at large when it is off the property of its owner or custodian without being under restraint. For a domestic animal, under restraint means one of three things: secured by a leash or lead; under the effective control of its owner, custodian, or other responsible person, at heel and directly beside, by way of training of the animal and handler; or within a vehicle being driven, standing, or parked in a manner that does not endanger the animal's health or safety. Unattended or domesticated livestock are under restraint only when confined within a fence or enclosure of suitable material capable of holding the animal.

Four situations fall outside the rule: an animal at large with a person in immediate pursuit, an animal unrestrained in a permitted or appropriate area, community cats, and an animal in supervised obedience training or hunting in an authorized area under a competent person.

Place rules sit on top. An animal cannot be on school grounds on a day when school is in session without the permission of the proper authority, and it cannot be on any County property that is properly posted against such animals. Anyone who observes an animal at large must report it to the Animal Control Office, and a person who takes custody of one must surrender it to the Animal Control Office or the Animal Services Center. An Animal Control Officer can pursue an animal at large on public or private property.

Repeated escapes carry more weight. Being repeatedly at large is a public nuisance behavior under § 9-19. Officers can seize and impound an animal if they witnessed the conduct or if the owner was found in violation within the past 12 consecutive months for the same offense. An impounded domestic animal is kept for not fewer than seven days unless redeemed, and redemption requires evidence of a current rabies vaccination and a valid county registration (§ 9-23). On public property, the handler must immediately remove and dispose of solid waste in a sanitary manner (§ 9-18).