Sandoval County, NM Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Core rule
- No animal may run at large
- Governing sections
- §§ 4-7, 4-9(a)
- Working dog exception
- Herding, SAR, hunting, show dogs while working
- Impoundment
- At-large animals taken up and impounded
- Max fine
- $300 per day (§ 1-3)
Summary
Dog owners in unincorporated Sandoval County must keep animals under control at all times. Code § 4-9(a) bars any animal from running at large on streets, sidewalks, or private property without permission, and § 4-7 separately requires every dog to stay on its owner's premises or under the owner's control.
(a)Animals running at large. It is unlawful for any person to allow or permit any animal to run at large in or on any street, alley, sidewalk, vacant lot, public property, other unenclosed place in the county; or private property without the permission of the owner thereof. Any animal permitted to run at large in violation of this section is declared to be a nuisance, a menace to the public health and safety, and shall be taken up and impounded. A working dog performing such acts as herding or search and rescue under the control and supervision of owner/handler shall not be considered as unleashed while performing these duties. A hunting, obedience, tracking or show dog shall not be considered unleashed while performing in the above capacities. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to livestock.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
' An animal caught running loose 'is declared to be a nuisance, a menace to the public health and safety, and shall be taken up and impounded' by the county's animal control officers. ' The at-large ban carries narrow, activity-specific exceptions rather than a blanket working-dog carve-out: a herding or search-and-rescue dog under its handler's control, and a hunting, obedience, tracking, or show dog actively performing those functions, are not considered unleashed while doing that specific work. Livestock is excluded from § 4-9(a) entirely. Once impounded under § 4-4, an owner reclaiming the animal must pay a boarding or impoundment fee set by the county manager 'based upon actual cost,' and the animal control officer keeps a record of the description, acquisition, and impoundment details for every animal taken in.
Violations & Fines
Letting a dog run at large violates § 4-9(a) and § 4-7 alike, and both fall under the Code's general penalty in § 1-3: a fine up to $300.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of the animal's continued at-large status a separate offense. Impounded animals are held under § 4-4 until the owner pays the county's cost-based redemption fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to leash my dog in unincorporated Sandoval County?
What happens to a dog caught running loose?
Are working or hunting dogs exempt from the leash rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sandoval County
Compare Sandoval County to another location·View the New Mexico animal ordinances overview
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