Rockingham County, VA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Geographic scope
- Anywhere in the county, not just roads
- Definition of at large
- Off owner's property, no immediate control
- Who may seize
- Any law-enforcement or animal control officer
- Where dogs are delivered
- County's contracted custodial organization
- Complaint process
- Officer must investigate before seizure
Summary
Rockingham County makes it unlawful for a dog's owner to let the dog run at large anywhere in the county, defined as roaming off the owner's property without being under the owner's or custodian's immediate control. Any law-enforcement or animal control officer may seize an offending dog on sight and deliver it to the county's contracted custodial organization.
Running at large. ... A dog shall be deemed to be running at large while roaming, running or self-hunting off the property of its owner or custodian, and not under its owner's or custodian's immediate control. ... It shall be unlawful for the owner of any d ... og to allow such dog to run at large within the county. ... Any law-enforcement officer, including, but not limited to, an animal control officer, may take custody of any dog found to be running at large within the county in violation of the provisions of this division, and deliver such dog to the custodial organization under contract with the county to receive stray dogs.
Full Breakdown
Section 4-18, opening Division 2's 'Running at Large' rules, is broader in geography than the roads-only rule that applies to animals generally: it is unlawful for a dog's owner to allow the dog to run at large anywhere in the county, not just on roadways. Section 4-7 defines 'running at large' as roaming, running or self-hunting off the property of its owner or custodian while not under that owner's or custodian's immediate control, so a dog on a leash held by its owner, or confined to its own yard, does not violate the section even off a fenced boundary.
A. Sections 4-21 and 4-22 add that on a complaint of a dog running at large, the officer must investigate and, if satisfied the complaint is true, take the dog into custody and deliver it to that same custodial organization rather than acting on an anonymous tip alone. The presence of a stray dog on someone else's property does not by itself accuse that landowner of anything; the duty runs to the dog's owner.
Violations & Fines
Section 4-18 makes running at large unlawful but sets no fine within its own text; the practical consequence the code spells out is seizure under section 4-18.1 and delivery to the county's contracted custodial organization, with the dog's owner responsible for reclaiming it. An officer must investigate a complaint under section 4-22 before taking a dog into custody on that basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dogs have to be on a leash everywhere in Rockingham County?
What happens if my dog is found running loose?
Will an officer act on any complaint about a loose dog?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockingham County
Compare Rockingham County to another location·View the Virginia animal ordinances overview
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