Sandy, UT Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Sandy City Code § 12-1-2 defines 'at large,' when used of an animal, as any domesticated animal not under restraint by leash or other means of direct physical control, and defines 'leash or lead' as any tether, chain, rope or similar implement used to restrain an animal. Building on that definition, § 12-1-11 flatly prohibits a custodian from allowing an animal to run at large at any time, and imposes strict liability: a custodian found with an animal at large is liable regardless of the precautions taken to prevent escape and regardless of whether the custodian even knew the animal was loose.

The Animal Services Division enforces the section, and penalties escalate on repeat: the first violation is an infraction, while a second or subsequent offense is a Class C misdemeanor. The leash duty compounds with other chapter provisions: § 12-1-13 separately requires a female animal in heat to be constantly confined, not merely restrained, to prevent contact with unneutered males, and § 12-1-16 treats an animal that attacks, bites, chases, or 'worries' a person or another animal while unconfined or untethered as a strict-liability violation for its custodian, with mitigating factors like provocation or reasonable confinement efforts considered only at sentencing.

Sandy amended the at-large section as recently as Ordinance 25-18 on July 15, 2025, underscoring active enforcement interest, and animals impounded for running at large are processed under the chapter's separate impoundment and redemption sections, §§ 12-1-21 through 12-1-24.