Fresno County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Fresno County Code Section 9.04.250, "Running at large," makes it unlawful, in the unincorporated areas of the county, for any person to permit a dog owned by him or in his possession to be off the property of the owner or possessor thereof unless the dog is on a leash, is otherwise under the immediate control of the owner or possessor, or is located with the owner or possessor in a designated dog park approved by the county board of supervisors. The "at large" definition in Section 9.04.010(B) reaches further than an open gate: a dog is also considered at large while still on its owner's property if there is no fence or adequate enclosure sufficient to prevent it from getting in or out, or if it is not under the immediate presence of its owner.

Any dog found running at large in the unincorporated area may be taken up by any person, not just an officer, and impounded at the county shelter under Section 9.04.260, then disposed of or redeemed under the chapter's general impoundment sections. A female dog in heat that strays or runs at large faces an extra restriction under Section 9.04.180: she can only be redeemed after a ten-day hold, on top of the usual fees. Dogs that habitually attack, worry or bark at pedestrians, vehicles or other highway users while at large face a separate citation under Section 9.04.200, and a dog on livestock or poultry property without its owner can be seized, and in some cases killed, under Section 9.04.230.