Santa Ana, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Santa Ana Municipal Code § 5-58 requires that all dogs be confined within a yard or other enclosure except when off the owner's property under the leash rule. Subsection (b) bars any dog on a public street or public place unless it wears a collar and current city license tag and is controlled by a leash strong enough to support at least 40 pounds of dead weight and no longer than 8 feet, a chain or retractable leash that fails either spec does not satisfy the ordinance.

The same subsection bars letting a dog trespass onto private property without the owner's consent. Subsection (d) adds a stricter rule for unspayed females in heat or breeding condition: they cannot be at large, on a leash, tied, or kept anywhere that is not securely fenced against other dogs entering, and a female kept in violation is declared a public nuisance subject to impoundment at the county pound in addition to any fine. Violations of subsections (a) or (b) are misdemeanors carrying a minimum $50 fine on a first conviction, $75 on a second conviction within one year, and $150 on a third within one year of two priors, each capped at the general misdemeanor maximum.

Violations of subsection (d) carry the identical fine ladder. Enforcement runs through the city's animal control officer: under § 5-60, any two unrelated residents over 18 can file a signed written nonrestraint complaint citing § 5-58, and under § 5-61 the officer investigates and may pursue a criminal complaint, with the dog owner entitled to submit a written response before the file closes.