Sioux City Municipal Code Title 7 (Animals) prohibits animals from running at large, with City Code 7.03.020 requiring that dogs off the owner's property be on a leash and under the handler's control. Pet licensing is administered by the Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center; every dog and cat must be licensed annually and current on rabies vaccination. Off-leash and at-large violations are enforced by Sioux City Animal Control under contract with the City.
Sioux City's leash rule sits in Title 7, Chapter 7.03 of the Municipal Code at https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/siouxcity-ia/. Section 7.03.020 makes it unlawful to allow any animal to be at large on public property or on the private property of others, and dogs off the owner's premises must be controlled by a leash, cord, or chain not exceeding six feet in length. Designated off-leash areas — currently including Stone Park's dog park — are exempt. The City requires annual licensing of every dog and cat through the Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center at 3505 Line Drive (https://www.sioux-city.org/government/departments-a-f/animal-control, (712) 279-6968); proof of current rabies vaccination is required at licensing. Iowa state law at Iowa Code Chapter 351 (Dogs and Other Animals) requires rabies vaccination and authorizes municipalities to license and impound stray dogs; Iowa Code Section 351.28 allows recovery of damages from owners of dogs that injure people or property. Iowa Code Chapter 717B addresses animal cruelty including tethering conditions. Loose-dog complaints inside Sioux City are routed to Animal Control through the non-emergency police line; impounded animals are held at the Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center, which serves as the City's primary shelter and adoption agency.
At-large and off-leash violations under Sioux City Title 7 are municipal infractions with fines typically starting at $65 to $100 per occurrence plus impoundment and reclaim fees if Animal Control picks up the dog. Reclaim fees scale with whether the dog is licensed and vaccinated. Failure to license a dog or cat is a separate civil penalty. Repeat off-leash incidents that result in bites can trigger dangerous-dog proceedings and stricter confinement orders under Title 7.
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