Springfield, OR Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Springfield defines 'leash' as a rope, leather strap, chain or other sturdy material no longer than eight feet, held in the hand of a person capable of controlling the animal at the other end. A dog is only excused from the leash rule inside a Willamalane Park and Recreation District dog-off-leash area, and even there the exemption ends the moment the dog causes personal injury or property damage off the owner's premises. Section 5.402 also strips the off-leash exemption from any dog already identified as a vicious dog under Section 5.456 or placed under bite quarantine under Section 5.452, so a dog with either history must stay leashed everywhere in the city.

Section 5.404 caps residential lots at three adult dogs plus offspring under four months old. A keeper who lets a dog run at large and chase or injure livestock faces a separate Class C misdemeanor under Section 5.448, on top of the base at-large violation. The Springfield Police Department and the city's contracted animal control authority enforce Section 5.418; an officer who catches a dog at large may impound it under Section 5.474, and a keeper who refuses to surrender an impounded dog on lawful demand commits a further violation under Section 5.470.

Every base at-large citation is punishable under Section 1.205 with a fine capped at $720.00, and the city attorney's and prosecutor's offices are authorized to seek injunctions against repeat offenders under Section 5.474(3). The rule applies inside Springfield's corporate limits only; Eugene across the river and unincorporated Lane County enforce their own separate leash ordinances.