Stearns County, MN Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

1 states pets "shall be attended and effectively restrained by a leash not exceeding six feet" and adds that "such pets shall not be permitted to deprive or disrupt the enjoyment or use of any area by another person," giving trail staff grounds to remove a disruptive animal even if it is leashed. The same sentence makes owners "responsible for cleaning up any droppings left by their pet," pairing the leash mandate with a cleanup duty rather than leaving waste removal voluntary. 2 separately restricts horses to "trails and other areas signed and designated for horses," so a horse is barred from general-purpose trail segments that lack horse signage, unlike a leashed dog which the ordinance allows on any trail.

The six-foot cap is stricter than a simple "leash required" rule because it fixes a maximum length, which the Director and Sheriff can measure against when checking compliance. This trail-specific leash duty exists alongside, not instead of, any separate county animal-control ordinance governing dogs at large outside trail property; Ordinance 594's reach under Minn. Stat. Secs. 35 covers only the County Recreational Trail system itself.