St. Tammany Parish, LA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 10-647 makes the owner or keeper answerable for any animal in his possession or kept about his premises. The animal cannot run loose, free or at large on any street, sidewalk, alleyway, highway, common or public square, or on unenclosed land, and it cannot trespass on enclosed or unenclosed land of another. "At large" means not under the immediate control of a competent person and restrained by a substantial chain or leash. An electronic leash that uses an electrical charge is never a substitute for a tangible chain or leash.

The duty also covers the yard. Unless an animal is inside the owner's dwelling or is being exercised or transported off the premises, every animal kept in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish must sit inside an enclosure: a fence or structure, on the boundary or not, built to keep an unattended animal inside the property lines and to block ready, unobstructed access by the general public. Invisible fencing with a charged collar counts only as a secondary restraint. A fully operational invisible fence used under the owner's direct supervision, with proper training and conditioning, is accepted as a primary enclosure, and warning signs must be posted on all sides of the yard. Animals in estrus, intact, dangerous or vicious, or that have escaped more than once or threatened or bitten a human or other animal are banned from invisible fencing. An animal that escaped more than once without threatening anyone needs the written permission of the director of animal service. The code also states that electrically charged fencing for confining companion animals or pets is not permitted.

Tethering a dog is unlawful unless the collar or harness is properly fitted and no wider than two inches, with no choke or prong collars. The tether must be at least four times the dog's nose-to-tail length, let the dog lie down with its head flat and still leave 12 inches of slack, and weigh no more than three percent of the dog's body weight. It must allow 30 feet of movement, or the dog comes off the tether at least twice a day for a minimum of 60 minutes each day. Intact dogs may not be tethered under any circumstances.

Any citizen may seize an animal found at large, and the sheriff, a constable or an animal control officer shall. The department of animal services can impound the animal or return it to the owner with a notice of violation. Hunting dogs accompanied by the owner (hounds, retrievers, spaniels, setters and pointers), show dogs and cats, community cats and working government or law enforcement animals are exempt.