Placer County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Placer County Code Chapter 6 (Animals) makes it unlawful to allow any animal to run at large (Section 6.08.010(A)). The definition of 'at large' in Section 6.04.020 means an animal off the premises of its owner and not under restraint by lead, leash, or adequate enclosure. When the Board of Supervisors comprehensively revised Chapter 6 in 2011, it redefined 'dog at large' to effectively require a leash off the owner's property, carving out four exceptions: (A) a dog assisting its owner or handler in herding, guarding, or controlling livestock; (B) a dog assisting a peace officer in law-enforcement duties; (C) a dog enrolled in and actively participating in a training, obedience, exhibition, or competition event with the property owner's permission; and (D) a dog accompanying and under the direction of a person engaged in legal hunting. The County code does not set a maximum leash length for ordinary dogs; a specific six-foot leash requirement applies only to dogs that have been declared potentially dangerous or vicious (Section 6.08.050). Placer County Animal Services enforces these provisions in unincorporated areas, including dogs at large in County parks. A dog that runs at large while in heat is separately prohibited (Section 6.08.010(G)).