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

Tulare County Ordinance Code Section 4-07-5000 ("Dogs at Large") governs leashing in the unincorporated county. It states that no person shall permit a dog to stray from private property owned or legally possessed by the owner or custodian unless the dog is restrained by a leash or lead not exceeding eight feet in length. The code lists specific exceptions: a dog assisting a peace officer in law-enforcement duties or in a search-and-rescue effort requested by law enforcement; a dog enrolled in and actually participating in a training or obedience course, exhibition, or competition with the grounds operator's permission; a dog assisting in the herding or control of livestock; a dog accompanying and under the direction of a person lawfully hunting; and a dog contained within a legally designated leash-free park or enclosure. Tulare County Animal Services enforces these rules in unincorporated areas and in some contracting cities. A separate provision, Section 4-07-5010, makes the owner of a dog running at large that causes injury guilty of a misdemeanor. The leash rule was added by Ordinance No. 3557, effective May 30, 2019.