Walton County, GA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

The Animal Control Unit created under Section 10-2 enforces both provisions together. 'Animal at large' is defined in Section 10-1 as 'any animal found loose and not under proper restraint off of the property of its owner,' and 'animal under restraint' means the animal is confined within the owner's property, secured by a leash attached to a proper collar or harness and held by a competent person, at heel and obedient to commands, or riding in a vehicle. A leash alone is not automatically compliant: Section 10-1 also defines 'proper collar or harness' to exclude rope, cable, chain or wire, and Section 10-19(e) separately regulates tethering, capping any tether's weight at five percent of the dog's body weight and banning prong, choke or pinch collars on a tethered animal.

Section 10-3 creates strict liability, meaning the county does not need to show the owner knew the animal had gotten loose, only that it was at large. Animal control officers may impound any animal found at large under Section 10-6(f)(1), and a dog picked up loose may be held for 72 hours if untagged or 168 hours if it carries a current tag or microchip before it is deemed abandoned under Section 10-7(b). Hunting dogs working under state game and fish rules are exempt from the restraint definition while actively hunting.