York County, PA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

A(1) of the York County Code requires every pet, animal or fowl brought into the park system to be on a tethered leash and under the handler's immediate control, and it specifically rules out voice command or an electronic device as a substitute, since the code states neither constitutes immediate control as required under the section. The only exceptions are the Canine Meadows off-leash area inside Rudy Park and any dog-training area the Department has identified, and even the training-area exception requires a valid permit.

Rudy Park's off-leash area has its own supplemental rules in § 75-33, which require dogs to be licensed, currently vaccinated, wearing identification tags and at least four months old, and to stay under the handler's immediate control even while entering and exiting Canine Meadows. A(2)-(5) bars bringing an animal onto the park system generally except designated riding areas for horses and draft animals, bans letting a dog or pet into a public building, pavilion or gazebo (service dogs excepted), and prohibits leaving a horse or other animal unattended unless securely hitched.

Subsection A(8) requires owners to clean up after their pet in designated areas, and A(13) authorizes a Park Ranger to euthanize an animal running at large that is judged a threat to public health and safety if no other means are available. Subsection B requires an owner whose pet bites a person to provide identification and health records to the Park Ranger Department within two days. Park Rangers enforce these rules under §§ 75-38 and 75-39, and a violation is a summary offense: $75 to $800 in fines plus costs and restitution, and up to 30 days in jail.