Davidson County, NC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

05. A dog or other animal is at large the moment it leaves its owner's property while not under restraint, and restraint has only four legal forms: a chain, leash or similar device, confinement inside or on a parked or moving vehicle, a secure enclosure, or the owner's own dwelling. 05(A)-(B), it is unlawful for an owner to keep an animal so that it becomes a nuisance, and the ordinance specifically lists 'allowing an animal to create a danger to the public while running at large' as an unlawful nuisance act, alongside property damage and chasing, snapping at, or attacking pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, or other animals.

03 and staffed by Animal Control Officers and Law Enforcement Officers, enforces the chapter countywide alongside the state Rules for the Control of Rabies within Davidson County. Citations are payable at the Davidson County Finance Department within 30 days, and civil penalties escalate with repeat violations rather than staying flat for every offense. An owner who disputes a citation must appeal in writing to the County Manager within 25 days of issuance; the County Manager personally hears the appeal or assigns a hearing officer, the Sheriff's Department presents its evidence against the appellant, who carries the burden of proof, and if the citation is upheld the owner gets five more business days to pay.