Westminster, CO Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

' The section defines 'running at large' as an animal that is 'off the premises of the owner or custodian, not under the effective and immediate physical control of the owner or custodian by means of a leash, cord or chain of reasonable length to prevent an attack or uninvited contact by the animal upon another person or animal,' and it expressly includes animals 'chained or tied in public places or in common areas' while unattended. C. Fines scale with both repeat offenses and whether the animal is intact: a spayed or neutered animal's owner faces a $75 minimum fine for a first offense within five years, $150 for a second, and $250 (plus proof of microchipping) for a third or subsequent offense, while an intact animal's owner faces $225, $300, and $300 plus proof of microchipping and spay/neuter, respectively, and no violation may carry a fine above $500 or have its minimum suspended by the Municipal Court.

Section 6-7-5(A)(2) creates a rebuttable presumption that an unaltered animal is intact unless a veterinarian certifies the surgery would be medically unreasonable. Under subsection (A)(5), Animal Management may impound any dog found running at large, and a third violation within 12 months triggers mandatory impoundment until a dispositional hearing is held.