Winter Haven, FL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 4-26 requires that 'all dogs shall be kept under restraint' and makes an owner responsible for exercising proper care and control to prevent the animal from becoming a public nuisance under Section 4-5, which separately lists being 'repeatedly at large' as a nuisance condition. ' The definition includes a narrow exception for specifically trained or hunting animals that immediately respond to voice or aural commands, but only if the handler stays within unobstructed sight and hearing of the animal at all times; an off-leash dog merely nearby its owner does not qualify.

Section 4-26(b) adds a second layer for breeding control: every female dog or cat in season must be confined to a building or secure enclosure so it cannot contact another animal except for planned breeding. Section 4-26(c) is stricter still for any animal the owner knows to be vicious, defined in Section 4-1 as one that constitutes a physical threat to humans or other animals: a vicious animal must be confined within a building or secure enclosure at home and muzzled or caged whenever it leaves the property.

Enforcement runs through the officers and agencies the city commission designates under Section 4-6, historically Polk County Animal Control under the city's Resolution No. R-89-13 adopting Polk County Animal Control Ordinance No. 85-01.