Woodbridge, NJ Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- At-large ban
- no dog, cat may run at large
- Leash requirement
- required on streets, public places
- Minder requirement
- must be 16+ and capable
- Impoundment triggers
- strays, untagged, at-large dogs
- Holding period
- 7 days, then possible destruction
Summary
Woodbridge bans letting any dog run at large and requires that any dog on a public street or in a public place be on a leash and accompanied by someone at least sixteen years old who can control it. The rule under §§ 11-5.1 and 11-5.2 applies to cats and other domestic animals too, and violators face the penalty set in § 11-5.12.
§ 11-5.1. Running at Large Prohibited. No owner shall permit or allow any dog, cat or domestic animal to run at large. § 11-5.2. Animals to Be Controlled By Capable Person. No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog, cat or other domestic animal shall suffer or permit it to be upon public streets or in any public place of the Township, unless such dog, cat or other domestic animal is on a leash and accompanied by its owner or other person, sixteen (16) years or older, capable of controlling the dog, cat or other domestic animal.
Full Breakdown
1 of the Woodbridge Code states plainly that no owner shall permit or allow any dog, cat or domestic animal to run at large. 2 fills in what being controlled means off the owner's own property: no person owning, keeping or harboring any dog, cat or other domestic animal may allow it upon public streets or in any public place of the Township unless it is on a leash and accompanied by its owner or another person, sixteen years or older, capable of controlling it.
Together the two sections mean an unleashed dog anywhere in public, even briefly, is a violation regardless of temperament, and the minder must be at least sixteen. 1, and officers may enter private property in immediate pursuit unless the owner is present and objects. 9. An editor's note cross-references the Township's separate noise nuisance chapter, § 3-8, for barking complaints rather than the at-large rule.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Chapter 11's leash and at-large provisions is punishable under § 11-5.12 by the general penalty fixed in § 1-5 of the Revised General Provisions. A dog seized off-premises without a visible, current registration tag can be impounded on the spot, and an unclaimed, unlicensed dog held seven days after written notice is subject to humane destruction under § 11-5.9.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the leash law in Woodbridge apply to cats too?
Who can legally walk my dog under Woodbridge's leash rule?
What happens if Woodbridge Animal Control picks up my at-large dog?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodbridge
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Dog Leash Laws in Nearby Cities
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