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

Sec. 4-35(a) makes it unlawful for a dog's owner or custodian to allow it to run at-large 'at any time during any month of any year,' a year-round standard with no seasonal exception. Subsection (b) defines at-large broadly: roaming, running, or self-hunting off the owner's property while outside the owner's or custodian's immediate control, and it specifically reaches dogs that are simply 'unconfined, unrestricted or not penned up' even if they never leave the yard unattended. A related rule targets sick animals: Sec. 4-35.1 makes it a Class 4 misdemeanor for an owner who knows a dog has a contagious or infectious disease, or is in season, to let it stray from the property.

Enforcement runs through the animal control officer under Sec. 4-36: a dog caught running at-large without its required license tag is impounded in a county-approved pound for a minimum of five days, extended to ten days if the dog is wearing a collar, tag, tattoo, or other identification, so the pound can try to locate the owner. The pound must attempt to notify an identifiable owner within 48 hours. An owner who reclaims the dog pays the actual impoundment costs, and Sec. 4-34(b) sets a baseline keep fee of $5.00 per day or part of a day.

A dog never claimed once the holding period expires is deemed abandoned and becomes county property. Because Chapter 4 does not set its own penalty for Sec. 4-35 itself, Sec. 4-1's default applies: any violation not otherwise specified is a Class 4 misdemeanor.