What Fort Worth law says about keeping your dog on a leash in the city
Editor’s note: The above video is from 2023.
You come home from work and decide to go for an outside walk with your dog.
While getting ready to go, you can’t seem to find the leash for your furry friend. You search online if it’s OK to have your dog off a leash and see that there’s no clear statewide “leash law,” but there are local ordinance that some Texas cities have in place.
Fort Worth is one of those cities with a leash ordinance. Here’s what that means.
Does your dog have to be on a leash while outside in Fort Worth?
Yes, a dog must be on a leash and accompanied by its owner at all times while off property, according to Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
“When a dog is being walked or with its owner off its property, the dog must be on a leash and accompanied by the owner at all times,” the city department wrote online. “If the dog is without a leash or not accompanied by the owner, it is considered unrestrained and is in violation of the restraint ordinance.”
As for cats, they must remain within the boundaries of the owner’s property, according to Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
Do dogs have to be leashed while on an owner’s property?
No, as long as the dog is “securely enclosed or confined to its owner’s yard by a physical fence in a manner that will isolate the animal from the public and from other animals,” the city said.
All dogs must be behind an enclosure that’s at least 48 inches, and “declared aggressive” dogs have to behind an enclosure of 60 inches. The city also recommends 60 inch enclosures for large breed dogs and dogs that have climbing capabilities.
The enclosure has to be made of any of the following: brick, block, chain link, wrought iron, welded wire or wood stockade.
If the dog doesn’t have a leash or isn’t accompanied by its owner, then it’s considered unrestrained and in violation of the restraint ordinance, according to Fort Worth Animal Care and Control.
It’s illegal in Texas to use weights or chains to restrain you unattended dog.
What classifies as a ‘dangerous dog’ in Fort Worth?
Fort Worth Animal Care and Control defines a dangerous dog as follows:
A dog that “makes an unprovoked attack on a person or other animal that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept.”
Furthermore, the city said a dog is also considered dangerous if it commits “unprovoked acts in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and those acts cause a person to reasonably believe that the animal will attack and cause bodily injury to that person.”
This story was inspired by reporting from McClatchy Service Journalism Editor Kendrick Marshall.
