Leash Law Enforcement

Jannie L. Blackwell, Third District City Council Representative

Lewis C. Wendell, Executive Director University City District

Carmen I. Paris, Interim Health Commissioner Department of Public Health

We, the undersigned, would like the leash laws enforced in all public areas of University City, Philadelphia Third District.

The present lack of enforcement has resulted in many public, multi-use areas becoming de facto single-use dog parks. Off-leash dogs have become a public health and safety concern and we would like our public representatives to enforce existing legislation, protecting area residents.



The Philadelphia Code and Charter states the following:

Chapter 10-100, Animals

10-104 (Animals Running at Large and Vicious Animals*)

(1) No person shall permit any animal other than a cat to go at large upon any street, public place or private property other than the property of the owner of the animal. All animals using any street, public place or private property of anyone other than the owner of the animal shall be on a leash not exceeding six (6) feet in length including the handgrip but excluding the collar and accompanied by a person able to fully control the animal at all times.

Any animal running at large in violation of this ordinance shall be seized by any animal control officer or police officer and delivered to an appropriate area of confinement approved by the Department of Public Health.

(2) Any animal which is vicious may be seized by any police officer or any authorized animal control officer and may be humanely destroyed at the discretion of the Department of Public Health after a reasonable effort has been made to notify the owner.

10-105 (Animals Committing Nuisances)

(1) Where Prohibited. No person, having possession, custody or control of any animal, shall knowingly or negligently permit any dog or other animal to commit any nuisance upon any gutter, street, driveway, alley, curb or sidewalk in the City, or upon the floors or stairways of any building or place frequented by the public or used in common by the tenants, or upon the outside walls, walkways, driveways, alleys, curbs or stairways of any building abutting on a public street or park, or upon the grounds of any public park or public area, or upon any private property, including the property of the owner of such animal.

(2) Removal. Any person, other than the owner, operator or driver of horse-drawn carriages, having possession, custody or control of any dog or other animal which commits a nuisance in any area other than the private property of the owner of such dog or other animal, as prohibited in 10-102(1), shall be requuired to immediately remove the said feces from such surface and either:

(a) carry same away for disposal in a toilet; or

(b) place same in a nonleaking container for deposit in a trash or litter receptacle.

(7) Enforcement. For the purposes of enforcing the provisions of this Section, notice of violation shall be issued by police officers or any other person authorized to enforce ordinances.

Please see sections (7) (a) through (8) (c) for Enforcement and Penalties.



* Vicious animal defined in 10-100 as:

(14) Vicious Animal. Shall mean any animal except a government-owned animal used for law enforcement which poses an imminent danger to humans or to domesticated animals, or which has been found by the Department of Public Health or an animal control agent to have a history of bites or attacks on humans or domesticated animals.

For the full text:

www.phila.gov/philacode/html/_data/title10/chapter_10_100_animals