Leash Law Conversation Highlights City Council Meeting
Vol. III, No. 289 - Police Department Briefs Council on City's Leash Laws
The most noteworthy part of the March 16th meeting of Troy City Council didn’t come from anything on the agenda, it came from the comment period after. And those comments weren’t from a resident, it was from one of the city’s police officers.
Captain Dominic Burnside of the Troy Police Department walked council through how the city currently enforces its animal rules, especially when it comes to loose dogs.
What Troy’s Law Really Says
Troy does not have a single, one‑line “leash law.” Instead, it relies on two connected sections of the Code of Ordinances.
First, the city’s general “animals at large” rules are in Section 505.01, which covers cats, dogs, and other animals. In plain English, it says:
Owners or people in charge of animals “shall [not] permit them to run at large upon any public place, or upon any unenclosed lands or upon the premises of another.”
For dogs and cats, the owner must either keep the animal confined on their property or “under reasonable control of some person.”
If an animal is found running loose in those places, that is prima facie evidence of a violation, and it is a minor misdemeanor.
Second, parks have an added layer of rules in Section 933.13.
Dogs are not allowed in city parks or playgrounds unless they are with an owner or designee and are leashed or in a crate. (Though unwritten in the Code of Ordinances, unleashed dogs are allowed at the enclosed Dog Park at Duke Park)
No animals may run at large in parks; violators can be impounded and cited.
Section 505.02 then authorizes the Police Department to impound animals found in violation of 505.01 and outlines how owners are notified and how animals are reclaimed.
That framework drives how officers respond. Captain Burnside explained that if a dog leaves private property, ends up on the sidewalk, and is no longer under a person’s control, it is “at large” under Troy’s law—even if the owner says the dog is “usually friendly.”
In a real‑world scenario, where a leashed dog on a sidewalk is attacked by a dog that bolts from a nearby house, that second dog is clearly “at large” once it reaches the sidewalk, and the owner is responsible.
How Often the City Uses It
Captain Burnside shared numbers that tell a consistent story: calls are frequent; citations are not. In 2025, Troy officers handled more than 400 animal‑related complaints and only about 30 of those complaints resulted in citations, most for “animals at large.”
Among those 30:
Several involved dogs escaping fenced or unfenced yards, or slipping out of a residence.
A smaller share involved dogs that were not under leash control or where the leash status was not clear in the report.
Twelve involved scratches or bites to people
Ten dogs attacked other dogs, or were dogs simply running loose.
The practical approach is consistent. Officers focus first on containment and reunification: secure the animal, locate the owner, check licenses and vaccinations, return the dog if possible, and reserve citations for repeat or serious problems.
Captain Burnside reminded the council that residents who encounter an animal running at large can call 911 or the non‑emergency line (937-440-9911) to dispatch a officer. If it is safe and the dog is tagged, individuals can use the Miami County dog license lookup (www.doglicenses.us) to help identify an owner.
Policy Questions Put Foward
Where this moved beyond a community briefing was in the questions from Council Members Hickman and Severt. Notably, the council members asked Captain Burnside to connect the code to what residents see: unleashed dogs crossing property lines, conflicts on sidewalks, and frustration from people who might believe the standard is too loose.
The underlying policy question was straightforward:
If council moved toward a broader, citywide leash requirement in public spaces—beyond the existing park rules—would enforcement still be mostly complaint‑driven, or would officers be expected to proactively stop and cite people walking unleashed dogs?
Would such a rule create an expectation the department cannot realistically meet, or would it clarify the standard for everyone?
To his credit, Captain Burnside did not advocate for or against a stricter rule. He said a broader leash requirement would not change how dispatch handles calls; officers would still respond to complaints and apply whatever standard council writes into the code. Any shift toward more proactive enforcement, or a tighter definition of “reasonable control,” would need more discussion with the law director and administration.
Why This Matters Locally
This exchange surfaced a familiar tension in Troy’s approach to public safety: the city is trying to line up expectations for safety, comfort, and basic courtesy with what can be fairly and consistently enforced on the street.
Right now, the system is education‑first and complaint‑driven, with relatively few citations compared to the volume of calls, but the fact that this presentation happened must signal that there are messages from residents who want sharper lines—especially when leashed dogs, children, and pedestrians are involved.
For residents who care about how tightly Troy regulates dogs in public spaces, this is a moment worth noticing. Council has not drafted new legislation yet, but the questions raised a signal that a broader leash requirement—or at least a clearer standard for what “under reasonable control” means—may be the next step in this conversation.
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