Jul 25

Jul 25 Attention dog owners: Rochester's new pet leash ordinance now in effect

Rochester's new pet leash ordinance went into effect on Saturday.

Under the new rules, dogs owners are required to keep their canine friends on 10-foot leashes when within 25 feet of:

Organized events (like concerts and sporting events)
Playgrounds
Public picnic tables and benches

Dogs also need to be kept on a leash when within a 25-foot trail corridor centered on any maintained trail, plus all public sidewalks.

The ordinance still allows dogs to be off a leash in sports parks, just not when events are taking place. Quarry Hill Park — with the exception of an unimproved field in the southwest corner — is the only city park where dogs will need to be leashed at all times.

Rochester's two dog parks are not affected by the rule changes.

A little off leash fun with the pack today. #rochmn #offleash #dogtraining #gooddogcamp pic.twitter.com/w5F1TwGBV8
— Annalissa (@gooddogcamp) June 24, 2015

Just like the previous ordinance, a dog needs to be under verbal control of its owner when off leash. The animal must always return to the owner within two commands.

Learn more about the new ordinance by watching the clip below from our recent interview with Park & Recreation Director Paul Widman. The full interview will be published on Sunday.