Macedonia adopts 20-foot leash requirement for dogs; council emphasizes officer discretion

Macedonia City Council on Sept. 11 approved Ordinance 40 (2025), amending city code to require dogs to be restrained by a leash no longer than 20 feet when off their owner’s premises.

Supporters said the rule aligns the city with common practice in municipalities of similar size and is intended to protect people, pets and property. Council and police leaders stressed the ordinance is not intended to criminalize routine, low‑risk behavior such as a leash stepping briefly onto a neighbor’s lawn while walking; instead, they said, enforcement will rely on officer discretion and warnings for minor incidents.

Police said the leash law will provide an enforcement tool for recurring problems — for example, dogs that routinely cross property lines to harass neighbors or repeatedly approach cyclists and other pedestrians. Chief and council members described the enforcement approach as graduated: conversation and warnings for first incidents, with citations reserved for repeated noncompliance.

At the roll call on third reading, the ordinance carried 4–1: Miss Brandt — yes; Mr. Ferrero — yes; Mr. Finley — no; Mr. Garbus — yes; Mr. Ventura — yes.

Councilors also discussed leash length at parks and said they intend to consider whether the parks chapter should adopt the same 20‑foot leash standard to accommodate training leashes used by owners performing recall training.

Ending: The ordinance takes effect immediately upon posting; police and administration said they will inform residents about the new leash length and emphasize warnings and a common-sense approach during early enforcement.