Every cat or dog in Broward County must have and wear a county license. This protects your pet in case it becomes lost or stolen. A pet owner must purchase the license if the cat or dog is four months of age or older. Thereafter, the pet owner must purchase a new Broward County license on the anniversary of the pet’s rabies vaccination (every year if the pet received a one-year rabies vaccination, or every three years if the pet received a three-year vaccination).

It is against the law for any person to permit their dog to be at large. The term “at large” means that your pet is not confined or somehow controlled.  This means that the dog must be under the direct, physical control of a person by means of one of the following:

• Leash
• Cord
• Chain
• Confined to the property of its owner by means of a fence

It is against the law to tie, chain or tether a dog so that it has access to public property or the property of another person.

There is no leash law for cats because they are considered free-roaming animals. However, a property owner does have the legal right to humanely trap or catch any nuisance cats on their property.  Pets found to be “at large” may be impounded at the Broward County Animal Care shelter.