I let my dog run free and do not keep him/her restrained on my property. Are there any legal consequences that i should worry about?
If your dog is behind your fence there isn’t much to worry about. If you however have no fence and you don’t take some action to keep your animal on your property then we’re talking about fines, animal control seizing your dog, people taking off with your dog. In worse case scenarios a lawsuit if your dog bites someone else who is not harming them.
This depends on where you live. Generally it is unlawful to allow your dog to run free outside of your property in more suburban areas, but in more rural areas it isn’t always. Many cities require any dog running free to wear a rabies tag and city license or you can be fined, and if they have no ID tag or microchip some cities will impound the dog and make you pay to get them back, and after a certain amount of time may put your dog up for adoption if you don’t come get them or can’t afford the fee. Check with your specific county or city to know the specifics. Also remember that if your dog gets into any trouble, such as hurting somebody else’s animals or property or biting somebody, that you can be held responsible and face serious legal trouble. In serious situations your dog can even be put down for it, so I would advise being sure your dog is very well socialized and trained if you allow them to run free.
