The West Hartford Town Council unanimously adopted an ordinance amendment on Tuesday night that will require dogs to be leashed on public property.

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford for years has had a law requiring dogs to be leashed in town-owned parks and on playgrounds, but until now the leash law did not extend to sidewalks and roadways or other public property. That has now changed, with the West Hartford Town Council’s unanimous vote on Tuesday night to adopt an amendment to its ordinance.

The amended ordinance provides clarity, Town Manager Rick Ledwith said, and creates a simple rule intended to make town-owned property safer for all – people as well as dogs – by limiting the potential of dog bites or attacks as well as other incidents that could result in harm to people or animals.

“West Hartford is a community that values its parks, sidewalks, trails, and public spaces. We are also a community of pet lovers,” Ledwith said Tuesday at the start of a public hearing on the ordinance change that preceded the Town Council meeting and vote. Ledwith said the ordinance update is in no way intended to discourage dog ownership or prevent the public’s enjoyment of their dogs in public spaces, “but rather it is intended to promote public safety, protect pets, and establish a clear and consistent standard for responsible dog control throughout town.”

A woman walking with her leashed dog along Park Road stops to chat. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

At a meeting of the Council’s Public Safety Committee last summer, when the topic of amending the leash law was raised, Animal Control Officer and Supervisor Kimberly Gulino gave a presentation advocating for an expansion of the existing rule. Statistics she shared with the Public Safety Committee at that time indicated that since 2023 there had been 100 roaming calls and 64 reported incidents in West Hartford resulting from dogs off leash that “attacked a person or another dog.”

The dog vs. dog or dog vs. person incidents often involved unleashed dogs running out of their own yard, or being walked off-leash, Gulino said. Approximately half of the incidents occurred on public property, Ledwith said.

The ordinance update adopted Tuesday requires that the “owner or keeper” must keep control of a dog with a leash or similar physical restraint no longer than six feet when on “any portion of a public highway, street or sidewalk or any other Town-owned property” – expanding the rule which previously just applied to parks and playgrounds. “While many dogs are friendly and well-trained, even the most obedient animals can become startled, distracted, or react unpredictably to changing circumstances,” said Ledwith.

The public location exception where a dog does not need to be restrained is the town’s enclosed dog park, currently located at 100 Mayflower Street, where dogs are allowed to play and exercise off leash.

Violations of the ordinance will result in a $25 fine for the first offense, $50 fine for the second offense, and $99 fine for the third and subsequent offenses. The citations will be issued by the West Hartford Police Department.

“At its core, this ordinance is about balancing the enjoyment of public spaces with the responsibility will all share to ensure those spaces remain safe and welcoming for everyone,” Ledwith said.

Just one member of the public testified at the hearing.

“Every time this issue comes up and I tell people we don’t have a leash law in West Hartford they argue with me …” resident Elizabeth Keifer said. She said people have been surprised when she has told them that the leash law only applies to parks and playgrounds, and noted that Glastonbury’s leash law applies to all town property. Keifer said she has personally been bitten three times by off-leash dogs, sharing that when she was a graduate student in Massachusetts she had to carry a tennis racquet to ward off roaming dogs.

“This is kind of a no-brainer and probably is long overdue for a town of this size with this many dogs,” Keifer said.

Council member Barry Walters, who chairs the Public Safety Committee where the ordinance was developed, said expanding the leash law has been something talked about for a long time and noted “it’s about time” that it happened. “I think this is a very good thing for our community,” he said, encouraging all of his colleagues to vote in favor of the measure.

“Thank you to ACO Gulino for highlighting how important this is,” Mayor Shari Cantor said. She was surprised to hear about the number of roaming dog incidents, particularly the number of bites, and noted “the need is there” for expanding the leash law. “We believe this is the right balance that will allow our town to enjoy their pets safely.”

The ordinance, which was adopted 7-0 (two council members were absent), takes effect immediately.

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