Most cities have leash laws, so when we are evaluating the facts and circumstances of a dog bite, we always look up the relevant ordinances in the city where the bite took place.

However, with or without the leash law, we refer back to Civil Code Section 3342, which states that the owner of the dog is liable. It does not matter whether the dog who perpetrated the bite is leashed or unleashed.

There can be exceptions to leash laws, and they are usually places that are zoned as dog parks.