The Granville Village Council will consider an ordinance to expand the number of public areas where dogs must be leashed.

Ordinance No. 08-2025, introduced during the council’s Wednesday, May 21 meeting, comes as an amendment to section 505.01 of the codified ordinances of the Village of Granville. The current ordinance requires that dogs be leashed in these areas of downtown granville:

  • Properties on East Broadway from Main Street to Granger Street
  • Properties on North Prospect Street from Broadway to College Street 
  • Properties on South Prospect Street from Broadway to Elm Street
  • Properties on Main Street from College Street to the TJ Evans trail

After residents made complaints about unleashed dogs to the village council, the council directed Village Manager Herb Koehler to draft an ordinance to expand the number of areas dogs must be leashed. The council will hold a public hearing to decide whether to expand the law to two more areas within Granville on June 4. 

The two areas included in the expansion of the law would be the full expanse of the TJ Evans Trail within village limits, including the connecting path to Raccoon Valley Park and the pedestrian path along Newark-Granville Road between E. College Street and Thornwood Crossing. If the ordinance passes, owners of unleashed dogs in these two areas could be charged with a misdemeanor. 

During discussions about the ordinance at the May 21 council meeting, Councilmember Laura Mickelson requested that an amendment specifically targeting female dogs be removed from the ordinance. 

That amendment states: “No owner, keeper or harborer of any female dog shall permit such dog to go beyond the premises of such owner or keeper at any time such dog is in heat, unless such dog is properly in leash.”

“Are we really leaving in the part about female dogs?” Mickelson asked. “If a dog’s on a leash it has to be on a leash.”

Mickelson said the amendment was old, and that taking it out would not impact the ordinance given that it already indicates that all dogs regardless of sex must be on a leash.

Maddie Luebkert writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.