Denver’s parks abound with bounding labradors, its sidewalks patrolled by untethered shepherds, its public spaces filled with un-leashed dogs.

It might make you wonder, like one Denverite reader: Is all this legal? What exactly are the rules?

It’s pretty simple: Most of the time, you have to leash your pup. If you don’t, you could get an $80 civil penalty per violation.

In your home, yard, or a city-approved off-leash dog park, Fido can run free.

Otherwise, a leash is necessary. This includes in public parks, on the sidewalk, outside a dog park, or in your neighbor’s yard. That’s true for other animals too, including lizards, rabbits and cats.

Fines are actually steeper in the city’s public parks. Off-leash offenders may have to pay $100 for the first offense, $250 for the second and

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