Pet Information

The Board of Trustees receives complaints on a regular basis regarding pet owners who allow their dogs to roam free in the community and whether they are on a leash or not they urinate and defecate in resident’s yards and in common areas where children play. Let us begin by reminding pet owners that there are State and Prince William County laws that not only require all pets to be on a leash when off of their property, but also require residents to pick up their pet’s feces immediately and dispose of them properly, whether on their own property or on publicly-owned property.

Code of Prince William County, Article II, Sec. 4-23. Running at large–Generally (Leash Law)

(a) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit or allow such dog to run or be at large within the county. For the purposes of this section, a dog shall be deemed to be “at large” when off the property or premises of its owner or custodian and not under the control of the owner or custodian or his agent, either by leash, cord or chain. “Property or premises of its owner.”

There have been a number of pet owners who believe that walking their dog off leash and under either voice command or electronic means is permitted however the State and County Code say the dog must be “under control of the owner or custodian or his agent, either by leash, cord or chain.”

Code of Prince William County, Article II, Sec. 4-26. Urinating or defecating on property of others or public property.

It shall be unlawful for the owner of a dog to allow such dog to urinate or defecate on the private property of other persons or on publicly owned property, except parts of parks posted as dog run areas. For the purposes of this section, private property shall include townhouse, condominium or RPC property held in common.

Pet owners desiring to walk their pets anywhere off of their property should obtain some type of device or bag and keep them with you at all times in order to ensure that you are ready to clean up immediately after your pet. Those pet owners who do not have anything with them that will allow them to immediately cleaning up after their pets are subject to a Fifty-Dollar assessment ($50).

Although it is the pet owner’s responsibility to carry something with them at all times to clean up after their pets Wexford has located both animal waste bag stations and trash cans near the tot lots.  These stations are there to assist pet owners in cleaning up after their pets and disposing of their waste.  While we try and keep these bag stations stocked they do run out of bags from time to time.  If there are no bags available this in no way provides a pet owner an excuse not to pick up after their pet.

Home owners may fall victim to an inconsiderate pet owner who allows their pet to defecate on their property or any common area which they are responsible for and does not clean it up however it is your responsibility to keep your yard free of pet waste. Just because you do not own a pet or it was not your pet that that used your property for their bathroom you are responsible for cleaning up the animal feces.

Our community children are coming in contact with feces; and there are some very good reasons why these laws were enacted. We spoke with two different Veterinary clinics, PWC Animal Control, Prince William County Magistrate and Environmental Health Department, and our landscaping company. They all concurred on the following facts:

  • Our children can contact ringworm from parasites in animal feces, if for instance it comes in contact with their feet, hands, trunk or scalp
  • Animals can contract fatal diseases like Parvo from the feces of an infected animal
  • Animal feces attract rats, constituting one of Prince William County’s biggest health concerns, and the fecal odor can be overpowering
  • Animal feces causes fly breeding (lime helps to prevent that problem)
  • Animal urine (especially from a female) kills most grasses. Male dogs’ urine can kill ornamental bushes, shrubs and young trees


We believe you will agree these are pretty significant reasons why all of us should be concerned and cooperative in keeping our community free of pet residue. PLEASE pick up after your animals on your own property and on common areas. Walk your dogs in wooded areas. Do not use our common areas, recreational fields and tot lots as a “community bathroom”. Our children play on the commons. Stop and ask yourself, “Would I like to walk barefoot through or lay down on the place where my animal has just urinated or defecated?”