Columbia Dog waste ordinance (§ 5-67)
Chapter 5: Animals and Fowl · Article III. Dogs, Cats and Other Animals
In short: Dog owners may not let their dog defecate on public property, a right of way, or anyone else's private property. It's a defense if you immediately remove and sanitarily dispose of the waste, or if the dog is a certified working dog for a disabled owner who can't clean it up.
Our plain-English summary, not the official text or legal advice. The ordinance below is what counts.
(a) No person owning or responsible for a dog shall permit the dog to defecate on any public property or right of way or on any private property other than property owned or leased by the person owning or responsible for the dog.
(b) It is a specific defense to a charge of violating this section that the person charged immediately removed the excrement and properly disposed of it in a sanitary manner.
(c) It is a specific defense to a charge of violating this section that the dog involved is a certified working dog trained to assist individuals with disabilities and that the person charged has a disability which prevents the individual from removing the excrement and properly disposing of it in a sanitary manner.
Official source: City of Columbia official Code of Ordinances (online): look up Sec. 5-67
Text from Supplement 139 (September 3, 2026).
Last checked November 1, 2026. The city's official copy controls; this page is a reading copy, not legal advice.