---
title: Burnaby dog leash rules and off-leash areas
question: "Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules?"
place: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/burnaby
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Burnaby
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/dog-leash-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/dog-leash-rules.json"
---

# Burnaby dog leash rules and off-leash areas

**Question:** Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules?

**Short answer:** In Burnaby, a dog must be on a leash no longer than 2 m on streets and in public places, except in the City's designated off-leash areas in 11 parks. Dogs in those areas need a valid licence and vaccinations, and the limit is 2 dogs per person.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Burnaby, https://www.burnaby.ca)  
**Cost:** A bylaw notice for a dog off leash is $100 ($80 if paid within 15 days).  
**Where:**
- Online: Dog Off-leash Areas, with maps, https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/dog-off-leash-areas
- Phone: Animal Control Office (report problems), 604-294-7944 (7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Leash rule:** An owner must keep a dog on a leash while on a highway or public place. A dog may not be run free on the street or in public places, except in the designated off-leash areas. Leashing a dog to a pole or bike rack is not allowed (per the City page). A dog out of its yard must be under control at all times.
  - Source: [Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 5(1), 5(5)](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every owner of a dog shall keep it on a leash not longer than 2 m while" … "Notwithstanding subsection (1) and section 9(1) a dog is not required to be on a leash"
  - Source: [Dog Off-leash Areas, Know your legal responsibilities](https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/dog-off-leash-areas)
  - Official wording: "Your dog can't run free (un-leashed) on the street or in public places." … "Leashing your dog to a pole or bike rack is illegal." … "You need to keep them under control at all times."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Maximum leash length:** 2 m (6 1/2 ft).
  - Source: [Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 5(1)](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf)
  - Official wording: "shall keep it on a leash not longer than 2 m while on a highway or public place"
  - Source: [Dog Off-leash Areas, Legal responsibilities](https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/dog-off-leash-areas)
  - Official wording: "Your leash can be up to 2 m (6 1/2 ft) long."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Off-leash areas:** Designated off-leash areas in 11 parks: Barnet Marine Park, Bell Park, Burnaby Heights Park, Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park, Confederation Park, David Gray Park, Malvern Park, Robert Burnaby Park, Taylor Park, Warner Loat Park and Willingdon Heights Park. Open dawn to dusk unless noted. The City page has a map for each. Rules: valid licence and vaccinations; leash before and after; leash in hand; maximum 2 dogs per person.
  - Source: [Dog Off-leash Areas, Dog Off-leash Areas page](https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/dog-off-leash-areas)
  - Official wording: "Unless otherwise noted, all dog-off leash areas are open from dawn to dusk." … "Maximum 2 dogs per person." … "You must keep a leash in hand at all times while your dog is off-leash." … "Your dog must be leashed before and after using an off-leash area."
  - Source: [Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 5(5)](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf)
  - Official wording: "permitted off-leash area on the plan attached hereto as Schedule"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Places dogs are not allowed:** Not allowed: beaches and nearby picnic areas at the shoreline and lake parks (Barnet Marine, Deer Lake, Burnaby Lake Regional, Burnaby Fraser Foreshore); environmentally sensitive habitats (banks of the Brunette and Fraser Rivers; ponds, streams and marshland around Burnaby Lake and Deer Lake); and any area of a park where dog restriction signs are posted.
  - Source: [Dog Off-leash Areas, Dogs aren't allowed in these park areas](https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/dog-off-leash-areas)
  - Official wording: "Dogs aren't allowed in these park areas:" … "Any area of a Burnaby park where dog restriction signs are posted."
  - Source: [Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 5(4)](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf)
  - Official wording: "designated as a place where dogs are not permitted and"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Cleaning up:** The owner must immediately remove any excrement the dog leaves on property other than the owner's and dispose of it on their own property or in a sanitary manner.
  - Source: [Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, s. 5(3)](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf)
  - Official wording: "shall immediately remove such" … "excrement and dispose of it on her or his own property or in a sanitary"
  - Source: [Dog Off-leash Areas, Picking up after your dog](https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/dog-off-leash-areas)
  - Official wording: "You must dispose of your dog's waste."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Bylaw notice: dog off leash $100 ($80 if paid within 15 days); animal at large $100 ($80); dog in a prohibited area $100 ($80); excrement not removed $50 ($40).
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 12657, Schedule A, Schedule A, Animal Control Bylaw](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/12657CC.pdf)
  - Official wording: "5(1) Dog off leash 100 80 NO" … "8 Animal at large 100 80 NO" … "5(3) Excrement not removed 50 40 NO" … "5(4) Dog in prohibited area 100 80 NO"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (Bylaw No. 9609), s. 5.
  - Source: [Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated, title](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf)
  - Official wording: "BURNABY ANIMAL CONTROL BYLAW 1991"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Animal Control Bylaw](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf) requires a dog in Burnaby to be on a leash 2 m (6 1/2 ft) long or shorter on a highway or in a public place. A dog may not run free there, except in a designated off-leash area, where it must be under verbal control and must not cause injury or damage. A dog out of its yard must be under control at all times. Off-leash areas are open dawn to dusk unless noted.

## Off-leash areas

Barnet Marine Park, Bell Park, Burnaby Heights Park, Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park, Confederation Park, David Gray Park, Malvern Park, Robert Burnaby Park, Taylor Park, Warner Loat Park and Willingdon Heights Park. The City's page has a map for each.

## Good to know

- Rules in off-leash areas: valid licence and vaccinations; leash your dog before and after using the area; keep the leash in hand; maximum 2 dogs per person.
- Tying a dog to a pole or bike rack is not allowed, according to the City's page.
- Dogs are not allowed on beaches and nearby picnic areas at Barnet Marine, Deer Lake, Burnaby Lake Regional and Burnaby Fraser Foreshore parks, in environmentally sensitive habitat (such as the banks of the Brunette and Fraser Rivers), or where signs restrict dogs.
- You must immediately remove your dog's waste from property that is not yours and dispose of it on your own property or in a sanitary way.
- Bylaw notices (amount if paid within 15 days in brackets): dog off leash $100 ($80); animal at large $100 ($80); dog in a prohibited area $100 ($80); waste not removed $50 ($40).
- Report problems to the Animal Control Office at 604-294-7944.

## Official forms and pages

- [Dog Off-leash Areas](https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/dog-off-leash-areas)
- [Animal Control Bylaw 9609 (consolidated PDF)](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Burnaby dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/dog-licence.md)
- [Burnaby rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Burnaby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/how-many-pets.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [New Westminster](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Richmond](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/richmond/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Port Moody](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Belcarra](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/belcarra/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/dog-leash-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Dog Off-leash Areas, City of Burnaby](https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/dog-off-leash-areas) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Burnaby Animal Control Bylaw 1991 (No. 9609), consolidated (PDF)](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/9609CC.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 12657, Schedule A (PDF)](https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/12657CC.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Animal Control and Burnaby SPCA, City of Burnaby](https://www.burnaby.ca/services-and-payments/pets-and-animals/animal-control-and-burnaby-spca) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 7 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Burnaby. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/dog-leash-rules/_