{"title":"Courtenay rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs","question":"What are the rules for aggressive or dangerous dogs?","slug":"dangerous-dogs","place":{"path":"ca/bc/courtenay","name":"Courtenay","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"pets-and-wildlife","name":"Pets, animals and wildlife"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Courtenay","url":"https://www.courtenay.ca"},"short_answer":"Courtenay's Animal Control Bylaw has no \"dangerous dog\" declaration process. It bans keeping a dog that has killed or injured a person or domestic animal, or has attacked, chased or menaced someone unprovoked. An owner of a dog known to be prone to attack must keep it confined, and muzzled or controlled by an adult outside.","aliases":["dog bite courtenay","vicious dog courtenay","menacing dog bylaw courtenay","muzzle dog courtenay"],"cost":null,"how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Enforcement","value":"250-334-4441 ext. 5","note":"Seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m."},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Enforcement","value":"bylaw@courtenay.ca"},{"type":"online","label":"Bylaw complaint form","value":"https://digitalsmartforms.ca/f/l/CourtenayBylawComplaint"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw 1897 (consolidated PDF)","url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021"},{"title":"Animal control, City of Courtenay","url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-leash-rules","title":"Courtenay dog leash rules and off-leash areas","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-leash-rules/"},{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Courtenay dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"how-many-pets","title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Courtenay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/how-many-pets/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/comox","name":"Comox","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/cumberland","name":"Cumberland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/powell-river","name":"Powell River","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/campbell-river","name":"Campbell River","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-alberni","name":"Port Alberni","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/qualicum-beach","name":"Qualicum Beach","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/dangerous-dogs/"}],"topic":{"title":"Dangerous dog rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dangerous-dogs/"},"facts":{"how_declared":{"label":"How a dog is declared dangerous or aggressive","value":"The bylaw has no \"dangerous dog\" declaration process. It bans keeping a dog that has killed or injured a person or domestic animal, or that unprovoked has attacked, chased or menacingly approached a person in a public place, or is used for dog fighting.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","section":"s. 18","quotes":["which has killed or injured a person or domestic animal;","when unprovoked, has attacked, chased or approached a person or","any dog owned or harboured primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"owner_rules":{"label":"Rules for owners","value":"An owner of a dog known to have a propensity to attack or viciously pursue a person or domestic animal must confine it in a building or secure enclosure, and keep it effectively muzzled, caged or under the effective control of an adult whenever it is outside.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","section":"s. 19","quotes":["The owner of a dog which is known by the owner to have a propensity to attack or viciously pursue a person or domestic animal","shall confine the dog in a building or secure enclosure and shall keep the dog effectively muzzled, caged, or otherwise under the effective control of an adult person"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fee":{"label":"Licence fee","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Courtenay's Animal Control Bylaw sets no separate licence fee for a dangerous or aggressive dog.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)"}]},"report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Contact Bylaw Enforcement: bylaw complaint form, email bylaw@courtenay.ca, or call 250-334-4441 (ext. 5). The City does not respond to anonymous complaints.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws","title":"Bylaws, City of Courtenay","section":"Contact Bylaw Enforcement","quotes":["submit a bylaw complaint form - email bylaw@courtenay.ca - call 250-334-4441 (ext. 5)","We do not respond to anonymous complaints."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice: failing to confine or muzzle a vicious dog $500 each ($375 if paid within 14 days; $500 if paid late). No compliance agreement is available.","short":"Notice $500 ($375 if paid in 14 days)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf","title":"Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185 (PDF)","section":"Appendix A, Animal Control Bylaw","quotes":["Fail to confine vicious dog IV.19 $500.00 $375.00 $500.00 No","Fail to muzzle vicious dog IV.19 $500.00 $375.00 $500.00 No"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897, 1996","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","section":"s. 44","quotes":["Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897, 1996"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":1,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Animal Control Bylaw](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021) of the City of Courtenay does not set up a process for declaring a dog \"dangerous\". Instead it sets plain rules for owners, and Animal Control Officers enforce them. The bylaw sets no separate licence fee for a dangerous or aggressive dog.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- No one may keep a dog that has killed or injured a person or domestic animal, or that unprovoked has attacked, chased or menacingly approached a person in a public place, or that is used for dog fighting.\n- If you own a dog known to have a propensity to attack or viciously pursue a person or domestic animal, you must confine it in a building or secure enclosure. Whenever it is outside, keep it effectively muzzled, caged or under the effective control of an adult.\n- A bylaw notice for failing to confine or muzzle a vicious dog is $500 each ($375 if paid within 14 days; $500 if paid late). No compliance agreement is available. Keeping a prohibited dog has no bylaw-notice amount; the bylaw sets a court fine of $50 to $2,000.\n- To report a dog, contact Bylaw Enforcement by the complaint form, email or phone. The City does not respond to anonymous complaints.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control","title":"Animal control, City of Courtenay","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws","title":"Bylaws, City of Courtenay","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf","title":"Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dangerous-dogs/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dangerous-dogs.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dangerous-dogs.json"}}