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

# Courtenay dog leash rules and off-leash areas

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

**Short answer:** Courtenay has no off-leash parks. Under the City of Courtenay's Animal Control Bylaw, a dog must be on a leash on any highway, in a City park or other public place, and the person holding it must be able to control it. The leash or chain cannot be longer than 1.83 metres (6 feet).

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Courtenay, https://www.courtenay.ca)  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement, 250-334-4441 ext. 5 (Seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.)
- Email: Bylaw Enforcement, bylaw@courtenay.ca

## Key facts

- **Leash rule:** Dogs must be on a leash on any highway, in City parks and in other public places, led by a person able to control them.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), s. 16](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021)
  - Official wording: "No owner shall permit any dog to be on a highway, City park or other public place within the City" … "led by that person on a leash or chain that does not exceed 1.83 metres (6 feet) in length."
  - Source: [Animal control, What you need to know](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control)
  - Official wording: "Dogs must be on a leash in all public spaces."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Maximum leash length:** 1.83 m (6 feet) maximum, leash or chain.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), s. 16](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021)
  - Official wording: "led by that person on a leash or chain that does not exceed 1.83 metres (6 feet) in length."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Off-leash areas:** None. The City says there are no off-leash parks in Courtenay.
  - Source: [Animal control, What you need to know](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control)
  - Official wording: "There are no off-leash parks in Courtenay."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Places dogs are not allowed:** Not allowed on school grounds, playgrounds, designated parks or sports fields. The bylaw also bars dogs from any restricted area of a park, except dogs in City-approved events and certified service or working dogs.
  - Source: [Animal control, What you need to know](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control)
  - Official wording: "Dogs are not allowed on school grounds, playgrounds, designated parks or sports fields."
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), s. 15](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021)
  - Official wording: "No person shall permit, suffer or allow their dog to be in a restricted area of any park, except:"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Cleaning up:** Owners must immediately remove and sanitarily dispose of their dog's excrement on any public place or on private property other than their own.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), s. 17](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021)
  - Official wording: "deposit excrement on any public place or on private property other than the property of the owner" … "unless the owner immediately takes steps to remove such excrement and to dispose of it in a sanitary manner."
  - Source: [Parks and open spaces](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/parks-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "Dogs must be on a leash in all City parks. Clean up after your pet."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Bylaw notice: dog at large $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 if paid late). Leash longer than 6 feet: $100 ($75 early; $125 late).
  - Source: [Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185, Appendix A, Animal Control Bylaw](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf)
  - Official wording: "Dog at large IV.16 $200.00 $150.00 $250.00 Yes" … "Fail to have dog on leash no longer IV.16 $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 Yes"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897, 1996
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021), s. 44](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897, 1996"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Courtenay's [Animal Control Bylaw](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021) requires every dog on a highway, in a City park or in any other public place to be led by a person able to control it, on a leash or chain no longer than 1.83 metres (6 feet). The City says there are no off-leash parks in Courtenay.

## Good to know

- Dogs are not allowed on school grounds, playgrounds, designated parks or sports fields. The bylaw also bars dogs from any restricted area of a park. Dogs in City-approved events and certified service or working dogs are excepted. The bylaw does not define "restricted area" and the City does not list the parks, so ask Bylaw Enforcement.
- Clean up after your dog right away, in any public place and on private property other than your own, and dispose of it sanitarily.
- A bylaw notice for a dog at large is $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 if paid late). A leash longer than 6 feet is $100 ($75 early; $125 late).
- To report a loose dog, see the dog complaint answer.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal control, City of Courtenay](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control)
- [Parks and open spaces, City of Courtenay](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/parks-bylaw)
- [Animal Control Bylaw 1897 (consolidated PDF)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021)

## Related questions

- [Courtenay dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-licence.md)
- [Courtenay rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dangerous-dogs.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Powell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Port Alberni](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Qualicum Beach](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/dog-leash-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Animal control, City of Courtenay](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/animal-control) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Parks and open spaces, City of Courtenay](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/parks-bylaw) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1897 (consolidated July 2021) (PDF)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/animal-control-bylaw-no1897-consolidated-version-jul-2021) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185 (PDF)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf) (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 Courtenay. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-leash-rules/_