--- title: Fort St James dog leash rules and off-leash areas question: "Where can dogs be off leash in Fort St James, and what are the leash rules?" place: Fort St James, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/fort-st-james category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: District of Fort St James sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/dog-leash-rules/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/dog-leash-rules.json" --- # Fort St James dog leash rules and off-leash areas **Question:** Where can dogs be off leash in Fort St James, and what are the leash rules? **Short answer:** In Fort St James, a dog on any street or public place must be on a leash no longer than 3 metres, except in posted off-leash areas. The bylaw does not list those areas. The fine for a dog off leash is $25. **Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Fort St James, https://www.fortstjames.ca) **Cost:** $25 for failing to keep a dog on a leash. A dog at large pays the impoundment fees: $40 first time in a calendar year if neutered or spayed, $60 if not, plus $10 a day. **How long:** Not applicable. **Where:** - In person: Municipal Hall, 477 Stuart Drive West, Fort St. James, BC V0J 1P0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) - Phone: District Office, 250-996-8233 - Phone: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, 250-996-8670 ext. 3 ## Key facts - **Leash rule:** A dog on any street or in a public place must be on a leash at all times, except in posted designated off-leash areas. An unleashed dog's owner must carry a leash, keep the dog in view, keep effective control so it returns when signalled, and leash it at once if it shows aggression. - Source: [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 4.2.3](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - Official wording: "must keep such dog that is on any street or in a public place on a leash at all times, except in areas posted as designated dog off-" … "leash areas" - Source: [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 3.1.4](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - Official wording: "A person must not permit any animal other than a cat to be running at large" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Maximum leash length:** No more than 3 metres. - Source: [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 2.29](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - Official wording: "no more than three (3) metres in length" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Off-leash areas:** Only in areas posted by sign as designated dog off-leash areas. - Source: [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 2.15](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - Official wording: "Designated Dog Off-Leash Area means an area posted by sign" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Places dogs are not allowed:** The District's splash pad: no pets allowed. - Source: [Splash Park, Splash park page](https://www.fortstjames.ca/community/parks-recreation/splash-park) - Official wording: "No pets, bikes, skateboards, or scooters allowed on the splash pad." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Cleaning up:** The owner of a dog (other than an assistance dog) must clean up immediately any feces the dog leaves on any parcel other than the owner's own. - Source: [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 4.2.4](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - Official wording: "Every owner of a dog other than an assistance dog must ensure that any" … "feces deposited on any parcel, other than the parcel of the owner, is cleaned" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Failure to keep dog on leash: $25. Dog running at large: the fine is the applicable impoundment fees (first impoundment in a calendar year $40 for a neutered or spayed dog, $60 otherwise). - Source: [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, Sched. D](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - Official wording: "Failure to keep dog on leash" … "Permit animal to be running at large" … "Impoundment Fees" - Source: [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, Sched. A, s. 1.1(a)](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - Official wording: "First impoundment in any calendar year:" … "Neutered Male or Spayed Female" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006 (office consolidation March 27, 2025, amended by Bylaw No. 1081, 2025) - Source: [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 1.1](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - Official wording: "“District of Fort St. James Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006”" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works Under the District's [Animal Regulation Bylaw 833](), a dog on any street or in a public place in Fort St James must be on a leash at all times. The leash may be no more than 3 metres long. The only exception is a designated off-leash area marked by a sign. ## Good to know - The pages read do not list or map any off-leash areas. Ask the District office at 250-996-8233 which ones are posted. - An owner with an unleashed dog must carry a leash, keep the dog in view, keep control so it returns when signalled, and leash it at once if it shows aggression. - The owner of a dog (other than an assistance dog) must clean up immediately any feces it leaves on a parcel other than the owner's own. - The District's splash pad allows no pets. - The bylaw does not ban dogs from parks, beaches or sports fields in general, and other park rules were not checked. - Failing to keep a dog on a leash is a $25 fine. A dog running at large is charged the impoundment fees, which are $40 the first time in a calendar year for a neutered or spayed dog and $60 otherwise, plus $10 a day while impounded. - Report a dog to the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-996-8670 ext. 3 or the District office at 250-996-8233. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) - [Splash Park, District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/community/parks-recreation/splash-park) ## Related questions - [Fort St James dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/dog-licence.md) - [Fort St James rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/dangerous-dogs.md) - [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Fort St James](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/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) - [Vanderhoof](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Prince George](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/dog-leash-rules.md) ## Sources - [Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-03/833%20Animal%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20%5BConsolidated%20March%202025%5D.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Splash Park, District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/community/parks-recreation/splash-park) (read 2026-11-08) - [Animal Control and Conservation, District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/services/protective-services/animal-control-conservation) (read 2026-11-08) _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 District of Fort St James. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/dog-leash-rules/_