Lake Cowichan dog leash rules and off-leash areas
Where can dogs be off leash in Lake Cowichan, and what are the leash rules?
Short answer
In Lake Cowichan, a dog must be on a leash in any street, public place or Town park, and the leash may not be longer than 2.5 m. Dogs are not allowed on Town public beaches. A dog at large is a $75 ticket. The bylaws name no off-leash area.
Key facts
| Leash rule | No dog may run at large. The owner must control a dog in any street or public place by a leash. In Town parks a dog must be on a leash.Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 7.1; Parks Regulation Bylaw No. 919-2012, s. 3.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingNo owner of any dog shall suffer, permit, or allow such dog to run at to have control of a dog when in any street or public place by means No person shall allow or permit any dog to enter and be in any Town park except on a leash. |
|---|---|
| Maximum leash length | 2.5 m (the leash must not exceed this length).Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 7.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingof a leash not exceeding 2.5 M in length. |
| Off-leash areas | No off-leash area is named in the bylaws. The Official Community Plan's parks list shows a dog park at Centennial Park and plans to develop one at Joginder Bains Park; it does not give rules.Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 1097-2023, Appendix B Parks; park improvements list · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingpark, Centennial Community Hall, dog Develop a dog park |
| Places dogs are not allowed | Dogs are not allowed on any public beach area owned and operated by the Town, even on a leash.Parks Regulation Bylaw No. 919-2012, s. 3.4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingno person shall permit a dog to enter any public beach area owned and operated by the Town. |
| Cleaning up | The dog owner or person in charge must remove the dog's excrement immediately and put it in a suitable refuse container (guide dog with a blind person excepted). The Town may fine an owner who does not clean up.Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 11.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingshall remove forthwith any excrement deposited by the dog and shall deposit it in a suitable refuse container. |
| Fine, dog at large or off leash | $75 (Schedule A ticketed fine for a dog at large).Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, Schedule A · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingNo dog license 6.2 35.00 License tag not affixed 6.6 25.00 Dog at Large 7.1 75.00 VICIOUS DOGS Vicious dog not securely confined 9.3 150.00 |
| Bylaw | Town of Lake Cowichan Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019; parks rules in Parks Regulation Bylaw No. 919-2012.Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, s. 1; Parks Regulation Bylaw No. 919-2012, Title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThis bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “Town of Lake Cowichan Animal Town of Lake Cowichan Parks Regulation Bylaw No. 919-2012 |
How it works
Under the Town's Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019, no dog may run at large. In a street or public place the owner must control the dog by a leash no longer than 2.5 m. The Parks Regulation Bylaw No. 919-2012 also requires a leash in Town parks.
Good to know
- Dogs are not allowed on any public beach area owned and operated by the Town, even on a leash.
- No bylaw names an off-leash area. The Official Community Plan parks list shows a dog park at Centennial Park and plans one at Joginder Bains Park but gives no rules. Ask Town Hall before letting a dog off leash anywhere.
- The owner or person in charge must remove the dog's excrement immediately and put it in a suitable refuse container. A guide dog with a blind person is excepted.
- A dog at large is a $75 ticket.
- To report a loose or aggressive dog, call Town Hall at 250-749-6681 and leave a message, or email bylaw@lakecowichan.ca for non-urgent issues.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Ladysmith · Duncan · North Cowichan · Nanaimo · Lantzville · North Saanich
Sources
- Animal Control Bylaw No. 1019-2019 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan (read 2026-11-08)
- Parks Regulation Bylaw No. 919-2012 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan (read 2026-11-08)
- Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 1097-2023 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan (read 2026-11-08)
- Animal Control, Town of Lake Cowichan (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. How answers are checked.