--- title: New Hazelton dog leash rules and off-leash areas question: "Where can dogs be off leash in New Hazelton, and what are the leash rules?" place: New Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/new-hazelton category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: District of New Hazelton sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/dog-leash-rules/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/dog-leash-rules.json" --- # New Hazelton dog leash rules and off-leash areas **Question:** Where can dogs be off leash in New Hazelton, and what are the leash rules? **Short answer:** In New Hazelton a dog must be on a leash and under a competent person's control on a highway, in a park or in any other public place. On your own property it must be in a building, securely tethered or behind an adequate fence. The bylaw names no off-leash areas. **Who handles it:** Municipal (District of New Hazelton, https://newhazelton.ca) **Cost:** Dog at large: $100 first offence, $200 second, $300 third, $400 fourth. Not leashed in a public place: $100. Impoundment is a further $200 each offence. **How long:** Not stated; a first at-large offence gets a Warning Notice unless the dog is seized. **Where:** - In person: District Office, 4670 10th Ave, New Hazelton, BC (Hours not stated on the District's site) - Phone: District Office, (250) 842-6571 - Email: District Office, info@newhazelton.ca ## Key facts - **Leash rule:** A dog must be leashed and under a competent person's control on a highway, in a park or any other public place. On the owner's property it must be in a building, securely tethered or behind an adequate fence. Exceptions: dog shows or trials, and dogs under a Peace Officer or security guard. - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 394, 2026, s. 6.1-6.3](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-394-Animal-Control-Licensing.pdf) - Official wording: "not leashed and under the control of a competent person while on a" … "highway or in a park or other public place" … "prevented from" … "leaving the property by an adequate fence" … "actively involved in a formal dog show, dog trial or similar activity" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Maximum leash length:** None set. The bylaw sets no maximum leash length. - **Off-leash areas:** Not confirmed. The bylaw names no off-leash areas. - **Places dogs are not allowed:** None set. The bylaw bans dogs from no named places. - **Cleaning up:** If a dog or cat defecates on any public property or on private property other than its owner's, the owner must have the feces removed immediately. - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 394, 2026, s. 5.2](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-394-Animal-Control-Licensing.pdf) - Official wording: "If a dog or cat defecates on any public or private property other than the" … "property of its owner, the owner shall cause such feces to be removed" … "immediately." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Dog at large: $100 first offence, $200 second, $300 third, $400 fourth. Failure to keep a dog on a leash in a public place: $100. - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 393, 2026, Sched. B, Animal Control](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-393-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw.pdf) - Official wording: "Any dog at large — first offence 6.2 $100.00" … "Any dog at large — fourth offence 6.2 $400.00" … "Failure to keep a dog on a leash in a public place 6.1 $100.00" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 394, 2026 - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 394, 2026, title](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-394-Animal-Control-Licensing.pdf) - Official wording: "CITATION this Bylaw will be cited for all purposes as “Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 394, 2026.”" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works The [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 394]() says a dog must be leashed and under a competent person's control on a highway, in a park or in any other public place. On the owner's property it must be in a building, securely tethered or behind an adequate fence. Exceptions are dog shows or trials, and dogs under a Peace Officer or security guard. Dangerous dogs have stricter rules (see the dangerous dogs answer). ## Good to know - The bylaw sets no maximum leash length, names no off-leash areas and bans dogs from no named places. Ask the District Office at (250) 842-6571 if you are unsure about a particular park. - If a dog or cat defecates on public property or on someone else's private property, the owner must have the feces removed immediately. - Under the [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 393](), a dog at large is a $100 fine for a first offence, $200 for a second, $300 for a third and $400 for a fourth. Counts restart each January 1. - Failing to keep a dog on a leash in a public place is a $100 fine. Impoundment is a further $200 each offence. - A first at-large or nuisance offence gets a Warning Notice unless the dog is seized. - The fines schedule also lists a fine for a dog off leash in the cemetery. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 394, 2026 (PDF), District of New Hazelton](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-394-Animal-Control-Licensing.pdf) ## Related questions - [New Hazelton dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/dog-licence.md) - [How many dogs or cats you can keep in New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/how-many-pets.md) - [New Hazelton rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/dangerous-dogs.md) - [New Hazelton bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/bylaw-fines.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Kitimat](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/dog-leash-rules.md) ## Sources - [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 394, 2026 (PDF), District of New Hazelton](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-394-Animal-Control-Licensing.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 393, 2026 (PDF), District of New Hazelton](https://newhazelton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/BL-393-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of New Hazelton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/dog-leash-rules/_