---
title: North Cowichan dog leash rules and off-leash areas
question: "Where can dogs be off leash in North Cowichan, and what are the leash rules?"
place: North Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/north-cowichan
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Municipality of North Cowichan
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/dog-leash-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/dog-leash-rules.json"
---

# North Cowichan dog leash rules and off-leash areas

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

**Short answer:** In North Cowichan, a dog in any public place must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet (1.83 m). Dogs may be off leash only in the designated off-leash areas, under voice or hand-command control. A first off-leash offence is $100.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Municipality of North Cowichan, https://www.northcowichan.ca)  
**Cost:** Fine for a dog off leash in public (per calendar year): bylaw notice $100, $200, $300 for the first, second and third and later offences; municipal ticket $100, $200, $300. Not picking up after your dog: bylaw notice $200 or municipal ticket $100.  
**How long:** The rules apply all year. The Kin Beach Park and Maple Bay Beach foreshore off-leash areas are open October 1 to June 15 only.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Coastal Animal Services (dog concerns), 250-748-3395
- Phone: Bylaw Services, 250-746-3108
- Online: Animal Responsibility page, Municipality of North Cowichan, https://www.northcowichan.ca/municipal-services/animal-responsibility

## Key facts

- **Leash rule:** In any public place (land owned or run by any level of government, including school districts) a dog must be on a leash held by a competent person. Dogs may be off leash only in the designated off-leash areas, and then only under effective voice or hand-command control. Dogs must also stay off private property that is not their owner's.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019, ss. 29, 31, 2](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/Animal%20Responsibility%20Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The Owner of a Dog must not allow the Dog to be in a Public Place unless the Dog is on a Leash" … "the Owner of a Dog may allow the Dog to be off-leash in the areas listed in" … "means all land owned, held, operated or administered by any level of government, including a school district"
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility, Dog and cat requirements](https://www.northcowichan.ca/municipal-services/animal-responsibility)
  - Official wording: "Dogs must be leashed and under control at all times when in public"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Maximum leash length:** The leash must not be longer than 6 feet (1.83 m) and strong enough to hold the dog.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019, s. 2 "Leash"](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/Animal%20Responsibility%20Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "does not exceed 6 feet (1.83 metres) in length"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Off-leash areas:** Schedule B areas: Chemainus Lake Park; Herd Road Park Off Leash Area; Somenos Dog Park; Fuller Lake Park boat launch area where signed; Kin Beach Park foreshore and Maple Bay Beach foreshore (October 1 to June 15 only, not the rest of those parks); Wul'aam' (Echo) Park; the Municipal Forest Reserve; and the southern portion of 9740 Elm Street (Chemainus Ball Park) outside the baseball field, year-round.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019, Schedule B](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/Animal%20Responsibility%20Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Designated Off-Leash Dog Areas" … "Chemainus Lake Park" … "Herd Road Park Off Leash Area" … "Kin Beach Park foreshore, excluding other areas of Kin Beach Park, from October 1"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Places dogs are not allowed:** None set. The bylaw lists no general places where all dogs are banned.
- **Cleaning up:** Anyone in charge of a dog must remove and sanitarily dispose of its excrement. It may go into a public litter bin only if securely contained in an impermeable bag or container. The Municipality's web page also says not to throw bags into the bushes.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019, ss. 83-84](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/Animal%20Responsibility%20Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every Person must remove and sanitarily dispose of any excrement deposited by a Dog" … "impermeable bag or other impermeable container"
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility, Dog and cat requirements](https://www.northcowichan.ca/municipal-services/animal-responsibility)
  - Official wording: "Clean up after your dog and dispose of feces in a sanitary manner"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Dog off leash in public (s. 29), per calendar year. Bylaw notice: 1st offence $100 ($50 if paid within 14 days, $120 after 28 days); 2nd $200 ($100 early, $220 late); 3rd and later $300 ($150 early, $320 late). Municipal ticket: $100, $200 and $300.
  - Source: [Bylaw Offence Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 3677, 2021, Schedule A, s. 29](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2023-10/Bylaw%20Offence%20Notice%20Enforcement%20Bylaw%2C%20No.%203677%2C%202021.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Allow Dog to be off-leash in public - 1st offence (first offence $100.00 $50.00 $120.00 YES" … "2nd offence (second $200.00 $100.00 $220.00"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw, Schedule 2, Section 1, item 21](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2025-05/Municipal%20Ticket%20Information%20System.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Allow Dog to be off-leash in public"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019, ss. 29-32 and Schedule B.
  - Source: [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019, s. 1](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/Animal%20Responsibility%20Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as “Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019”"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under the [Animal Responsibility Bylaw](<https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/Animal%20Responsibility%20Bylaw.pdf>), a dog in any public place (land owned or run by any level of government, including school districts) must be on a leash held by a competent person. The leash must not be longer than 6 feet (1.83 m) and must be strong enough to hold the dog. Dogs must also stay off private property that is not their owner's.

Dogs may be off leash only in the designated off-leash areas, and only under effective voice or hand-command control.

## Steps

1. Keep your dog on a short leash everywhere except the off-leash areas.
2. In the off-leash areas, keep your dog under voice or hand control.
3. Pick up after your dog and dispose of it properly. Waste may go in a public litter bin only if securely contained in an impermeable bag or container. Do not throw bags into the bushes.

## Off-leash areas

- Chemainus Lake Park
- Herd Road Park Off Leash Area
- Somenos Dog Park
- Fuller Lake Park boat launch area, where signed
- Kin Beach Park foreshore and Maple Bay Beach foreshore, October 1 to June 15 only (not the rest of those parks)
- Wul'aam' (Echo) Park
- The Municipal Forest Reserve
- The southern portion of 9740 Elm Street (Chemainus Ball Park), outside the baseball field, year-round

## Good to know

- Fines for a dog off leash in public rise each calendar year. A bylaw notice is $100 for a first offence ($50 if paid within 14 days, $120 after 28 days), $200 for a second and $300 for a third and later. A municipal ticket is $100, $200 and $300.
- Not removing dog waste is $200 by bylaw notice ($100 if paid early, $220 late) or $100 by municipal ticket.
- Aggressive dogs are barred from school grounds, from within 30 m of playground apparatus and from the off-leash areas.
- The bylaw lists no general places where all dogs are banned. Ask Bylaw Services about a specific park or beach.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019 (PDF)](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/Animal%20Responsibility%20Bylaw.pdf)

## Related questions

- [North Cowichan dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/dog-licence.md)
- [North Cowichan rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in North Cowichan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/how-many-pets.md)
- [North Cowichan noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/noise-rules.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Duncan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/duncan/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Ladysmith](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ladysmith/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [North Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Sidney](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Lake Cowichan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Central Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/dog-leash-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Responsibility, Municipality of North Cowichan](https://www.northcowichan.ca/municipal-services/animal-responsibility) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 3740, 2019 (PDF)](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/Animal%20Responsibility%20Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Bylaw Offence Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 3677, 2021 (PDF)](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2023-10/Bylaw%20Offence%20Notice%20Enforcement%20Bylaw%2C%20No.%203677%2C%202021.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw (PDF)](https://www.northcowichan.ca/sites/default/files/2025-05/Municipal%20Ticket%20Information%20System.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Municipality of North Cowichan. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/dog-leash-rules/_