North Saanich dog leash rules and off-leash areas
Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the rules on beaches and in parks?
Short answer
North Saanich has no general leash requirement for ordinary dogs. Under Animal Control Bylaw 751 a dog may not run at large, meaning off its owner's land and not under direct and continuous control. The District's park guide shows an off-leash area at Cy Hampson Park and requires leashes at Dominion Brook Park.
Key facts
| Leash rule | A dog must not 'run at large': that means being on land the owner does not own or occupy, unless the dog is under the direct and continuous control of a competent person, securely confined, or securely fastened. The bylaw does not say 'on a leash' for ordinary dogs. In parks a dog may run at large only as Bylaw 751 allows. Dominion Brook Park: dogs must be leashed at all times.Animal Control Bylaw No. 751, ss. 1.2, 17.1(a); Parks Bylaw No. 1470, s. 9; Guide to Parks, Trails & Beach Accesses, Guide to Parks, Trails & Beach Accesses (Dominion Brook Park) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingif it is on land which is not owned or occupied by the owner of the animal; under the direct and continuous control of a person who is competent to control it No owner of an animal shall suffer or permit such animal to may allow it to run at large in a park only if that is permitted under must be leashed at all times in Dominion Brook Park. |
|---|---|
| Maximum leash length | None set. Bylaw 751 sets no leash length for ordinary dogs.Read: Animal Control Bylaw No. 751 |
| Off-leash areas | Cy Hampson Park, Lochside Drive: the District's Guide to Parks, Trails & Beach Accesses describes a 'dogs off leash' area between Lochside and Patricia Bay Highway. The Guide is the District's list of parks, trails and beach accesses.Guide to Parks, Trails & Beach Accesses, Guide to Parks, Trails & Beach Accesses (Cy Hampson Park) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingLocated on Lochside Drive, it is a wheelchair accessible waterfront park a “dogs off leash” area between Lochside and Patricia Bay Highway. |
| Places dogs are not allowed | None set. The bylaws read have no dog ban on beaches, playgrounds or sports fields.Read: Animal Control Bylaw No. 751; Parks Bylaw No. 1470 |
| Cleaning up | If a dog defecates in a park or on public land in the District, the owner or person in charge must clean up and remove the feces immediately.Animal Control Bylaw No. 751, s. 17.11 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingIn the event that a dog or dogs defecates in or upon any park or public lands shall be responsible for the immediate clean up and removal of feces |
| Fine, dog at large or off leash | Municipal ticket (MTI Bylaw 1544, Schedule 8): $130, or $100 if paid within 30 days (running at large, s. 17.1(a)). These 2022 amounts may be out of date; the District has 2026 ticket bylaws.Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1544 (Schedule 8) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingPermit animal to run at large 17.1(a) $130.00 $100.00 |
| Bylaw | District of North Saanich Animal Control By-law (1993), Bylaw No. 751 (running at large, s. 17.1); Parks Bylaw No. 1470 (animals in parks, s. 9)Animal Control Bylaw No. 751, s. 22.1 and title; Parks Bylaw No. 1470, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingDistrict of North Saanich Animal Control By-law (1993) ANIMAL CONTROL BY-LAW NO. 751 North $aanich Parks Bylaw No. 1470 (2018) |
How it works
The Animal Control Bylaw No. 751 does not say "on a leash" for ordinary dogs. Instead, a dog must not run at large. That means being on land its owner does not own or occupy, unless the dog is under the direct and continuous control of a competent person, securely confined or securely fastened. In a park, a dog may run at large only as Bylaw 751 allows (see Parks Bylaw No. 1470, s. 9).
The District's Guide to Parks, Trails & Beach Accesses points out two places:
- Cy Hampson Park, Lochside Drive: a "dogs off leash" area between Lochside and Patricia Bay Highway.
- Dominion Brook Park: dogs must be leashed at all times.
Good to know
- The guide's general advice for trails is to keep your dog under control and remove droppings. Other parks may have their own rules; the guide's map symbols were not readable, so check with the District.
- If your dog defecates in a park or on public land, you must clean it up immediately.
- Bylaw 751 sets no leash length for ordinary dogs. Dangerous dogs must be on a leash no longer than 2.4 metres.
- Bylaw 751 bans horses, not dogs, from public beaches from May 1 to September 30. We found no dog ban on beaches, playgrounds or sports fields in the bylaws.
- Running at large is a $130 municipal ticket, or $100 if paid within 30 days. These 2022 amounts may have changed under the District's 2026 ticket bylaws, which we could not read.
- Report loose dogs to CRD Animal Control, 250-478-0624. Coles Bay and other CRD regional parks have their own rules.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Sidney · Central Saanich · Highlands · Saanich · Langford · View Royal
Sources
- Animal Control Bylaw No. 751 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Parks Bylaw No. 1470 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Guide to Parks, Trails & Beach Accesses (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1544 (Schedule 8) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Dog Licences, District of North Saanich (read 2026-11-05)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set. How answers are checked.