---
title: Penticton dog leash rules and off-leash areas
question: "Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules?"
place: Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/penticton
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Penticton
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/dog-leash-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/dog-leash-rules.json"
---

# Penticton dog leash rules and off-leash areas

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

**Short answer:** In Penticton a dog must be on a leash no longer than 2 metres (6 feet), held by the owner, unless it is in a designated off-leash area or on private property. The City lists fenced dog parks and off-leash beaches. Leash-optional zones were a 2024 pilot; confirm they still run.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Penticton, https://www.penticton.ca)  
**Cost:** Dog at large: bylaw notice $100, municipal ticket $200. Fail to control a dog: bylaw notice $100, municipal ticket $200.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Animal Care and Control, 250-492-3801
- Email: Animal Care and Control, dogs@penticton.ca

## Key facts

- **Leash rule:** A dog must be on a leash held by the owner, attached to the dog, unless it is in a designated off-leash dog park or on private property.
  - Source: [Animal Services, Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.penticton.ca/animalcare-control/animal-services)
  - Official wording: "unless your dog is within a designated off-leash dog park or on private property, all dogs must be on a leash" … "The leash must be attached to the dog and be held by the owner."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Maximum leash length:** A fixed total length of not more than 2 metres (6 feet).
  - Source: [Animal Services, Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.penticton.ca/animalcare-control/animal-services)
  - Official wording: "a fixed total length of not more than 2 metres (6 feet)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Off-leash areas:** Fenced dog parks: City Yards, Water Treatment Plant, Ellis Creek Park. Dog beaches: Okanagan Lake Park, Three Mile Beach (South Beach), Skaha Lake on Lakeside Road. Leash-optional zones at Riverside Park, Skaha Lake Park and the Water Treatment Plant entrance were a pilot the City page dates March 1 to August 31, 2024; confirm current status.
  - Source: [Off-Leash Dog Parks & Beaches](https://www.penticton.ca/parks-recreation/parks/dogs-parks)
  - Official wording: "Okanagan Lake Park Dog Beach" … "Three Mile Beach" … "City Yards – 2088 Dartmouth Road" … "Ellis Creek Park – 100 Industrial Place" … "Riverside Park Well-behaved dogs are welcome" … "Skaha Lake Park (Two Locations)" … "Water Treatment Plant Entrance" … "The pathway along the Creek to the off-leash area is part of the City’s leash-optional pilot program running from March 1 through to August 31, 2024." … "Feb. 15, 2024: City launches six-month pilot project of five new dog leash-optional areas"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Places dogs are not allowed:** Sports fields, cemeteries, beaches (except where designated), school property and near children's playgrounds.
  - Source: [Off-Leash Dog Parks & Beaches, Dogs in Parks intro](https://www.penticton.ca/parks-recreation/parks/dogs-parks)
  - Official wording: "Dogs are not allowed on sports fields, cemeteries, beaches (except where designated), school property or near children's playgrounds."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Cleaning up:** The owner must immediately remove and dispose of dog waste in a sanitary manner whenever the dog is away from home.
  - Source: [Animal Services, Don't Forget! / Dog Owner Responsibilities](https://www.penticton.ca/animalcare-control/animal-services)
  - Official wording: "Every owner shall, at all times when your animal is away from your home, immediately remove and dispose of dog waste in a sanitary manner."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Animal at large (s. 7.2): bylaw notice $100 ($90 if paid within 14 days, $110 late); municipal ticket $200. Fail to control dog (s. 16.1(a)): bylaw notice $100; municipal ticket $200.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2012-5037 (consolidated June 2026), Schedule A, Appendix 2](https://www.penticton.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/bylaws/2012-5037%20Bylaw%20Notice%20Enforcement%20%28Consolidated%20Package%20-%20June%202026%29_0.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal at large 7.2 $100.00 $90.00 $110.00 Yes" … "Fail to control dog 16.1(a) $100.00 $90.00 $110.00 Yes"
  - Source: [Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2012-5021 (consolidated June 2026), Schedule B2](https://www.penticton.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/bylaws/MTI%20Bylaw%205021%20-%20consolidated%20for%20website%20-%20June%202026.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal at large 7.2 $200.00" … "Fail to control dog 16.1(a) $200.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw No. 2021-02
  - Source: [Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2012-5021 (consolidated June 2026), Schedule B2](https://www.penticton.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/bylaws/MTI%20Bylaw%205021%20-%20consolidated%20for%20website%20-%20June%202026.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control Bylaw No. 2021-02"
  - Source: [Off-Leash Dog Parks & Beaches, Important Safety & Bylaw Requirements](https://www.penticton.ca/parks-recreation/parks/dogs-parks)
  - Official wording: "In accordance to the Animal Control Bylaw Section 16"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The City's Animal Services page, based on [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2021-02](https://www.penticton.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/bylaws/2021-02%20Animal%20Control%20Bylaw.pdf), says a dog must be on a leash held by the owner and attached to the dog, with a fixed total length of not more than 2 metres (6 feet). The exceptions are a designated off-leash dog park and private property. The bylaw itself is a scanned image that could not be read.

## Off-leash places listed by the City

- Fenced dog parks: City Yards, Water Treatment Plant, Ellis Creek Park.
- Dog beaches: Okanagan Lake Park, Three Mile Beach (South Beach boating area, not the swimming beach) and Skaha Lake on Lakeside Road.
- Leash-optional zones at Riverside Park, Skaha Lake Park and the Water Treatment Plant entrance. The City page dates this as a pilot from March 1 to August 31, 2024 and no page says it continued, so confirm the current status with Animal Care and Control before letting a dog off leash there.

## Good to know

- In the fenced areas no one may have custody of more than 3 dogs; no biting or dangerous dogs, no dogs in heat, no unattended dogs.
- Dogs are not allowed on sports fields, cemeteries, beaches (except where designated), school property or near children's playgrounds.
- Pick up after your dog immediately whenever it is away from home. The City page cites a $100 fine; the schedules show a bylaw notice of $100 and a municipal ticket of $200.
- Dog in a prohibited area: bylaw notice $100, municipal ticket $200. Failing to leash and remove a dog from an off-leash area: $200 notice, $400 ticket.

## Official forms and pages

- [Dogs in Parks, City of Penticton](https://www.penticton.ca/parks-recreation/parks/dogs-parks)
- [Animal Services page](https://www.penticton.ca/animalcare-control/animal-services)

## Related questions

- [Penticton dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/dog-licence.md)
- [Penticton rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Penticton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/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)
- [Summerland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Peachland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Oliver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Keremeos](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [West Kelowna](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-kelowna/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Kelowna](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kelowna/dog-leash-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Off-Leash Dog Parks & Beaches, City of Penticton](https://www.penticton.ca/parks-recreation/parks/dogs-parks) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Animal Services, City of Penticton](https://www.penticton.ca/animalcare-control/animal-services) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2012-5037 (PDF) (consolidated June 2026)](https://www.penticton.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/bylaws/2012-5037%20Bylaw%20Notice%20Enforcement%20%28Consolidated%20Package%20-%20June%202026%29_0.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2012-5021 (PDF) (consolidated June 2026)](https://www.penticton.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/bylaws/MTI%20Bylaw%205021%20-%20consolidated%20for%20website%20-%20June%202026.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)

_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 City of Penticton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/dog-leash-rules/_