--- title: Port Alberni dog leash rules and off-leash areas question: "Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules?" place: Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/port-alberni category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: City of Port Alberni sources_read: 2026-11-05 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-leash-rules/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-leash-rules.json" --- # Port Alberni dog leash rules and off-leash areas **Question:** Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules? **Short answer:** In Port Alberni, a dog in a public place must be on a leash, chain or tether no longer than 183 cm (6 feet) and under a competent person's control. The City names one off-leash park, on Beaver Creek Road. A dog at large or off leash is a $100 bylaw notice. **Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Port Alberni, https://www.portalberni.ca) **Cost:** Bylaw notice $100 for a dog at large and $100 for a dog off leash ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). **Where:** - Phone: Bylaw Services, 250-720-2831 - Email: Bylaw Services, bylaw@portalberni.ca ## Key facts - **Leash rule:** In a public place (highways and City property) a dog must be on a leash, chain or tether and under the immediate care and control of a competent person. A dog must not be at large. The City page exempts the off-leash park on Beaver Creek Road. - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 17(b)-(c)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) - Official wording: "be in a public place unless the dog is kept on a leash, chain or tether not exceeding 183 centimetres (six feet) in length and the dog is under the immediate care and control of a competent person" … "be at large in the City" - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 2](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) - Official wording: "in or upon a highway or public place" - Source: [Animal Control and Wildlife, Dog rules](https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife) - Official wording: "except in the off-leash park located on Beaver Creek Road" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Maximum leash length:** 183 cm (6 feet) at most. - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 17(c)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) - Official wording: "not exceeding 183 centimetres (six feet) in length" - Source: [Animal Control and Wildlife, Dog rules](https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife) - Official wording: "not exceeding 183 cm (6ft) in length" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Off-leash areas:** The off-leash park on Beaver Creek Road, per the City's Animal Control page. - Source: [Animal Control and Wildlife, Dog rules](https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife) - Official wording: "except in the off-leash park located on Beaver Creek Road" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Places dogs are not allowed:** Not confirmed. Park rules may be in the Parks Bylaw, which has no readable text. - **Cleaning up:** The person with care or control of the animal must immediately remove its excrement from a highway or public place and dispose of it in a sanitary manner. - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 20](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) - Official wording: "the person having care, custody, or control of the animal shall immediately remove the excrement so deposited and dispose of it in a sanitary manner" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Bylaw notice: $100 for a dog at large and $100 for a dog off leash ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128, 2025 (consolidated), Schedule A-2, s. 17(b)-(c)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5128%2C%205128-1_Bylaw%20Notice%20Enforcement%20Bylaw%20No.%205128%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) - Official wording: "Dog at large $100.00 $75.00 $125.00" … "Dog off-leash $100.00 $75.00 $125.00" - Source: [Fees and Charges - Animal Control and Licensing, Fines and Tickets](https://www.portalberni.ca/fees-and-charges-animal-control-and-licensing) - Official wording: "Dog at large | 17b | $100.00" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Animal Control and Pound Bylaw, No. 5126, 2025 - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2), s. 1](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) - Official wording: "Animal Control and Pound Bylaw, No. 5126, 2025" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works The [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126]() says a dog in a public place (a highway or City property) must be on a leash, chain or tether not longer than 183 cm (6 feet) and under the immediate care and control of a competent person. A dog must not be "at large". The only off-leash area the City's Animal Control page names is the off-leash park on Beaver Creek Road; the bylaw text itself has no off-leash exception. ## Good to know - Whoever has care or control of the dog must immediately remove its excrement from a highway or public place and dispose of it in a sanitary manner. - A bylaw notice is $100 for a dog at large and $100 for a dog off leash ($75 if paid within 14 days, $125 if paid late), under the [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128](). - The City page gives no park name, map, fencing or hours for the off-leash park. - The Animal Control and Pound Bylaw does not list places where dogs are banned. Park-specific rules may be in the Parks Bylaw No. 5121, whose text could not be read; ask Bylaw Services at 250-720-2831. - Questions or complaints: Bylaw Services, 250-720-2831. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Control and Wildlife, City of Port Alberni](https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife) - [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) ## Related questions - [Port Alberni dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-licence.md) - [Port Alberni rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dangerous-dogs.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Qualicum Beach](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Parksville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/parksville/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-leash-rules.md) - [Lantzville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/dog-leash-rules.md) ## Sources - [Animal Control and Wildlife, City of Port Alberni](https://www.portalberni.ca/animal-control-and-wildlife) (read 2026-11-05) - [Fees and Charges - Animal Control and Licensing, City of Port Alberni](https://www.portalberni.ca/fees-and-charges-animal-control-and-licensing) (read 2026-11-05) - [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 5126, 2025 (consolidated, includes 5126-2) (PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5126_5126-1_5126-2_Animal%20Control%20and%20Pound%20Bylaw%20No.%205126%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-05) - [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128, 2025 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.portalberni.ca/sites/default/files/bylaws/5128%2C%205128-1_Bylaw%20Notice%20Enforcement%20Bylaw%20No.%205128%2C%202025_Consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-05) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Port Alberni. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-leash-rules/_