---
title: Port Hardy rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs
question: "What are the rules for aggressive or dangerous dogs in Port Hardy?"
place: Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/port-hardy
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Port Hardy
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/dangerous-dogs/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/dangerous-dogs.json"
---

# Port Hardy rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs

**Question:** What are the rules for aggressive or dangerous dogs in Port Hardy?

**Short answer:** In Port Hardy, an Animal Control Officer, Bylaw Enforcement Officer or Peace Officer can classify a dog as dangerous. Its owner must then licence it as dangerous ($89.50), muzzle and leash it off the property, and confine it at home. Breaking these rules is a $250 ticket.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Port Hardy, https://porthardy.ca)  
**Cost:** Dangerous dog licence $89.50. Impoundment of a dangerous or restricted dog $486. Municipal tickets $250 for most dangerous-dog offences.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Animal Control Officer, 250-949-6113 (After hours, leave a message.)
- Phone: Port Hardy RCMP non-emergency, 250-949-6335 (Call 911 for emergencies.)
- Phone: District Office, 250-949-6665

## Key facts

- **How a dog is declared dangerous or aggressive:** A dog that has killed or seriously injured a person, or a domestic animal off its owner's property, or that an officer has reasonable grounds to believe is likely to kill or seriously injure a person. An Animal Control Officer, Bylaw Enforcement Officer or Peace Officer classifies it; only a court can overturn that.
  - Source: [Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 11-2012, consolidated March 2023, s. 2.1 'Dangerous Dog', 8.1, 8.2](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/11-2012-Animal-Care-and-Control-consolidated-March-2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "has killed or seriously injured a person" … "is likely to kill or seriously injure a person." … "The classification of a dog as a dangerous dog may be undertaken by an Animal" … "the only way in which this declaration can"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Rules for owners:** Licence as a dangerous dog (owner over 18, vet proof of neutering). Off property: muzzle, leash no longer than one metre, handler over 18. At home: indoors or locked pen at least 1 m from the property line and 3 m from a neighbouring dwelling. Post signs. Report escapes.
  - Source: [Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 11-2012, consolidated March 2023, s. 8.5 to 8.10](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/11-2012-Animal-Care-and-Control-consolidated-March-2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "unless such dog is licensed as a dangerous dog with the municipality by an owner who is over the age of eighteen" … "properly fitted with a muzzle and on a leash not longer than one metre" … "shall not be within one metre of the property line or within three metres of a" … "declaring in legible writing and with a recognizable symbol that the dog is dangerous" … "promptly notify the municipality"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Licence fee:** $89.50 (Dangerous Dog licence).
  - Source: [User Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 1187-2026, Schedule L, Animal Control Rates 2026](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1187-2026-User-Rates-and-Fees-for-2026.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Spayed/Neutered over eight (8) months old $19.00 Not Spayed/Neutered Over eight (8) months old $60.50 Dangerous Dog $89.50 Replacement tag $11.50 Impoundment - LICENCED AND ALTERED (Dogs & Cats)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to report:** No page gives a separate process for reporting a bite or aggressive dog. The Animal Control Officer, who classifies dangerous dogs, is at 250-949-6113 (cell 250-230-4408 in business hours). After hours: leave a message.
  - Source: [Animal Control, Contact Information](https://porthardy.ca/community/bylaws/animal-control/)
  - Official wording: "Telephone: 250-949-6113" … "Cell Phone: 250-230-4408 (business hours)" … "After Hours: Leave a message."
  - Source: [Port Hardy Bylaw Enforcement & Complaint Process, Complaint process](https://porthardy.ca/community/bylaws/bylaws/)
  - Official wording: "Reports of bylaw infractions may be made at the District Office by completing our Bylaw Enforcement / Bylaw Complaint Form, by letter or by e-mail to general@porthardy.ca" … "Anonymous complaints will not be investigated."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Municipal ticket $250 for: keeping a dangerous dog without a licence (s. 8.5), no muzzle (8.7), not securely confined (8.8), no sign (8.9), not notifying of escape (8.10). An unprovoked attack on a person is $250; on a domestic animal $100.
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 01-2010, consolidated August 2014, Schedule B, Animal Care and Control Bylaw](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/01-2010_mti_consolidated_august_2014.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Keeping of a dangerous dog" … "Failure to muzzle" … "Failure to securely confine" … "Failure to post sign" … "Unprovoked dog permitted to chase, bite or attack any person"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** District of Port Hardy Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 11-2012, Part 2, s. 8 (consolidated March 2023).
  - Source: [Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 11-2012, consolidated March 2023, s. 8](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/11-2012-Animal-Care-and-Control-consolidated-March-2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "destroyed by a Veterinarian. 8. Dangerous Dogs 8.1 The classification of a dog as a dangerous dog may be undertaken by an Animal Amended" … "DISTRICT OF PORT HARDY BYLAW 11-2012 A Bylaw to Provide for the Care and Control of Animals"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under Part 2, section 8 of the [Animal Care and Control Bylaw 11-2012](<https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/11-2012-Animal-Care-and-Control-consolidated-March-2023.pdf>), a dog is dangerous if it has killed or seriously injured a person, or a domestic animal off its owner's property, or if an officer has reasonable grounds to believe it is likely to kill or seriously injure a person. An Animal Control Officer, Bylaw Enforcement Officer or Peace Officer classifies it. Only a court can overturn that.

## Steps

1. If a dog is classified as dangerous, licence it as a dangerous dog. The owner must be over 18 and give a veterinarian's proof of neutering. The fee is $89.50.
2. Off your property, keep the dog muzzled and on a leash no longer than one metre, held by a handler over 18.
3. At home, keep it indoors or in a locked pen at least 1 m from the property line and 3 m from a neighbouring dwelling. Post warning signs.
4. Report any escape to the District.

## Good to know

- If the owner is unwilling or unable to comply, the dog is seized and impounded for 14 days and then euthanized. An officer may also apply to Provincial Court within 21 days for a destruction order.
- Impounding a dangerous or restricted dog costs $486.
- To report a bite or an aggressive dog, call the Animal Control Officer at 250-949-6113 (after hours, leave a message). No page gives a separate bite-reporting process. For emergencies call 911; the RCMP non-emergency line is 250-949-6335.
- A municipal ticket is $250 for keeping a dangerous dog without a licence, no muzzle, not securely confined, no sign, or not reporting an escape. An unprovoked attack on a person is $250 and on a domestic animal $100 ([Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw 01-2010](<https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/01-2010_mti_consolidated_august_2014.pdf>)).

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 11-2012, consolidated March 2023 (PDF), District of Port Hardy](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/11-2012-Animal-Care-and-Control-consolidated-March-2023.pdf)
- [User Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 1187-2026 (PDF), District of Port Hardy](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1187-2026-User-Rates-and-Fees-for-2026.pdf)
- [Animal Control, District of Port Hardy](https://porthardy.ca/community/bylaws/animal-control/)

## Related questions

- [Port Hardy dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/dog-licence.md)
- [Port Hardy dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Port Hardy](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/how-many-pets.md)
- [Port Hardy bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dangerous dog rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/dangerous-dogs.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 11-2012, consolidated March 2023 (PDF), District of Port Hardy](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/11-2012-Animal-Care-and-Control-consolidated-March-2023.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [User Rates and Fees Bylaw No. 1187-2026 (PDF), District of Port Hardy](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1187-2026-User-Rates-and-Fees-for-2026.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 01-2010, consolidated August 2014 (PDF), District of Port Hardy](https://porthardy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/01-2010_mti_consolidated_august_2014.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Animal Control, District of Port Hardy](https://porthardy.ca/community/bylaws/animal-control/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Police Department, District of Port Hardy](https://porthardy.ca/municipal-hall/departments/police-department/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Port Hardy Bylaw Enforcement &amp; Complaint Process](https://porthardy.ca/community/bylaws/bylaws/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Port Hardy. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/dangerous-dogs/_