{"title":"Prince Rupert dog leash rules and off-leash areas","question":"Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules?","slug":"dog-leash-rules","place":{"path":"ca/bc/prince-rupert","name":"Prince Rupert","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"pets-and-wildlife","name":"Pets, animals and wildlife"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Prince Rupert","url":"https://www.princerupert.ca"},"short_answer":"In Prince Rupert, off your own property a dog must be on a leash and under control on any highway, school property, park or other public place, except in a designated off-leash area. The City does not publish where those areas are, so ask the Bylaw Department at 250-624-6852.","aliases":["dog off leash park prince rupert","do dogs have to be on a leash","dog park prince rupert","leash law","dog at large fine"],"cost":"Tickets (City Pet Licenses page): dog at large $85; unleashed dog in a park $55; excrement not removed $55.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Department","value":"250-624-6852"},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Department","value":"bylaw@princerupert.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Pet Licenses page (fines)","url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control/pet-licenses"},{"title":"Dog Control Bylaw 3250 (PDF)","url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Prince Rupert dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"dangerous-dogs","title":"Prince Rupert rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/dangerous-dogs/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/port-edward","name":"Port Edward","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/kitimat","name":"Kitimat","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/terrace","name":"Terrace","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/new-hazelton","name":"New Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/smithers","name":"Smithers","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/dog-leash-rules/"}],"topic":{"title":"Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules/"},"facts":{"leash_rule":{"label":"Leash rule","value":"Off your own property, a dog must be on a leash and under control on any highway, school property, park or other public place in the City, except in a designated off-leash area. No owner may let a dog be at large or trespass on private property.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf","title":"Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008 (PDF), City of Prince Rupert","section":"s. 400, 402","quotes":["No owner of an animal shall permit the animal to be at large in the City or to trespass on any private property.","shall keep the dog on a leash and under control while on any highway, school property, park or other public place in the City"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"leash_length":{"label":"Maximum leash length","value":"A leash must be 3 to 6 feet long and strong enough to restrain the dog.","short":"3 to 6 feet","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf","title":"Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008 (PDF), City of Prince Rupert","section":"Sched. A, \"Leash\"","quotes":["no more than six (6) feet in length and no less than three (3) feet"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"off_leash_areas":{"label":"Off-leash areas","value":"Only in City-owned areas designated by signs. There the owner must carry a leash, keep the dog in view, have it return when called, and leash it at once if it acts aggressively. Restricted and vicious dogs are never allowed in them.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf","title":"Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008 (PDF), City of Prince Rupert","section":"s. 406, 407, 408.1; Sched. A \"Off Leash Area\"","quotes":["an area of the City-owned property designated by signs","immediately leashes the dog if it displays any aggressive behaviour","not permit or allow the dog to be in a designated off-leash area in the City at any time"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"dogs_not_allowed":{"label":"Places dogs are not allowed","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"The bylaw lets Council set no-dog areas, but none are listed.","sources":[]},"clean_up":{"label":"Cleaning up","value":"Anyone with a dog in a public place, on a highway, school property, park or private property other than their own residence must carry a bag or other impermeable means to pick up the dog's excrement, and immediately remove and dispose of it in a waste container or other sanitary way.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf","title":"Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008 (PDF), City of Prince Rupert","section":"s. 403","quotes":["carry a plastic bag or other impermeable means to pick up and properly dispose of any excrement left by their dog","immediately remove and dispose of, in a waste container, or by other sanitary means, any excrement deposited by the dog"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine_at_large":{"label":"Fine, dog at large or off leash","value":"Dog at large $85. Unleashed dog in a park $55. Dog excrement not removed from a public place $55.","short":"$85 at large; $55 unleashed in park","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control/pet-licenses","title":"Pet Licenses, City of Prince Rupert","section":"Fines for Offenses Under the Dog Bylaw","quotes":["Dog at large 13 $85.00","Unleashed dog in park 15 (a) $55.00","Dog excrement not removed from public place 15 (b) $55.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf","title":"Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008 (PDF), City of Prince Rupert","section":"s. 605","quotes":["This bylaw may be cited as the \"DOG CONTROL BYLAW No. 3250, 2008\""]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":7,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnder [Dog Control Bylaw 3250](https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf), a dog off its owner's property must be on a leash and under control on any highway, school property, park or other public place in Prince Rupert, unless it is in a designated off-leash area. An owner may not let a dog be at large or trespass on private property. A leash must be 3 to 6 feet long and strong enough to restrain the dog.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Off-leash areas are City-owned areas marked by signs. The City's pages and the bylaw do not list or map them, so ask the Bylaw Department.\n- In an off-leash area you must carry a leash, keep the dog in view, have it return when called, and leash it at once if it acts aggressively.\n- Restricted and vicious dogs are never allowed in off-leash areas.\n- The bylaw lets Council set areas where dogs are not allowed, but none are listed.\n- Carry a bag or other way to pick up your dog's excrement in any public place, on a highway, in a park or school property, or on private property other than your own home, and remove it right away to a waste container or other sanitary place.\n- Tickets (City Pet Licenses page): dog at large $85; unleashed dog in a park $55; excrement not removed from a public place $55. A court can fine $1,000 to $10,000 under the bylaw.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/bylaws-policies/animal-control/pet-licenses","title":"Pet Licenses, City of Prince Rupert","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/sites/7/files/2023-06/3250%20-%20%20Dog%20Control%20Bylaw%20%28VERSION%202.00%20-%20January%202008%29.pdf","title":"Dog Control Bylaw No. 3250, 2008 (PDF), City of Prince Rupert","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.princerupert.ca/city-hall/contact-city-department","title":"Contact a City Department, City of Prince Rupert","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"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."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/dog-leash-rules/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/dog-leash-rules.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/dog-leash-rules.json"}}