{"title":"Princeton 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/princeton","name":"Princeton","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":"Town of Princeton","url":"https://www.princeton.ca"},"short_answer":"In Princeton, a dog in a public place must be on a leash, chain or tether no longer than 2 m and under the care of a competent person. A dog at large is an offence. The Town does not name any off-leash areas.","aliases":["off leash dog park princeton","dog park princeton bc","leash law princeton","dog at large princeton"],"cost":"Ticket for a dog at large: $100. Ticket for a dog off leash: $100.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"778-720-6114 or 250-295-3135","note":"Town Hall hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"bylaw@princeton.ca"},{"type":"in_person","label":"Bylaw office (The Annex)","value":"231 Bridge Street, Princeton, BC"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton","url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/"},{"title":"Dog licensing, Town of Princeton","url":"https://www.princeton.ca/p/dog-licencing"},{"title":"Bylaw Services, Town of Princeton","url":"https://www.princeton.ca/p/bylaw-services"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Princeton dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"dangerous-dogs","title":"Princeton rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/dangerous-dogs/"},{"slug":"how-many-pets","title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Princeton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/how-many-pets/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Princeton bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/keremeos","name":"Keremeos","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/summerland","name":"Summerland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/hope","name":"Hope","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hope/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/penticton","name":"Penticton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/peachland","name":"Peachland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/dog-leash-rules/"},{"place":"ca/bc/oliver","name":"Oliver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/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":"In a public place a dog must be on a leash, chain or tether not over 2 m and under the immediate care and control of a competent person. A dog at large (off leash in a public place or on another person's land without consent) is an offence. The Town page says dogs must be leashed outside the residence or fenced yard.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 14(c)","quotes":["be in a public place unless the dog is kept on a leash, chain or tether not exceeding two (2) meters in length and the dog is under the immediate care and control of a competent person","a dog, while not secured on a leash by a competent person, in or upon a highway or public place","be at large in the Town;"]},{"url":"https://www.princeton.ca/p/dog-licencing","title":"Dog licensing, Town of Princeton","section":"Dog licensing","quotes":["All dogs must be on a leash and in full control of a competent person when outside of a residence or fenced yard while in the municipality of Princeton."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"leash_length":{"label":"Maximum leash length","value":"2 metres (6.6 ft) at most.","short":"2 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 14(c)","quotes":["on a leash, chain or tether not exceeding two (2) meters in length"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"off_leash_areas":{"label":"Off-leash areas","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"Neither the bylaw nor the Town's pages name any off-leash areas.","sources":[]},"dogs_not_allowed":{"label":"Places dogs are not allowed","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"Neither the bylaw nor the Town's pages name places where dogs are banned.","sources":[]},"clean_up":{"label":"Cleaning up","value":"If a dog defecates on a highway or public place, the person in charge of the animal must immediately remove the excrement and dispose of it in a sanitary manner.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 15","quotes":["If an animal defecates on a highway or public place, the person having care, custody or control of the animal shall immediately remove the excrement and dispose of it in a sanitary manner."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine_at_large":{"label":"Fine, dog at large or off leash","value":"Dog at large: $100. Dog off leash: $100.","short":"$100","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"Schedule C","quotes":["Dog at large 14(b) $100.00","Dog off leash 14(c) $100.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 1","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “Animal Control Bylaw, No. 782, 2006”"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":7,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":2},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe Town's [Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/) says that in a public place a dog must be on a leash, chain or tether no longer than 2 metres (6.6 ft), under the immediate care and control of a competent person. A dog is \"at large\" if it is off leash in a public place or on someone else's land without consent, and that is an offence. \"Public place\" includes any highway and any property the Town owns or runs. The Town's [dog licensing page](https://www.princeton.ca/p/dog-licencing) says dogs must be leashed outside the residence or fenced yard.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The bylaw and the Town's pages do not name any off-leash areas or dog parks. Ask Bylaw Services (250-295-3135 or 778-720-6114) before assuming a park allows off-leash dogs.\n- They also name no places where dogs are banned. The Town's campground has its own pet rules.\n- If your dog defecates on a highway or in a public place, you must remove it right away and dispose of it in a sanitary way.\n- Tickets: $100 for a dog at large and $100 for a dog off leash.\n- Report a loose dog to Bylaw Services: 778-720-6114 or 250-295-3135, bylaw@princeton.ca.","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/163/","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 782, 2006 (PDF), Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.princeton.ca/p/dog-licencing","title":"Dog licensing, Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.princeton.ca/p/bylaw-services","title":"Bylaw Services, Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 2 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/dog-leash-rules/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/dog-leash-rules.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/dog-leash-rules.json"}}