--- title: Salmon Arm dog leash rules and off-leash areas question: "Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules?" place: Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/salmon-arm category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: City of Salmon Arm sources_read: 2026-11-05 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/dog-leash-rules/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/dog-leash-rules.json" --- # Salmon Arm dog leash rules and off-leash areas **Question:** Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules? **Short answer:** In the City of Salmon Arm, a dog must not be at large; off your property it must be on a secure leash held by you. Exceptions are designated off-leash parks and areas, and undeveloped natural parks such as South Canoe, Little Mountain, Coyote and Parkhill. Follow the signs. **Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Salmon Arm, https://www.salmonarm.ca) **Cost:** Municipal ticket: $150 for a first dog-at-large offence. **Where:** - Phone: Dog Control, 250-803-4000 ## Key facts - **Leash rule:** Dogs must not be at large; off the owner's property they must be on a secure leash held by the owner. Exceptions: designated off-leash parks and areas, and unimproved natural parks not marked leash-only or no-dogs (dog needs collar and tag; owner carries a leash and keeps visual and verbal control). - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 6(a), 7(c), 7(d)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6793/4728---Animal-Control-Bylaw) - Official wording: "Dogs must be kept on a secure leash held by the Owner." … "an Owner may permit his or her dog to be at large in an unimproved natural park" … "The Owner maintains visual contact with and verbal control of the dog at all times;" - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, Dogs & Natural Parks](https://www.salmonarm.ca/525/Animal-Control-Bylaw-No-4728-Adopted) - Official wording: "You still need to register your dog, and you are required to have your dog on leash at all times in public areas." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Maximum leash length:** The Animal Control Bylaw sets no maximum. On the Foreshore Trail (Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw, Appendix A) the maximum is a 2 metre leash. - Source: [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609, Appendix A](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/152/4609-Parks-and-Open-Spaces) - Official wording: "on maximum 2 metre leash" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Off-leash areas:** Designated off-leash parks and areas, and unimproved natural parks (the City names South Canoe, Little Mountain, Coyote and Parkhill), where you must carry a leash and keep the dog under control. Canoe Beach Park has a signed off-leash area at its eastern end. Follow the signs in other parks. - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, Dogs & Natural Parks](https://www.salmonarm.ca/525/Animal-Control-Bylaw-No-4728-Adopted) - Official wording: "such as South Canoe, Little Mountain, Coyote or Parkhill" … "For other parks, please follow directions on the signage for the park you are visiting." - Source: [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609, Appendix B (Canoe Beach Park)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/152/4609-Parks-and-Open-Spaces) - Official wording: "signed off leash area at the eastern part of the park" - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 7(d)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6793/4728---Animal-Control-Bylaw) - Official wording: "An Owner may cause or permit his or her dog to be at large in a designated off-leash park or area designated under the Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Places dogs are not allowed:** Not on sports fields, within 6.0 m (20 feet) of playgrounds or splash parks, or anywhere a City sign bans dogs. Canoe Beach Park and Fletcher Park: dogs only on signed leashed paths. Foreshore Trail: no dogs May 1 to June 30. Aggressive and dangerous dogs are banned from all parks. - Source: [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609, s. 4.1(k)(ii)-(v), Appendix A, Appendix B](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/152/4609-Parks-and-Open-Spaces) - Official wording: "Dogs shall not be permitted on those portions of parks used as sports fields." … "Dogs shall not be permitted within 6.0m (20 feet) of any playground" … "A person must not take a dog into any park or open space where a City sign expressly prohibits dogs from entering the area." … "except during the period of May 01 to June 30 of each year when dogs are prohibited." … "Dogs shall not be permitted to enter those parks listed below, except where permitted on trails and sidewalks by posted City signs" - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 9(d)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6793/4728---Animal-Control-Bylaw) - Official wording: "No Owner shall allow a Dangerous Dog or an Aggressive Dog into any sports field, playground, public beach, swimming area, park, off-leash park, or school grounds at any time." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Cleaning up:** Remove your dog's excrement immediately from public property or anyone else's property and dispose of it in a sanitary manner. On your own premises, remove it in a timely manner. - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 8(b), 8(c)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6793/4728---Animal-Control-Bylaw) - Official wording: "unless the Owner immediately removes the excrement and disposes of it in a sanitary manner" … "Every Owner shall remove and dispose any excrement left by his or her dog on the premises owned or occupied by the Owner in a timely manner." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Municipal ticket: $150 first offence, $200 second within 12 months, $300 third or later. Dog off leash in an on-leash area (s. 7(b)): $200. - Source: [Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 2760 (consolidated, PDF), Schedules 3 and 9, Schedule 3 (Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/222/2760-Bylaw---Ticket-Information-Utilization) - Official wording: "Dog at large, 1st offence 6 (a) $150.00" … "Dog at large, 2nd offence in a 12 month period 6 (a) $200.00" … "Dog at large, 3rd and subsequent offence in a 12 month period 6 (a) $300.00" … "Dog off leash in on leash area 7 (b) $200.00" - Source: [Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 2760 (consolidated, PDF), Schedules 3 and 9, Schedule 9 (Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw 4609)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/222/2760-Bylaw---Ticket-Information-Utilization) - Official wording: "Off leash dog in a Park in Schedule A 4.1 (k)(i) $500" … "Allow any animal to run at large in park 4.1 (k) $100" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** City of Salmon Arm Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728; park dog rules in City of Salmon Arm Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609 - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 16 Citation](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6793/4728---Animal-Control-Bylaw) - Official wording: "City of Salmon Arm Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728" - Source: [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609, Citation](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/152/4609-Parks-and-Open-Spaces) - Official wording: "City of Salmon Arm Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works Under the [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728](), a dog in Salmon Arm must not be at large. Away from your property it must be on a secure leash held by you. Inside a house, it must be secure behind a wall, fence, pen or enclosure unless you have control of it. The [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609]() adds park-specific rules. ## Steps 1. Keep your dog on a secure leash in public unless you are in a designated off-leash park or area, or an undeveloped natural park. 2. In natural parks not marked leash-only or no-dogs (the City names South Canoe, Little Mountain, Coyote and Parkhill), your dog needs a collar and tag. Carry a leash and keep the dog in visual and verbal control. 3. Follow the signs. Canoe Beach Park has a signed off-leash area at its eastern end. 4. Remove your dog's waste immediately from public property or anyone else's property and dispose of it in a sanitary manner. ## Good to know - The Animal Control Bylaw sets no maximum leash length. On the Foreshore Trail the maximum is a 2 metre leash. - Dogs are not allowed on sports fields, within 6 metres (20 feet) of a playground or splash park, or anywhere a City sign bans them. - Canoe Beach Park and Fletcher Park: dogs only on signed leashed paths. Foreshore Trail: no dogs from May 1 to June 30. Aggressive and dangerous dogs are banned from all parks. - Do not tow a dog behind a bicycle, skateboard, scooter or similar. - On your own premises, remove waste in a timely manner. - Municipal tickets under [Bylaw 2760](): dog at large $150 first offence, $200 second within 12 months, $300 third or later; off leash in an on-leash area $200. - In City parks: off-leash dog in a leash-only park $500; dog on a sports field, in a playground or spray park, or where signs ban dogs $250; animal at large in a park $100. - The City has not published a list of designated off-leash areas that we could find. Ask Dog Control at 250-803-4000. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 (PDF)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6793/4728---Animal-Control-Bylaw) - [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609 (PDF)](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/152/4609-Parks-and-Open-Spaces) - [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted](https://www.salmonarm.ca/525/Animal-Control-Bylaw-No-4728-Adopted) ## Related questions - [Salmon Arm dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/dog-licence.md) - [Salmon Arm rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/dangerous-dogs.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md) ## Sources - [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, City of Salmon Arm](https://www.salmonarm.ca/525/Animal-Control-Bylaw-No-4728-Adopted) (read 2026-11-05) - [Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 (PDF), City of Salmon Arm](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/6793/4728---Animal-Control-Bylaw) (read 2026-11-05) - [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609 (PDF), City of Salmon Arm](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/152/4609-Parks-and-Open-Spaces) (read 2026-11-05) - [Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 2760 (consolidated, PDF), Schedules 3 and 9](https://www.salmonarm.ca/DocumentCenter/View/222/2760-Bylaw---Ticket-Information-Utilization) (read 2026-11-05) - [Dog Licenses, City of Salmon Arm](https://www.salmonarm.ca/202/Dog-Licences) (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 Salmon Arm. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmon-arm/dog-leash-rules/_