Salmon Arm dog leash rules and off-leash areas

Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules?

Salmon Arm, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

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.

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).Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 6(a), 7(c), 7(d); Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, Dogs & Natural Parks · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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; You still need to register your dog, and you are required to have your dog on leash at all times in public areas.
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.Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609, Appendix A · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording on maximum 2 metre leash
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.Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, Dogs & Natural Parks; Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609, Appendix B (Canoe Beach Park); Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 7(d) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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. signed off leash area at the eastern part of the park 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
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.Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609, s. 4.1(k)(ii)-(v), Appendix A, Appendix B; Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 9(d) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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 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.
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.Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 8(b), 8(c) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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.
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.Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 2760 (consolidated, PDF), Schedules 3 and 9, Schedule 3 (Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728); Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 2760 (consolidated, PDF), Schedules 3 and 9, Schedule 9 (Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw 4609) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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 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
Bylaw	City of Salmon Arm Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728; park dog rules in City of Salmon Arm Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 16 Citation; Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609, Citation · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording City of Salmon Arm Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 City of Salmon Arm Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609

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

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.
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.
Follow the signs. Canoe Beach Park has a signed off-leash area at its eastern end.
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

The same question in other places

Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, City of Salmon Arm (read 2026-11-05)
Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 (PDF), City of Salmon Arm (read 2026-11-05)
Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 4609 (PDF), City of Salmon Arm (read 2026-11-05)
Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 2760 (consolidated, PDF), Schedules 3 and 9 (read 2026-11-05)
Dog Licenses, City of Salmon Arm (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. How answers are checked.