---
title: Sayward dog leash rules and off-leash areas
question: "Where can dogs be off leash in Sayward, and what are the leash rules?"
place: Sayward, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/sayward
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Sayward
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/dog-leash-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/dog-leash-rules.json"
---

# Sayward dog leash rules and off-leash areas

**Question:** Where can dogs be off leash in Sayward, and what are the leash rules?

**Short answer:** In Sayward, dogs must be on a leash at the Village campground, and owners must pick up after them. A dog at large is a $100 ticket. The general leash rule and any off-leash areas are in bylaws the Village posts only as scans, so ask the Village Office.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Sayward, https://www.sayward.ca)  
**Cost:** Dog at large: $100 ticket. Failing to remove dog excrement is also a ticket offence (the full list of amounts is in the ticketing bylaw).  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village Office (open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed holidays), 250-282-5512
- In person: Village Office, 652 H'Kusam Way, Sayward, BC
- Online: Online Bylaw Complaint Form, https://www.sayward.ca/form/bylaw-complaint-form
- Online: Village Campground page, https://www.sayward.ca/our-community/village-campground

## Key facts

- **Leash rule:** At the Village campground, pets must be on a leash and pet feces picked up. The general leash rule off the owner's property is in Animal Control Bylaw 418 (scanned, not readable); a "Dog at large" ticket exists (s. 5.6).
  - Source: [Village Campground, Village Campground page](https://www.sayward.ca/our-community/village-campground)
  - Official wording: "Pets must be on a leash and pet feces must be picked up."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Maximum leash length:** Not confirmed. Sayward's Animal Control and parks bylaws are posted only as scans.
- **Off-leash areas:** Not confirmed. Sayward's Animal Control and parks bylaws are posted only as scans.
- **Places dogs are not allowed:** A dog in a restricted area of a park is an offence (Animal Control Bylaw s. 5.5). Which park areas are restricted is not stated in the text read.
  - Source: [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 422 (consolidated, PDF), Schedule 2](https://www.sayward.ca/sites/1/files/2023-06/Bylaw%20422%20-%20Ticketing%20for%20Bylaw%20Offences%20Consolidated%20Version%2C%20for%20convenience%20only.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Dog in restricted area of park 5.5 100.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Cleaning up:** Failing to remove dog excrement is an offence (s. 5.7).
  - Source: [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 422 (consolidated, PDF), Schedule 2](https://www.sayward.ca/sites/1/files/2023-06/Bylaw%20422%20-%20Ticketing%20for%20Bylaw%20Offences%20Consolidated%20Version%2C%20for%20convenience%20only.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Fail to remove dog excrement 5.7 150.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Ticket of $100 for a dog at large (s. 5.6).
  - Source: [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 422 (consolidated, PDF), Schedule 2](https://www.sayward.ca/sites/1/files/2023-06/Bylaw%20422%20-%20Ticketing%20for%20Bylaw%20Offences%20Consolidated%20Version%2C%20for%20convenience%20only.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Dog at large 5.6 100.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw No. 418, 2015
  - Source: [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 422 (consolidated, PDF), Schedule 1, row 2](https://www.sayward.ca/sites/1/files/2023-06/Bylaw%20422%20-%20Ticketing%20for%20Bylaw%20Offences%20Consolidated%20Version%2C%20for%20convenience%20only.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control Bylaw No. 418, 2015"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Village's [Animal Control Bylaw No. 418, 2015](<https://www.sayward.ca/municipal-services/bylaws/animal-control-bylaw-no-418-2015>) governs dogs at large, and its parks bylaw covers dogs in parks. Both are posted only as scans, so this answer uses what the Village's [campground page](<https://www.sayward.ca/our-community/village-campground>) and [ticketing bylaw](<https://www.sayward.ca/sites/1/files/2023-06/Bylaw%20422%20-%20Ticketing%20for%20Bylaw%20Offences%20Consolidated%20Version%2C%20for%20convenience%20only.pdf>) state.

- At the Village campground, pets must be on a leash and pet feces must be picked up. Bags are at the drop box between the campground washrooms.
- A "dog at large" ticket exists under section 5.6 of the animal bylaw.

## Steps

1. Keep your dog on a leash at the campground, and carry bags.
2. Before letting a dog run loose anywhere else, call the Village Office at 250-282-5512 to ask about leash rules and any off-leash area.
3. To report a dog at large, use the online Bylaw Complaint Form.

## Good to know

- Dog at large: $100 ticket (s. 5.6).
- Failing to remove dog excrement is an offence (s. 5.7).
- A dog in a restricted area of a park is an offence (s. 5.5). Which park areas are restricted is not stated in the text the Village posts in readable form.
- No leash length is stated, and no off-leash area is named on the Village pages we read.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 418, 2015 (Village bylaw page; the PDF is a scan)](https://www.sayward.ca/municipal-services/bylaws/animal-control-bylaw-no-418-2015)
- [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 422 (consolidated, PDF)](https://www.sayward.ca/sites/1/files/2023-06/Bylaw%20422%20-%20Ticketing%20for%20Bylaw%20Offences%20Consolidated%20Version%2C%20for%20convenience%20only.pdf)
- [Village Campground, Village of Sayward](https://www.sayward.ca/our-community/village-campground)

## Related questions

- [Sayward dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/dog-licence.md)
- [Sayward rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/how-many-pets.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Tahsis](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/dog-leash-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 418, 2015 (Village bylaw page; the PDF is a scan)](https://www.sayward.ca/municipal-services/bylaws/animal-control-bylaw-no-418-2015) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw No. 422 (consolidated, PDF)](https://www.sayward.ca/sites/1/files/2023-06/Bylaw%20422%20-%20Ticketing%20for%20Bylaw%20Offences%20Consolidated%20Version%2C%20for%20convenience%20only.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Village Campground, Village of Sayward](https://www.sayward.ca/our-community/village-campground) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Staff Directory, Village of Sayward](https://www.sayward.ca/contact/staff-directory) (read 2026-11-08)

_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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Sayward. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/dog-leash-rules/_