{"title":"Smithers rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs","question":"What are the rules for aggressive or dangerous dogs in Smithers?","slug":"dangerous-dogs","place":{"path":"ca/bc/smithers","name":"Smithers","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 Smithers","url":"https://www.smithers.ca"},"short_answer":"In Smithers, a dog an officer declares dangerous (it killed or seriously injured a person or animal, or is likely to) needs a $300 yearly licence, $1,000,000 liability insurance, a muzzle and a leash off property. An aggressive dog is $150 a year and must be confined at home.","aliases":["dangerous dog smithers","aggressive dog smithers","dog bite smithers","report dog attack smithers"],"cost":"Dangerous dog licence: $300 a year. Aggressive dog licence: $150 a year. Bylaw notices: most offences $400; a dog bite of a person $300.","how_long":"Not stated.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Town Hall","value":"1027 Aldous Street, Smithers, BC","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."},{"type":"phone","label":"Town Hall (bylaw enforcement)","value":"250-847-1600","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Dog Licensing & Control","url":"https://www.smithers.ca/bylaw-enforcement-animal-control/dog-licensing-control"},{"title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 1780 (consolidated to January 23, 2020)","url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/160511/"}],"related":[{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Smithers dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"dog-leash-rules","title":"Smithers dog leash rules and off-leash areas","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/dog-leash-rules/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Smithers bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/houston","name":"Houston","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/new-hazelton","name":"New Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/granisle","name":"Granisle","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/terrace","name":"Terrace","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/dangerous-dogs/"},{"place":"ca/bc/kitimat","name":"Kitimat","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/dangerous-dogs/"}],"topic":{"title":"Dangerous dog rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dangerous-dogs/"},"facts":{"how_declared":{"label":"How a dog is declared dangerous or aggressive","value":"Dangerous: killed or seriously injured a person, or another animal off the owner's property, or an Animal Control Officer has reasonable grounds to believe it is likely to kill or seriously injure a person. Aggressive: unprovoked pursuit, harassment or non-serious bite, or an officer believes it is likely to injure.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/160511/","title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 1780 (consolidated to January 23, 2020), Town of Smithers","section":"s. 2.1 definitions","quotes":["has killed or seriously injured a person,","an Animal Control Officer has reasonable grounds to believe is likely to kill or","has, without provocation, bitten or caused non-serious injury to a person or"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"owner_rules":{"label":"Rules for owners","value":"Dangerous dog: owner at least 19; $1,000,000 liability insurance; at home, indoors or in a locked enclosure; off property, muzzled, on a leash up to 1.2 m, handler 19 or older. Aggressive dog: confined at home; muzzled and leashed off property, handler 19 or older.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/160511/","title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 1780 (consolidated to January 23, 2020), Town of Smithers","section":"s. 4.1-4.2","quotes":["The owner of a dangerous dog must be at least nineteen (19) years of age.","proof of public liability insurance in"]},{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/160511/","title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 1780 (consolidated to January 23, 2020), Town of Smithers","section":"s. 4.6","quotes":["ensure the dog is securely muzzled;","(c) ensure the dog is under the control of a person who is at least nineteen"]},{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/160511/","title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 1780 (consolidated to January 23, 2020), Town of Smithers","section":"s. 4.11","quotes":["Every owner of an aggressive dog shall ensure that at any time that the dog is"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fee":{"label":"Licence fee","value":"Dangerous dog: $300 a year. Aggressive dog: $150 a year.","short":"Dangerous $300 a year; aggressive $150","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/278063/","title":"Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2003, Town of Smithers","section":"Schedule O","quotes":["Dangerous dog","For an Aggressive dog"]},{"url":"https://www.smithers.ca/bylaw-enforcement-animal-control/dog-licensing-control","title":"Dog Licensing & Control, Town of Smithers","section":"Dog Licensing & Control","quotes":["$150 for an aggressive dog.","$300 for a dangerous dog."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Complaints go to the Bylaw Enforcement Officer online (request for service), by phone at 250-847-1600 or in person at the Town Office, 1027 Aldous Street. The complainant must give name, address, phone and a description of the issue.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.smithers.ca/bylaw-enforcement-animal-control","title":"Bylaw Enforcement & Animal Control, Town of Smithers","section":"How to Report a Violation","quotes":["Online (request for service)","By phone (250-847-1600) or fax (250-847-1601)","Name, address and phone number of the complainant;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice: most dangerous or aggressive dog offences are $400 (for example dangerous dog at large, s. 4.7(c)); dog bite of a person (s. 5.2(a)) is $300. The schedule also shows $200 or $150 early and $500 or $400 late, but s. 8.1 describes the columns differently; confirm with the Town.","short":"Notice $400 (dangerous dog at large); $300 bite","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/290948/","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2011, Town of Smithers","section":"Schedule A, Bylaw 1780 table","quotes":["Dangerous dog at large 4.7 (c) 400.00 200.00 500.00 NO","Unlicensed aggressive dog 4.8 400.00 200.00 500.00 NO","Dog bite person 5.2 (a) 300.00 150.00 400.00 NO","amount set out in Column 3 of \"Schedule A\"; or"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"},"sources_differ":"Amounts are from the Schedule A table of Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2011 (adopted Aug. 25, 2026). The table headings read Penalty / Early Payment (within 14 days) / Late Payment (after 28 days), but s. 8.1 of the same bylaw says the Column 3 amount is payable within 14 days, Column 4 between 14 and 28 days and Column 5 after 28 days, so which figure is the 'full' amount is unclear; confirm with the Town. No Municipal Ticket Information bylaw was found in the bylaw library."},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Bylaw No. 1780 - Animal Control and Licensing","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/160511/","title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 1780 (consolidated to January 23, 2020), Town of Smithers","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["This bylaw may be cited as","Animal Control and Licensing"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 1780 (consolidated to January 23](<https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/160511/>) lets an Animal Control Officer declare a dog dangerous or aggressive. Dangerous: it has killed or seriously injured a person, or another animal off the owner's property, or an officer has reasonable grounds to believe it is likely to. Aggressive: it has pursued or harassed someone unprovoked, or made a non-serious bite, or an officer believes it is likely to injure.\n\n## Owner rules\n\n- Dangerous dog: owner at least 19; $1,000,000 liability insurance; kept at home indoors or in a locked enclosure; off the property it must be muzzled and on a leash up to 1.2 m, with a handler 19 or older.\n- Aggressive dog: confined at home; muzzled and leashed off property, with a handler 19 or older.\n- Licence fees are in the [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2003](<https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/278063/>): $300 a year (dangerous), $150 a year (aggressive).\n\n## Steps to report\n\n1. Call the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-847-1600, use the online request for service, or go to the Town Office, 1027 Aldous Street.\n2. Give your name, address, phone number and a description of the issue.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Bylaw notices are $400 for most offences (for example a dangerous dog at large) and $300 for a dog bite of a person. The early and late amounts and their timing should be confirmed with the Town.","sources":[{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/160511/","title":"Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 1780 (consolidated to January 23, 2020), Town of Smithers","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/278063/","title":"Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2003, Town of Smithers","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/290948/","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2011, Town of Smithers","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.smithers.ca/bylaw-enforcement-animal-control","title":"Bylaw Enforcement & Animal Control, Town of Smithers","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.smithers.ca/bylaw-enforcement-animal-control/dog-licensing-control","title":"Dog Licensing & Control, Town of Smithers","accessed":"2026-11-06"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-06","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/dangerous-dogs/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/dangerous-dogs.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/dangerous-dogs.json"}}