---
title: Vancouver rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs
question: "What are the rules for aggressive or dangerous dogs in Vancouver?"
place: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/vancouver
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Vancouver
sources_read: 2026-11-09
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/dangerous-dogs/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/dangerous-dogs.json"
---

# Vancouver rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs

**Question:** What are the rules for aggressive or dangerous dogs in Vancouver?

**Short answer:** Vancouver’s animal bylaw covers dogs that show unprovoked aggression or bite. It includes hostile pursuit of a person or domestic animal. The bylaw sets muzzling and private-property confinement rules for aggressive dogs.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Vancouver, https://vancouver.ca)  
**Cost:** An aggressive dog licence is $222 per year.  
**Where:**
- Phone: City Hall, 311

## Key facts

- **How a dog is declared dangerous or aggressive:** Vancouver’s animal bylaw covers dogs that show unprovoked aggression or bite.
  - Source: [Animal Control By-law No. 9150, PDF p. 5](https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/9150c.PDF)
  - Official wording: "“aggressive dog” means a dog that has, without provocation, displayed aggressive behaviour or bitten another domestic animal or a person. “aggressive behaviour” means any hostile attack by a dog on a person or domestic animal, including pursuing a person or domestic animal in a hostile manner."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09
- **Rules for owners:** Muzzle an aggressive dog away from property you own or control, except at a Canadian Kennel Club sanctioned event. On your property the bylaw also sets confinement requirements.
  - Source: [Animal Control By-law No. 9150, PDF p. 8](https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/9150c.PDF)
  - Official wording: "Muzzling aggressive dogs 4.3 In addition to complying with section 4.2, a person who keeps an aggressive dog must not permit, suffer, or allow the dog to be on a street or other public place or on any other property that such person does not own or control unless such person has muzzled the dog to prevent it from biting another animal or a person, except when the dog is participating in an event sanctioned by the Canadian Kennel Club." … "4.5 A person who keeps an aggressive dog must, at all times while the dog is on property owned or controlled by such person, securely confine the dog, either indoors or in an enclosed pen or other structure capable of preventing the entry of young children and adequately constructed to prevent the dog from escaping or from biting a domestic animal or human being."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09
- **Licence fee:** An aggressive dog licence is $222 per year.
  - Source: [Animal Control By-law No. 9150, PDF p. 22](https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/9150c.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Part 1 - Licence Fees Dog (per annum) $68 Aggressive dog (per annum) $222 Replacement dog tag $8"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09
- **How to report:** Not confirmed. Checked Animal Control By-law, Animal Control By-law No. 9150; not found there.
- **Fine:** Not confirmed. Checked Animal Control By-law, Animal Control By-law No. 9150; not found there.
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control By-law No. 9150.
  - Source: [Animal Control By-law No. 9150, PDF p. 1](https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/9150c.pdf)
  - Official wording: "CITY OF VANCOUVER BRITISH COLUMBIA ANIMAL CONTROL BY-LAW NO. 9150 This By-law is printed under and by authority of the Council of the City of Vancouver"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-09

## How it works

Describe what the dog did and where it happened. Details such as pursuit, a bite, an injury or the presence of another animal help an officer distinguish the incident you saw from a description of the dog's temperament. Muzzle an aggressive dog away from property you own or control, except at a Canadian Kennel Club sanctioned event. On your property the bylaw also sets confinement requirements.

## Steps

1. For the local definition and reporting information, consult [Animal Control By-law No. 9150 (PDF)](https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/9150c.PDF). Write down the location, time and sequence of events. Identify what you saw yourself and how an officer can reach any witnesses.
2. Use the reporting information below or the animal-control contact in the linked rules. If you receive a designation, read the conditions before taking the dog into a public place.

## Good to know

- An aggressive dog licence is $222 per year.
- Keep any written notice. If its terms are unclear, refer to the wording on the notice when asking about handling, confinement or review.
- For a question about how to submit the incident details and obtain a reference number, call City Hall at 311.
- Read the applicable provisions in [Animal Control By-law No. 9150 (PDF)](https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/9150c.pdf).

## Related questions

- [Vancouver dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/dog-licence.md)
- [Vancouver dog leash rules and off-leash areas](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/dog-leash-rules.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dangerous dog rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Richmond](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/richmond/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Burnaby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [New Westminster](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Delta](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/delta/dangerous-dogs.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control By-law No. 9150 (PDF)](https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/9150c.PDF) (read 2026-11-09)
- [Animal Control By-law No. 9150 (PDF)](https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/9150c.pdf) (read 2026-11-09)
- [Vancouver municipal office contact information](https://vancouver.ca/your-government/contact-the-city-of-vancouver.aspx) (read 2026-11-09)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 2 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Vancouver. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/dangerous-dogs/_