---
title: White Rock rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs
question: "What are the rules for aggressive or dangerous dogs?"
place: White Rock, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/white-rock
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of White Rock
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/white-rock/dangerous-dogs/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/white-rock/dangerous-dogs.json"
---

# White Rock rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs

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

**Short answer:** In White Rock, the City can classify a dog as aggressive after an incident under its Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw. The owner must confine it, keep it leashed and muzzled in public, and pay a $200 yearly licence. A dog deemed dangerous cannot be kept in the city.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of White Rock, https://www.whiterockcity.ca)  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement, 604-541-2146
- Email: Bylaw Enforcement, bylaw@whiterockcity.ca

## Key facts

- **How a dog is declared dangerous or aggressive:** Aggressive dog (bylaw s. 3): has attacked, bitten or injured a person or animal, or been found aggressive by an officer or court; the Director decides, with appeal in 10 days. Dangerous dog (Community Charter s. 49): has killed or seriously injured a person or animal, or an officer believes it is likely to seriously injure a person.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2012, No. 1959 (consolidated April 2025), ss. 3, 26-28](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/271/Consolidated---Animal-Control-and-Licensing-Bylaw-2012-Number-1959-PDF)
  - Official wording: "A dog that has attacked, bitten or caused injury, with or without provocation, to" … "a dog that, while running at large, has bitten or caused injury to a domestic" … "a dog that has been found to be dangerous or aggressive by the animal control" … "a letter shall be sent to the owner of the dog" … "the owner of the dog may appeal the classification, in writing, within 10 days to the Director"
  - Source: [Community Charter, section 49, Province of BC, Community Charter s. 49(1)](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/03026_03)
  - Official wording: "(a) has killed or seriously injured a person," … "(c) an animal control officer has reasonable grounds to believe is likely to kill or seriously injure a person."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Rules for owners:** On the owner's premises: keep the dog securely confined indoors or in an enclosure (at least 1.8 m high, solid floor, wire or steel mesh sides and roof). Off the premises: on a leash no longer than 3 m, under a competent person's immediate control, and muzzled. The owner must also let the City implant a microchip and pay the $60 microchip fee.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2012, No. 1959 (consolidated April 2025), ss. 3, 29; Schedule B](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/271/Consolidated---Animal-Control-and-Licensing-Bylaw-2012-Number-1959-PDF)
  - Official wording: "keep the dog securely confined indoors or in an enclosure" … "On a leash or tether not exceeding three metres in length;" … "Muzzled to prevent it from attacking and/or biting a person or other animal." … "Permit the City to implant a microchip" … "a structure at least 1.8 metres in height having a solid floor and wire" … "Microchip Implant $ 60.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Licence fee:** $200 a year for an aggressive dog licence (Schedule A); the lower altered-dog rate is not available to an aggressive dog.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2012, No. 1959 (consolidated April 2025), Schedule A; s. 19](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/271/Consolidated---Animal-Control-and-Licensing-Bylaw-2012-Number-1959-PDF)
  - Official wording: "Aggressive Dog $200.00" … "The owner of a dog that is not an aggressive dog or a nuisance dog"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **How to report:** Contact Bylaw Enforcement at 604-541-2146 or bylaw@whiterockcity.ca to report a bite.
  - Source: [2026 Good Neighbour Guide, Being a Responsible Pet Owner](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/12898)
  - Official wording: "If you or your pet has been bitten, report it immediately. Contact Bylaw Enforcement at" … "604-541-2146 or email Bylaw@whiterockcity.ca."
  - Source: [Animal Control, Inquiries & Complaints](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/376/Animal-Control)
  - Official wording: "contact Bylaw Enforcement at 604-541-2146 or email bylaw@whiterockcity.ca"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Failure to confine an aggressive dog: $500. Failure to keep an aggressive dog on a leash: $500. Failure to muzzle an aggressive dog: $250. Failure to comply with an order for an aggressive dog: $500.
  - Source: [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw 2011, No. 1929 (consolidated), Schedule B3](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/2072/Consolidated---Ticketing-for-Bylaw-Offences-2011-No-1929-PDF)
  - Official wording: "Failure to confine an aggressive dog" … "Failure to keep an aggressive dog on leash" … "Failure to muzzle an aggressive dog" … "$250.00" … "Failure to comply with an order for an aggressive dog"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw, 2012, No. 1959 (consolidated April 2025)
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2012, No. 1959 (consolidated April 2025), s. 1](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/271/Consolidated---Animal-Control-and-Licensing-Bylaw-2012-Number-1959-PDF)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as "Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw, 2012, No. 1959.""
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Two terms apply. Under the [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/271/Consolidated---Animal-Control-and-Licensing-Bylaw-2012-Number-1959-PDF), a dog is aggressive if it has attacked, bitten or injured a person or animal, or been found aggressive by an officer or court. The Director decides, and the owner can appeal within 10 days. A "dangerous dog" is defined by section 49 of the provincial Community Charter: one that has killed or seriously injured a person or animal, or that an officer believes is likely to seriously injure a person.

## Good to know

- At home, an aggressive dog must be securely confined indoors or in an enclosure at least 1.8 metres high with a solid floor and wire or steel mesh sides and roof.
- Off the property, it must be on a leash of no more than 3 metres, under a competent person's immediate control, and muzzled.
- The owner must let the City implant a microchip and pay the $60 microchip fee.
- The licence is $200 a year; the lower spayed or neutered rate is not available. Impound fee: $600 (altered) or $1,000 (unaltered).
- Tickets: $500 for failing to confine, $500 for failing to leash, $250 for failing to muzzle, and $500 for failing to comply with an order. A court fine can be $1,000 to $10,000.
- A dog deemed dangerous in White Rock or elsewhere may not be kept in the city (the newer wording of section 4).
- To report a bite, contact Bylaw Enforcement at 604-541-2146 or bylaw@whiterockcity.ca.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 1959 (PDF)](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/271/Consolidated---Animal-Control-and-Licensing-Bylaw-2012-Number-1959-PDF)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dangerous dog rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Surrey](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Langley City](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Township of Langley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Delta](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/delta/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [New Westminster](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Burnaby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burnaby/dangerous-dogs.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2012, No. 1959 (consolidated April 2025) (PDF)](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/271/Consolidated---Animal-Control-and-Licensing-Bylaw-2012-Number-1959-PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Community Charter, section 49, Province of BC](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/03026_03) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Animal Control, City of White Rock](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/376/Animal-Control) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Ticketing for Bylaw Offences Bylaw 2011, No. 1929 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/2072/Consolidated---Ticketing-for-Bylaw-Offences-2011-No-1929-PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- [2026 Good Neighbour Guide, City of White Rock](https://www.whiterockcity.ca/DocumentCenter/View/12898) (read 2026-11-05)

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