---
title: Williams Lake dog leash rules and off-leash areas
question: "Where can dogs be off leash, and what are the leash rules?"
place: Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/williams-lake
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Williams Lake
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/dog-leash-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/dog-leash-rules.json"
---

# Williams Lake dog leash rules and off-leash areas

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

**Short answer:** In Williams Lake, a dog in any public place must be on a leash, no longer than 6 feet, under a competent person's control. The bylaw names no off-leash areas and the City lists none, so assume leash on everywhere. A dog at large is a $100 bylaw notice.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Williams Lake, https://www.williamslake.ca)  
**Cost:** Bylaw notice $100 for a dog at large or unleashed ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late).  
**Where:**
- Phone: City Hall, 250-392-2311

## Key facts

- **Leash rule:** A dog must be on a leash and under the immediate care and control of a competent person in any public place, and must not be at large. A dog on someone else's property without consent counts as at large unless leashed and controlled.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), s. 18](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39375)
  - Official wording: "be in a public place unless the dog is kept on a leash and the dog is under the immediate care and control of a competent person"
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), definitions, "at large"](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39375)
  - Official wording: "a dog which is not under the immediate and effective control of a person responsible by means of a leash and is upon" … "which has not been designated as an off-leash area"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Maximum leash length:** No more than 183 cm (6 feet) long, made of material strong enough that the dog cannot break it.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), definitions, "leash"](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39375)
  - Official wording: "which does not exceed 183 centimetres (6 feet) in length and is made of material of sufficient strength that the dog to which it is attached cannot break it"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Off-leash areas:** The Official Community Plan lists a dog park in Boitanio Park. The Animal Control Bylaw names no off-leash areas, and no official map or list was found.
  - Source: [Official Community Plan, OCP, Boitanio Park description](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/44168/)
  - Official wording: "golf course, climbing wall, dog park, and youth play structures."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Places dogs are not allowed:** None set. Neither Williams Lake bylaw bans dogs from named places.
- **Cleaning up:** If a dog defecates anywhere other than its owner's property, the person with the dog must immediately remove the excrement and dispose of it in a sanitary manner.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), s. 19](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39375)
  - Official wording: "the person having care, custody or control of the dog shall immediately remove the excrement so deposited and dispose of it in a sanitary manner"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Bylaw notice: $100 for a dog at large, and $100 for an unleashed dog ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). In a park, permitting an off-leash dog in an unauthorized area is also $100.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-1 and A-11](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/61839)
  - Official wording: "Excessive Barking 18(a) $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 Yes Dog at Large 18(b) $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 No Unleashed Dog 18(c) $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 No" … "Dog at Large 18(b) $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 No Unleashed Dog 18(c) $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 No Fail to Remove Feces 19 $100.00 $75.00 $125.00 Yes"
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-1 and A-11, Schedule A-11](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/61839)
  - Official wording: "Permit Off-Leash Dog within Unauthorized" … "area of Park"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 2102, 2009
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), s. 1](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39375)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw shall be cited as the Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 2102, 2009."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under the [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39375), a dog must be on a leash and under the immediate care and control of a competent person in any public place, and must not be at large. A dog on someone else's property without consent counts as at large unless it is leashed and controlled. The [Parks and Public Land Bylaw](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/168225) also bars off-leash dogs in parks, except as identified in the Animal Control Bylaw.

The leash can be no more than 183 cm (6 feet) long and strong enough that the dog cannot break it.

## Good to know

- Off-leash areas: the Animal Control Bylaw names none, and no official map or list was found. The City's [Official Community Plan](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/44168/) mentions a dog park in Boitanio Park, but does not say it is off-leash. Ask City Hall (250-392-2311) before letting a dog off leash anywhere.
- Neither bylaw bans dogs from named places; the Parks bylaw only requires them to be on a leash.
- If your dog defecates anywhere other than your own property, you must remove it immediately and dispose of it in a sanitary way.
- An unaltered female dog in heat must be confined, or kept on a leash when walked off your property.
- Aggressive dogs have stricter rules, including a leash of 1.5 m or less that is not retractable; see the dangerous-dogs answer.
- Fines: a bylaw notice is $100 for a dog at large and $100 for an unleashed dog ($75 if paid within 14 days; $125 if paid late). In a park, permitting an off-leash dog in an unauthorized area is also $100. An aggressive dog at large is $200 ($150 early; $250 late).
- The City's copy of the bylaw is dated 2019; later changes, if any, were not seen.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (PDF)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39375)
- [Parks and Public Land Bylaw 2419, 2024 (PDF)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/168225)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2196 (consolidated, PDF)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/61839)

## Related questions

- [Williams Lake dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/dog-licence.md)
- [Williams Lake rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/dangerous-dogs.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [100 Mile House](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/100-mile-house/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Quesnel](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/quesnel/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Clearwater](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Lillooet](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lillooet/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Ashcroft](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Barriere](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/dog-leash-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39375) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Parks and Public Land Bylaw 2419, 2024](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/168225) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-1 and A-11](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/61839) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Official Community Plan (PDF)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/44168/) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Services, City of Williams Lake](https://www.williamslake.ca/270/Bylaw-Services) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Williams Lake. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/dog-leash-rules/_