Williams Lake dog leash rules and off-leash areas
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.
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.Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), s. 18; Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), definitions, "at large" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingbe 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 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 |
|---|---|
| Maximum leash length | No more than 183 cm (6 feet) long, made of material strong enough that the dog cannot break it.Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), definitions, "leash" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingwhich 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 |
| 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.Official Community Plan, OCP, Boitanio Park description · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordinggolf course, climbing wall, dog park, and youth play structures. |
| 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.Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), s. 19 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingthe person having care, custody or control of the dog shall immediately remove the excrement so deposited and dispose of it in a sanitary manner |
| 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.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-1 and A-11; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-1 and A-11, Schedule A-11 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingExcessive 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 Permit Off-Leash Dog within Unauthorized area of Park |
| Bylaw | Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 2102, 2009Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated), s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThis Bylaw shall be cited as the Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 2102, 2009. |
How it works
Under the Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw, 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 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 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
The same question in other places
100 Mile House · Quesnel · Clearwater · Lillooet · Ashcroft · Barriere
Sources
- Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw 2102, 2009 (consolidated) (read 2026-11-05)
- Parks and Public Land Bylaw 2419, 2024 (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196, 2013 (consolidated), Schedule A-1 and A-11 (read 2026-11-05)
- Official Community Plan (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Services, City of Williams Lake (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. How answers are checked.