Humane Treatment of Dogs Bylaw - In Brief

2001

Beginning in 1995, at Animal Advocates Society's urging, the following municipalities in B.C. adopted a version of Humane Treatment of Dogs (also called "Tied Dog") bylaws:

Burnaby | Coquitlam | Delta | Lions Bay | Maple Ridge | New Westminster | North Vancouver City | North Vancouver District | Richmond | Surrey | West Vancouver

Lions Bay, B.C. has improved their bylaw, making it the best in B.C. by adding a clause that prohibits the unattended tethering of dogs entirely.

If you want these bylaws in your municipality, ask your Mayor and council to adopt them and tell us if they do or not.

If you wish official copies of a municipality's bylaws, municipal addresses can be found here.


The bylaw:

(1) Anyone who keeps an animal must provide:

(a) clean, potable drinking water at all times, and suitable food, of sufficient quantity and quality to ensure normal growth and the maintenance of normal body weight;

(b) food and water receptacles kept clean and disinfected and located so as to avoid contamination by excreta;

(c) the opportunity for periodic exercise sufficient to maintain good health, including the opportunity to be unfettered from a fixed area, and exercised regularly, under appropriate control;

(d) necessary veterinary medical care when the animal exhibits signs of pain or suffering.

(2) Shelter must:

(a) ensure protection from heat, cold, and wet, and that is appropriate to the animal's weight and type of coat. Such shelters must provide sufficient space to allow any animal the ability to turn about freely, to sit, stand, and lie in a normal position:

(b) at least 1 ½ times the length of the animal, and at least the animal's length in width, and at least the animal's height measured from the floor to the highest point of the animal when standing in a normal position, plus 10%;

(c) in an area providing sufficient shade to protect the animal from the direct rays of the sun at all times;

(d) any pen must be regularly cleaned and sanitized, and all excreta removed, at least once a day.

(3) No person may cause an animal to be hitched, tied or fastened by any rope, chain or cord that is directly tied around the animal's neck or to a choke collar.


Surrey has added:

Where the Poundkeeper has reason to believe that a dog is not receiving proper care, treatment, or shelter, the Poundkeeper may enter into premises at any reasonable time to determine the health and well-being of a dog on the premises.

Burnaby has added:

The dog has a non-metallic surface on which to stand and sit.

Lions Bay has added:

No chaining or tethering of unattended dogs.

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