Animal Control

Stray unclaimed animals in City custody for more than 4 days become available for adoption through BC SPCA.

To adopt an animal please contact BC SPCA West Vancouver to make the necessary arrangements. We strive to ensure all animals are adopted into good, caring, suitable homes.

BC SPCA: 1020 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604-922-4622
Business Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm daily

In warm weather it's always best to leave your pets at home as the temperature in a parked car - even in the shade with the windows partially opened - can rapidly reach a level high enough to seriously harm or kill your pet. 

What To Do

If you see an animal in distress in a parked vehicle, here’s the steps to take, per the BC SPCA:

• Note the license plate, vehicle colour, make and model and ask managers of nearby businesses to page the owner to return to their vehicle immediately. If the animal is not showing signs of distress, but you're concerned, you may wish to stay by the vehicle to monitor the situation until the owner returns.
• If the animal is showing clear signs of heatstroke or other distress symptoms, call your local RCMP or the BC SPCA Call Centre at 1-855-622-7722 as soon as possible. The City's Bylaw Services does not have the authority to enter vehicles regardless of the circumstances.

Do NOT break a window, as only RCMP, local police, and BC SPCA Special Constables have the authority to enter a vehicle lawfully to help a pet in distress.

Learn more on the BC SPCA website. 

If you're comfortable talking to your neighbour, then speak with them first. Sometimes an informal conversation solves the issue. If it's not possible to speak to your neighbour or if this doesn't solve the problem, you should complete the Barking Dog Complaint Form and submit to animalcontrol@cnv.org.

Upon receipt of the above, Bylaw Services sends a letter to the property owner and the dog owner’s dwelling (that is, the Occupant, if the property owner doesn't reside on the property with the barking dog) advising that a complaint has been received regarding excessive dog barking.

The Animal Control Officer will contact the complainant to see if the situation has improved. If the letter does not remedy the problem, the Officer will request that you keep a dog barking log to document the barking you hear (i.e. dates, times, and a brief description of what occurred including what's visible from your property).

Note that with regard to barking, continuous or sporadic animal noise in excess of 30 minutes is considered an objectionable or disturbing sound. Learn more in the Noise Control Bylaw - No. 8885 C.

Having a dog license helps keep your dog and other dogs safe. Visit cnv.org/DogLicence for more information about obtaining a new dog licence or renewing an existing one.

Please clean up after your dog at all times. You can dispose of dog and other pet waste in a variety of environmentally responsible ways - learn more on our Dog Waste Program page. 

There's no such thing as a Poo Fairy.

If your pet is missing, contact an Animal Control Officer at 604-982-8302 or animalcontrol@cnv.org, or phone the BC SPCA West Vancouver at 604-922-4622.

Impounded Pets
Impounded pets are sent to the BC SPCA West Vancouver, the City kennel operator, and can be claimed during normal business hours upon paying a kennel fee.

BC SPCA: 1020 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604-922-4622
Business Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm daily

Contact Animal Control to register a complaint about dogs running loose in your area. You will be asked to provide:

• Your name, address, and phone number
• The address where the dog lives (if you know it)
• The time and date you last saw the dog, and a description of the dog.

Your complaint will be investigated as soon as time permits. Please note: Animal Control does not respond to anonymous complaints.

Contact Info

Animal Control Services
Tel:  604-982-8302 | Monday to Friday, 8:30 - 5:00pm
Email: animalcontrol@cnv.org

After-hours Emergency Dog-Related Complaints
Tel:  604-607-1651

Immediate Dangerous Animal Concerns
RCMP 911

All users are expected to protect and maintain park and wildlife, and as a dog owner, you're responsible for yourself and your pet. Please help keep our parks beautiful and safe by ensuring both you and your dog:

• Stay out of creeks and ponds
• Keep to the trails to prevent soil erosion and to protect native vegetation
• Don’t chase animals or birds
• Don’t litter and pick up after your pet

Where Can We Play?

Dogs are welcome in many of the City’s parks, including the off-leash areas at Mosquito Creek Park, Lynnmouth Park, and Kings Mill Walk. Look for City signage if you're unsure if dogs are allowed and remember: dogs aren't permitted on playgrounds, picnic areas, playing fields, beaches, running tracks, bowling greens, tennis courts, or in the North Vancouver Cemetery. Learn more at cnv.org/DogsInParks.

On-Leash is Best

Please be respectful and keep your dog on-leash at all times (except in off-leash areas). Some people, especially children, are afraid and find dogs unpredictable. It keeps Fido safe too.

The Poo Fairy

She doesn’t exist, so bag it and bin it... or better yet, flush it. Remember to pack a doggie bag and pick up after your pet. Put the waste in a garbage bin or take it home and flush it. It’s so much nicer than leaving it on the path, even if it’s in a bag. A single gram of poo can contain over 20 million bacteria and hosts parasitic worms, so be considerate of your fellow residents. Learn more at cnv.org/PooFairy.

Dogs in Cars

If you see a dog in a car on a warm day that appears to be in distress, call the BC SPCA hotline at 1-855-622-7722.

In warm weather, it's always best to leave your pets at home.

• Cars Become Ovens - On a warm day, the temperature in a parked car, even in the shade with the windows partially opened, can rapidly reach a level high enough to seriously harm or kill your pet.

• How Pets Stay Cool - Dogs cool themselves by panting and releasing heat through their paws. They don't perspire through their skin like people. On warm days, the air and upholstery in your vehicle quickly reach high temperatures making it impossible for dogs to cool themselves. In as little as 10 minutes your vehicle can get hot enough to seriously harm your pet, even on a cloudy day.

Dog Obedience & Etiquette

The North Vancouver Recreation Commission (NVRC) offers pet care programs ranging from puppy training to dog obedience. Various levels and locations are available. Visit the NVRC website for the latest online Leisure Guide, and look for the pet care programs are found under the "General" section of the guide.

The North Shore SPCA offers many courses and seminars and is a great resource for dog owners. The SPCA also responds to calls about animal cruelty or neglect.

For more information on dogs in City parks and dog etiquette, visit Dogs in City Parks.

The Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw, 2010, No. 8113 defines a vicious dog as, any dog or puppy with a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack or has bitten without provocation another domestic animal or human or has been declared vicious or dangerous in another municipality in British Columbia.

Vicious Dog Laws & Local Bylaws

Provincial statutes and criminal code provisions provide several means of dealing with vicious dogs. The City of North Vancouver Animal Control Services is prepared to use these tools to protect the public from vicious dogs.

If a dog is declared vicious, it must be muzzled and leashed.

Dogs that are likely to kill or injure, or have killed or injured, can be seized and ordered destroyed by the Provincial Court.

If an owner cannot or will not control a vicious dog, any or all of the above provisions maybe used.

Dog running at large and harassing people or domestic animals should be reported to Bylaws at animalcontrol@cnv.org or 604-982-8302.

Owners of Vicious Dogs can be:

1. Fined up to $2,000 and imprisoned for five years: Assault charges could be laid if a dog is purposefully allowed to attack a person. This is a criminal offence. Penalty ranges from fines up to $2,000 to five years imprisonment. Dogs that act viciously are deemed not to be under effective control.
2. Charged: Criminal negligence charges are possible if an owner fails to control a dog with vicious propensity. Penalty for criminal negligence causing bodily harm is punishable by up to ten years imprisonment. If someone is killed the penalty could be life imprisonment.
3. Sued: Civil Liability. Owners of vicious dogs can be sued for damages if it can be proved their dog caused an injury and if the owner cannot establish they were unaware of this behaviour. They may also be found liable for negligence if they failed to control their dog.
4. Not Insured: It's possible that awards can surpass insurance coverage. Dog owners that have knowledge of vicious behaviour by their dogs, and do not inform their insurance companies may find their insurance invalid.

Owner's Responsibility

Owners of dogs must ensure their dogs do not harass other people or animals. This is the case even when the dog is on the property of the owner. Too many faultless people, such as delivery persons, are hurt by dogs which the owners proudly describe as “protective.”

If your dog is declared a vicious dog, you must;

1. Pay an annual licence fee in the sum of $200/year for a vicious dog;
2. While in a public place other than your property, a vicious dog must be muzzled, leashed and under the direct control of a person who is at least 16 years old and has the physical ability to control a vicious dog;
3. On your property outside your residence, the vicious dog must be muzzled and leashed or contained in a building, or in a secure structure. (A structure may require a building permit)
4. A pen that is confining a vicious dog shall contain a sign, in writing and symbol, that the pen contains a vicious dog and similar signs must be clearly displayed at each entrance of the property indicating a vicious dog is located on the property.

Victim's Responsibility

Persons who have been bitten, or viciously pursued by dogs, should report each incident to Animal Control Services at animalcontrol@cnv.org. By reporting these incidents, the safety of the community is enhanced, and attacks on defenceless people may be avoided.

For direction on removing or relocating live wildlife (e.g. raccoons, skunks, etc.) on private property, please contact Wildlife Rescue Association. The City of North Vancouver does not remove or relocate wildlife from private property.

Wildlife Rescue Association
Phone: 604-526-7275
Address: 5216 Glencarin Dr, Burnaby

To report injured wildlife on private property, contact the BC SPCA Provincial Call Centre at 1-855-622-7722.

To report large wildlife, contact the North Shore Black Bear Society at 604-317-4911, or BC Conservation Officer Services at 1-877-952-7277.

• Wildlife Rescue Association 604-526-7275
• North Shore Black Bear Society 604-317-4911 or northshorebears.com/report
• BC Conservation Office Services 1-877-952-7277