The City of New Westminster is proud to have a progressive Animal Care and Control Bylaw that focuses on responsible pet ownership, encompassing both public safety and good animal welfare. Owners are responsible for the well-being of the animals in their care. This includes providing adequate food, water, shelter, veterinary care, and comfortable and hygienic living conditions. Our bylaw prohibits the mistreatment of animals, such as physically striking or otherwise causing an animal to suffer.
Animal Services is responsible for upholding the bylaw, including dog licensing, barking complaints, off-leash infractions, aggressive dog investigations, and animal welfare. If you have concerns about public safety or animal welfare, please submit the form linked above. If the matter is urgent, phone 604-519-2008 (press 0). Our office is open 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, 7 days/week.
Below are the most basic and common responsibilities pet owners have under the Animal Care and Control Bylaw. For more information, please view the consolidated bylaw here. Please contact us if you have any questions, and our Animal Services Officers would be happy to speak with you.
Dog Owner Responsibilities
Dog ownership comes with important responsibilities that help keep your pet, your neighbours, and the community safe. These include licensing, leashing, cleaning up after your dog, and managing behaviour. Doo your DOO diligence!
All dogs in New Westminster are required by law to wear a current dog licence. There is no minimum age so be sure to get your new puppy's licence right away. There is a limit of three dogs on any parcel of land or real property. Annual licence fees, forms, and general information can be found on the dog licensing page.
Municipal dog licences are a valuable form of identification for your dog, and serve as proof of ownership. Dog licensing statistics provide important data when it comes to planning and developing dog-related services, such as off-leash areas. Also, the revenue from dog licensing fees helps fund the operation of the animal shelter, where we care for abandoned and unwanted animals.
Many off-leash dog areas have been created throughout the city to help exercise your four-legged friends. With the exception of these designated areas, dogs are required by law to be leashed when off their owner's property. Our animal services officers patrol city parks and trails to uphold the leash bylaw.
Carry bags when you walk your dog to remove your dog's waste when you are not on your own property. Dog waste must be disposed of in a trash bin - not left on the sidewalk, not tossed in the bushes, not hidden in long grass. And no, it does not wash away with rain or melting snow.
Dogs bark occasionally. We understand. However, it is up to you to ensure that your dog is not causing a disturbance in your neighbourhood with excessive barking or vocalization. We see an increase in barking reports when the weather warms up. Not leaving your dog unattended outside, and reducing their visual and aural triggers will help. If your dog has anxiety about being left alone, a professional trainer can help.
You are responsible to ensure that your dog does not display aggressive behaviour toward, or cause an injury to, people or other animals. This is another important reason to keep your dog leashed.
In New Westminster, there is a tiered classification system for dogs who pose a risk to the public, based on investigated incidents of the dog's behaviour. As the owner of an aggressive, vicious, or dangerous dog, you are required to follow specific handling and housing regulations and are subject to significant fines and possible legal action if not in compliance. The intent of this is to ensure public safety and promote responsible pet ownership.
More information regarding each classification and the regulations can be found in the Animal Care and Control Bylaw.
Cat owner responsibilities
Being a responsible cat owner means protecting your pet's health and safety. In New Westminster, all cats must have permanent ID. While roaming outside is allowed if a cat is spayed/neutered, outdoor cats face serious risks--keeping them indoors is the safest choice. Be the PURRFECT pet parent.
All cats are required to have permanent traceable identification (such as a tattoo or microchip). Even indoor-only cats can escape, and permanent ID helps us reunite lost cats with their families.
Microchips are implanted under the skin at the scruff of the neck, and can be scanned by any vet clinic or animal shelter. Keep the microchip registration information (such as your phone number and address) up-to-date to ensure a quick reunion!
Tattoos are done in the cat's right ear. The vet clinic that did the tattoo keeps a registry of the pets and their owners. However, keep in mind that tattoos can become illegible, which would render them useless.
A GPS tag is a good back-up for cats who will wear a collar and who might escape or wander too far.
We advocate for cats to be kept safely indoors, as they can have long and healthy lives, especially when provided with mental and physical enrichment. Cats who are allowed outdoors face many risks, such as predators and traffic.
If you allow your cat to venture outdoors, it must be spayed or neutered. This prevents the cat from contributing to the overpopulation issue in B.C., as well as protecting your pet from a variety of reproduction-related health issues, such as reproductive cancers and uterine infection, and reducing unwanted behaviours, such as extensive roaming, fighting, and spraying. Learn more about spaying/neutering your cat here.
While sterilized cats with permanent ID are allowed to roam freely in New Westminster, keep in mind that there are many risks for outdoor cats in our communities. It is the unfortunate responsibility of our Animal Services staff to take lost cat reports, and to pick up injured and deceased cats. Risks for outdoor cats include:
Parasites: fleas and ticks carry diseases, and are common in our area.
Conflict with other pets: Fights with other cats can cause serious injuries or disease. And of course, dogs are a natural predator of cats. We have received reports of cats jumping into yards where dogs reside, only to meet a fatal outcome.
Cars: Even on side roads, cats can be struck by a vehicle. If they don't die to their injuries right away, they can bolt, and may not be found. Even if found, you are looking at potentially life-threatening injuries and very costly vet bills.
Predators: We have urban wildlife across our city who will prey on cats if they have the opportunity. Coyotes are the primary killer of domestic cats, but raccoons can maim or kill cats as well.
Poison: Cats can become victims of secondary poisoning by hunting poisoned prey animals. Unfortunately, some cats can also get into the poison or other toxic chemicals and become very ill or die.
Going missing/being stolen: Sometimes, you might not know where your cat has disappeared to, and you might never find out. The lack of closure can be devastating.
We strongly encourage you to keep your cat indoors as much as possible. Indoor cats live on average 10 - 15 years, versus the 2 - 5 years that outdoor cats live.
Pet Store Owner Responsibilities
The City of New Westminster's Pet Store Bylaw prohibits the sale of any dogs, cats, pet rabbits, hare, or pika in a retail store, except for those offered for adoption from a recognized animal rescue society or shelter organization.
To report an offence, please contact Bylaw Enforcement at 604-527-4657.
Aggressive Dogs
If you have had an encounter with an aggressive dog, please phone us at 604-519-2008 to provide a detailed account to an Animal Services Officer. The more information you have, the better we will be able to investigate.
Barking Dogs
Dogs will bark from time to time. It becomes a concern if it is "continuous sound" which disturbs the quiet, peace, rest, comfort, convenience or enjoyment of the neighbourhood. Per our bylaw, "Continuous Sound" means any noise or sound continuing for a period of, or periods totaling, three minutes or more of any fifteen minute period.
If you wish to make a formal complaint about a dog owner allowing their dog to make continuous sound, please call us at 604-519-2008. We require the exact location (street address) of the offending dog, the time of day barking occurs, duration of barking, and a description of the dog.
When a barking complaint has been received, an Animal Services Officer will contact the owner and bring the matter to their attention.
You may be asked to keep a log of the barking/noise as evidence. Please note that more than one complainant (from different households) is required to keep a log, unless video/audio evidence is provided.
Deceased Animals
Contact us at 604-519-2008 with the location of the deceased animal and we will dispatch an Animal Services Officer to retrieve them. The more specific the location, the faster we will find the deceased animal. This is particularly important with domestic animals as they often have an owner looking for them.
If it is after hours, and the animal is a domestic pet, you can bring the remains to a nearby veterinary hospital for safekeeping.
