Dogs in Parks

New Animal Bylaws

Saanich’s new Animals Bylaw is now in place and this kicks off an education and transition period that will give Saanich staff and CRD enforcement officers time to inform park visitors about the coming changes.

During this transition period, people will begin to see updated signage in Saanich parks, and periodic updates posted to the Saanich website and on our social media channels.

The new bylaws are briefly outlined here [PDF - 115 KB] with full details here. [PDF - 8 MB]

Have questions? Visit our FAQ page.

Learn more about the CRD's Petiquette Program, animal regulations, and general pet information.

People Pets and Parks – Update:

With the support of Council funding granted in May of 2024, we have made significant strides in our first few months of implementing the People, Pets, and Parks Strategy. This first wave of funding is for the design and rollout of new, consistent signage across all parks, development of educational resources for park visitors, creation of dedicated off-leash areas at PKOLS and Cuthbert Holmes, and the hiring of additional staff and a summer student. Here’s what we’ve accomplished since May:

1. Find a Park Information Page Updates

We’ve updated all the ‘Find a Park’ pages with the latest information about dog regulations. Please consult these updated pages for details about specific parks. If you still have questions, contact us at parks@saanich.ca.

2. New Signage

We began installing new and consistent signage in our parks in the fall of 2024 and this process is ongoing. Coordinating the design, production, and placement of signs for all 172 parks has been a major task. The first thing that we’ve done is to ‘ground-truth’ all the signage at our most popular parks to determine what needs updating or replacing. Initial installations will focus on:

Sport courts and artificial turf fields
Community Gardens
Playgrounds
Prominent parks such as Cadboro Gyro, PKOLS, Cedar Hill, and Gorge Waterway (Please note: some signs may be delayed until graphic maps are completed)
Beaches (Please note: some signs may be delayed until graphic maps are completed)

Signage updates for additional parks will continue into the winter months.

3. Fencing

We are progressing with plans to install fencing in designated leash-optional areas at PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park) and Cuthbert Holmes Park. We are awaiting approvals from the Ministry of Transportation for the Cuthbert Holmes area.

4. Staffing

We are in the process of hiring a Park Planner/Designer for a three-year term to focus on the People, Pets, and Parks Strategy. This new role will support our Planning and Design team, which is currently engaged in other significant projects, including the development of Fowler Park, the new Pickleball Strategy, and playground replacements at Maynard and Blair Parks.