Collingwood passes zero-tolerance policy for off-leash dogs in public spaces

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As of Tuesday, walking your dog in Collingwood’s public spaces without a leash could get you a fine, even if it is your first time doing so.

On Monday, the town of Collingwood implemented a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to its already existing responsible pet ownership bylaw, empowering Collingwood to fine pet owners “upon first observed or confirmed offence” of having an off-leash dog in a public space.

According to Collingwood bylaw, public spaces are considered anywhere outside of the home of the pet owner or off-leash dog parks. This means residents walking their dogs without a leash anywhere else can be charged with ’allow dog to run at large’ by the town and will be immediately fined, instead of just warned by bylaw officers.

In council documentation, the town says bylaw services have issued 25 warnings related to off-leash dog incidents since May, “indicating that continued education alone has not achieved the desired level of compliance.”

The motion to implement the policy passed unanimously at Monday’s meeting.

The policy will remain in place until the end of June 2027.