Dog complaints

Animal humane/cruelty concerns

All animal humane/cruelty concerns including spotting dogs in hot vehicles must be directed to the Kelowna SPCA at 1 855 622 7722

Report lost/found dogs

If you have lost your dog or found a stray dog, please call the regional dog pound at 250-469-6284.

Do not report lost or stray dogs on our emergency line. Please only call during regular work hours.

Report an aggressive dog

Call the after-hours emergency line if you find

• A seriously injured stray dog
• Any dog that is attacking other dogs or people

Emergency phone number: 250-979-0925

File a dog barking complaint

All other complaints should be directed towards us with the dog barking log form. Or call us at 250-469-6284. We are open Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but closed on statutory holidays.

Dog barking log form

Your personal information

When you file a complaint with us, your personal information is kept confidential and is not revealed to the dog owner, in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. It is important for us to have your information on file to give validity to the complaint and to assist our officers in effectively dealing with your concerns. Anonymous complaints will not be taken.

The exception to this confidentiality is if there is court action as a result of your complaint. In this case, the accused is entitled to full disclosure of the file for the purpose of preparing his/her defense. Then personal information must be revealed along with the officer's notes and findings to the accused or his/her counsel as required by law. Staff will always discuss this with you in advance.

Enforcement of barking dogs

We acknowledge that excessive barking noise can impact the quality of life of residents.

Barking and the Responsible Dog Ownership Bylaw 1343

No owner shall allow the dog to bark, howl or yelp:

• Continuously for 5 minutes
• Sporadically for 15 minutes
• Disturb the peace, quiet, rest, enjoyment or comfort of persons in the neighbourhood (Part 8 Section 29 and Local Government Act Section 724)

Keep a dog barking log then file a complaint

Staff will generate an enforcement file once the following information is provided:

1. Your name, address and daytime contact information. We do not accept anonymous reports
2. The physical address of where the dog has been observed barking. Please include whether it is in the back, front or side yard or in the house
3. A description of the dog – colour, breed, size (if known). If the dog cannot be seen, it would be helpful to note whether the barking belongs to a smaller or larger breed
4. The name of dog owners and/or dog (if known)
5. Anything that stands out about the dog's yard or house, so we can assure the dog owners that we have the correct enforcement address
6. A bark log with records of incidents over a 3 to 5-day period unless there are severe circumstances in which case the process may be accelerated

The standard for excessive barking is 5 minutes or more of continual barking or 15 minutes or more of sporadic barking as per Section 29 of the Responsible Dog Ownership Bylaw 1343.

If you know of other neighbours who complain about excessive barking, you are encouraged to have them also contact Dog Control with their concerns. Often more than one complainant is required to move forward with enforcement action.

Once you have compiled the necessary information and submitted the online bark log form, you will get a return email from Dog Control confirming your submission while providing your enforcement file number. Your information and your identity will be kept strictly confidential.

What happens next?

An enforcement file will be created in priority order and assigned to an officer who will make contact with the dog owner to address the barking dog complaint.

For best results, it is essential for you to continue to monitor the matter for several days to provide feedback to the officer as to whether the situation is better, worse or the same. This will enable the officer to continue to work toward a satisfactory solution on your behalf.

Should you have any questions or concerns or want to update the status of the barking during this process, please contact the officer for clarification by calling 250-469-6284.

Finally, an officer will contact you to advise when the enforcement file is concluded.

If the owners dispute the fine

Should a fine be issued (Section 29 - $100 Regional District of Central Okanagan Responsible Dog Ownership Bylaw No. 1343) and the dog owner disputes the ticket, it may proceed to adjudication. Experience has shown that Adjudicators rely on more than one complainant's testimony/witness statements to ensure this is not a neighbour to neighbour dispute.

Report a dog in a hot vehicle

Please call the Kelowna SPCA at 250-861-7722 if you spot a dog or other pet left in a hot vehicle. In an emergency situation, call 9-1-1.

Don't leave on air conditioning

You may think leaving your vehicle idling with the air conditioning (A/C) on is enough to keep your pet safe. But there is still a chance you're A/C may malfunction, plus you should not leave your vehicle to idle. If your A/C malfunctions, your vehicle will heat up and your dog will be at risk for heatstroke. Plus, you risk your vehicle being easily stolen.

Don't break the window

Although you may have the pet's best interest in mind, do NOT break the window of a vehicle with a pet inside. The only people able to lawfully enter a vehicle to help an animal in need are the RCMP and BC SPCA Constables.