This sign at Marshall Fields in Vernon will need an update if the North Okanagan Regional District enacts a new bylaw fining dog owners for not carrying poop bags.

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

NORTH OKANAGAN - Dog owners in the North Okanagan could soon face fines for not carrying poop bags and a leash with them while out and about with their four-legged friends.

The $25 fine for not carrying a poop bag, and the $100 fine for not being in possession of a leash, are in a range of newly revised dog control bylaws scheduled to be voted on by the North Okanagan Regional District directors Oct. 2.

Dog control bylaws fall under the Regional District's umbrella and are mandatory across the different cities and municipalities within the North Okanagan.

While the majority of the regulations and fines in the new dog control bylaw remain the same, if passed, new rules and increased penalties, especially for second and third-time offenders will come into play.

Along with a $25 fine for not carrying a poop bag, and a $100 fine for not carrying a leash, the bylaw will require owners to make sure their dog's vaccinations are up to date or they could face a $100 fine.

"What we are trying to do with this new bylaw is encourage people to be responsible dog owners," K9 Control owner Pat Ellis told iNFOnews.ca.

K9 Control is currently contracted by the Reginal District to deal with dog-related complaints and enforce the bylaws.

The proposed bylaw will also impose stiffer fines on repeat offenders. A $100 fine for not taking immediate control of your dog in the event of aggression or conflict with another dog or person, jumps to $250 if the person involved had previously been ticketed with the same offence.

"Unfortunately it's a few bad ones that are making it expensive for everybody because they are giving us so much trouble," Ellis said.

A person who allows their dog to bite, assault or attack a person will be fined $200 if it is a second offence the fine doubles to $400.

Fines for attempting to release or rescue an impounded dog, as well as fines for intervening, or interfering with a dog control officer have jumped from $150 to $500.

The price of dog licences remains the same at $20 per year for a spayed or neutered dog and $55 for an unspayed or unneutered dog if purchased before Jan. 1.

Ellis said all dog owners are required to have a licence and said licenced dogs who get lost and picked up by K9 Control are relocated with their owners quickly and easily.

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