Dogs are welcome at any of our parks and trails but should always remain on-leash unless in designated off-leash areas. If you want to let your dog off its leash, please visit one of our off-leash dog parks.
Remember to pick up after your dog wherever you are.
On this page:
- Visit a park or trail with your dog
- Our off-leash dog parks
- Off-leash dog park rules
- Find a garbage can
Visit a park or trail with your dog
Dogs are welcome in all our parks and trails. Please always keep your dog on a leash and always pick up after your pet.
You can dispose of pet waste in any garbage can, or you can take it home to put it in your green bin with your compost. If there is no garbage can nearby, please take your pet waste home.
There are also four off-leash dog parks in Kitchener where your pet can explore their surroundings off their leash.
Our off-leash dog parks
There are four off-leash dog parks in Kitchener:
- George Lippert Park, 200 Weber Street West
- Idlewood Park, 5 Thaler Avenue
- Kiwanis Park, 1000 Kiwanis Park Drive
- McLennan Park, 901 Ottawa Street South
- The Aud neighbourhood dog park, 400 East Avenue
Off-leash dog park rules
Dogs can be unpredictable. We cannot guarantee that interaction with unfamiliar dogs within the premises will be safe. Because of this inherent risk, usage of off-leash parks is done at the visitor’s own risk.
Follow these rules to keep our off-leash dog parks safe for everyone to use:
- dogs must be accompanied by a responsible individual at least 16 years old at all times
- keep your dog within your sight and under verbal control at all times
- an adult must supervise any children between the ages of six and 15
- children under the age of six are not allowed within the off-leash dog park
- an owner cannot bring more than two dogs at one time to the dog park
- all dogs must have a municipal dog license and current rabies vaccinations with tags worn
- clean up after your dogs and their waste in the designated containers
- dogs over the age of seven months must be spayed or neutered
- if your dog digs a hole, you must fill it before leaving the park
When using our off-leash dog parks, you must not:
- conduct any business, including professional dog training
- use a pinch (prong) and spike collars
- bring in aggressive dogs
- if a dog starts acting aggressively, you must remove it from the dog park immediately
- dogs that have previously bitten or injured a person or another animal are considered aggressive
- bring in dogs in heat, puppies under 12 weeks old and sick dogs
- bring in toys, food and glass containers
Help keep our off-leash dog parks safe for everyone by following the rules above. If you see visitors breaking the rules, please call 519-741-2345.
Find a garbage can
If you need to throw out dog waste around Kitchener, use our online map to find public garbage cans. When you open the map, click on the "Use my location" button to find your closest options.