What is the Proposed Animal Control Service
This spring, the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) invited Denman and Hornby Island residents to share their perspectives on future animal control services through a community engagement process.
Based on this work and the feedback obtained through the engagement process, a Tier 2 — Reactive Enforcement and Containment service level has been proposed by the CVRD (see below for Tier 2 details).
Updates following the assent voting will be published in November, 2026.
Assent Voting Results
Results of the October 17, 2026 assent voting:
Qualified electors who live or own property on Denman Island or Hornby Island were asked to take part in an assent vote on October 17. The question and results are below:
“Are you in favour of the Comox Valley Regional District Board adopting Bylaw No. 915 to amend the Denman and Hornby Islands Bylaw Enforcement Service to include the provision of animal control services?”
Results:
| Yes | No | |
|
Total Number of Valid Votes Cast |
853 | 348 |
Background: Service Level Options Explored
As part of the community engagement, residents were asked to consider three illustrative service levels and associated annual household costs. These scenarios were developed to understand community preferences across different service and cost levels. They were used for research purposes and do not represent final service levels or costs.
Approximately $15 per average household per year
- Animal complaints would have a dedicated reporting and documentation process through the CVRD.
- Domestic animals would be included in the CVRD licensing system.
- An Animal Control Officer would visit periodically to sell licences and provide information.
- Complaints would be documented and managed primarily through remote contact with owners.
- No regular patrols and no on-island enforcement attendance.
Approximately $20 per average household per year
- Includes licensing and complaint documentation (Tier 1).
- An Animal Control Officer would travel to the island for serious incidents requiring on-site enforcement that cannot be solved remotely.
- If an animal requires temporary containment, local arrangements on the island could be used to hold the animal temporarily until it can be returned to its owner or retrieved.
- No regular patrol presence. Attendance would occur only when required for specific incidents.
Approximately $30 per average household per year
- Includes licensing, documentation, and enforcement response (Tiers 1 and 2).
- Weekly on-island patrols from May through October.
- Active presence at parks, beaches, and other high-use areas during peak season.
- Proactive enforcement, education, and licensing checks during patrol periods.
