Residents of the Pembina Valley have expressed concern after seeing a number of dogs walked off-leash.

Kenton Hoeppner, Community Safety Officer for Winkler, says though owners may feel their dog is well behaved, anything can happen in a split second, and owners can be held responsible.

Within Winkler city limits no dog is permitted to be off-leash unless it's in a designated dog park or on the resident's private property.

"A lot of the complaints we do get about off-leash dogs are either from people who are scared of dogs," he says.

Depending on the circumstance, if there is no owner around Hoeppner says to contact Animal Control (204-362-0480). If the owner is around, residents can contact the City Office (204-325-9524) during the week, or if there is an evening or weekend emergency to contact the Police (204-325-9990).

If a person is found with their dog off-leash there could be grounds for a fine says Hoeppner. The first offence is $50, second $75 and repeat offenders could see up to $100.

Hoeppner also wants to remind people to pick up after their dogs, because a number of people have already complained about dog waste in parks and along sidewalks. He notes leaving dog waste around can expose other pets and kids to disease or parasites.