Best Off-Leash Dog Parks Regina (2026): Top Parks Reviewed

The five year-round off-leash parks

The City of Regina runs five designated year-round off-leash sites. Four are fully fenced (Ross Industrial, Mount Pleasant, Mamowimiweyitamowin, Horizon Station) and one is partially fenced (Cathy Lauritsen, where the Wascana Creek boundary is open because of floodplain rules). Two of the five (Mount Pleasant, Mamowimiweyitamowin) have dedicated small-dog sections.

1. Cathy Lauritsen Memorial Off-Leash Dog Park (Forget Street)

Cathy Lauritsen is the flagship Regina off-leash space. It sits at 2110 Forget Street along Wascana Creek and offers the biggest open footprint of any City off-leash park. There is a free parking lot and on-street parking along 13th Avenue. The terrain is mostly open prairie grass with creek frontage along one boundary, which makes it the closest thing Regina has to a creek-side off-leash experience.

The catch is the creek side is unfenced. The City did not fence the creek boundary because of floodplain regulations, which means dogs with poor recall, strong wildlife drive, or a flight-risk history should not be off-leash here. Coyotes are sighted along Wascana Creek, especially at dawn and dusk. New rescues, dogs that fixate on wildlife, and dogs still building recall should not be the first ones at Cathy Lauritsen. For dogs that pass the recall test, this is the biggest run available in the city.

Best for: high-energy adult dogs with reliable recall, owners who want the biggest open space in Regina, creek-side enrichment. Avoid if: your dog has poor recall, is a flight risk, or you are visiting at dawn or dusk during coyote pup-rearing season (April through June).

2. Mount Pleasant Off-Leash Dog Park (Winnipeg Street North)

Mount Pleasant is the strongest fenced park in Regina. It sits at 750 Winnipeg Street North with free on-site parking, is fully fenced, and has a dedicated small-dog area (25 pound and 18 inch limit). The main area is a generous open field and the small-dog section is separately gated, which solves the long-standing problem of toy breeds and seniors getting overwhelmed by larger dogs.

One quirk to know: the small-dog area is reserved on the first Tuesday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon. If you visit during that window, plan around it. Outside that slot it operates as a normal small-dog section.

Mount Pleasant is the answer most Regina trainers give when adopters ask where to take a brand new rescue for their first off-leash outing. The fence is solid, the layout is open enough that you can see your dog at all times, and the small-dog section means a Chihuahua or a senior Yorkie has somewhere safe to socialise. Best for: new adopters, owners of small or senior dogs, dogs still building recall. Avoid if: your dog needs a run longer than a fenced field can provide (head to Cathy Lauritsen instead).

3. Ross Industrial Off-Leash Dog Park (Solomon Crescent)

Ross Industrial sits at 624 Solomon Crescent and is the largest fully fenced footprint in the city. Parking is on-street only along Solomon Crescent. The park serves the east-end and industrial-zone residents and tends to draw a steady regulars crowd, partly because the fully fenced footprint makes it safe for dogs that are still in recall training.

There is no separate small-dog section, so toy breeds need to be comfortable with bigger dogs in a mixed-size group. The terrain is open prairie grass with limited shade, which matters in July and August when mid-day temperatures spike. Best for: east-end residents, owners who want the biggest fenced run in Regina, socially balanced dogs of any size. Avoid if: your dog is small and unsure around larger dogs, or you need shade on a hot day.

4. Mamowimiweyitamowin Park Off-Leash Dog Park (McKinley Avenue)

Mamowimiweyitamowin Park sits at 3750 McKinley Avenue and is a fully fenced neighbourhood-level park with a dedicated small-dog section (same 25 pound and 18 inch limits as Mount Pleasant). Parking is on-street along McKinley Avenue. It serves the south-end neighbourhoods and tends to be quieter than Mount Pleasant because the footprint is smaller and the crowd is more local.

For owners of small dogs in the south end, this is often the more convenient pick than driving across town to Mount Pleasant. Best for: south-end residents, owners of small or senior dogs, owners who want a quieter fenced park. Avoid if: your dog is high-energy and needs a bigger run than a neighbourhood park provides.

5. Horizon Station Off-Leash Dog Park (East Buckingham Drive)

Horizon Station sits at 4701 East Buckingham Drive on the east side of the city and is the newest of the year-round parks. It is fully fenced, on-street parking only, and serves the east-end neighbourhoods. There is no separate small-dog section. The park backs onto open prairie at the city edge, which means coyote sightings come up occasionally, especially at dawn and dusk.

Best for: east-end residents, owners who want a reliably fenced neighbourhood park. Avoid if: you need a small-dog section or want shade on a hot day.

Seasonal off-leash rinks

Regina also opens eight outdoor skating rinks as seasonal off-leash areas from spring through fall. The standard run is May 1 to September 30, with occasional extensions into November when the City decides not to flood the rinks early. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. on school days and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on non-school days.

These are small fenced footprints (rink-sized) spread across neighbourhoods, and they work well as a supplement to the five year-round parks when you want a quick local visit instead of driving across town. The City of Regina dog parks page publishes the current season's rink list each spring; check it for the up-to-date locations.

Which park for which dog

The Wascana Centre question

Almost every Regina dog owner asks the same question within a few weeks: can my dog go off-leash anywhere in Wascana Centre? The answer is no. Wascana Centre is managed by the Provincial Capital Commission (not the City of Regina) and dogs must be leashed at all times throughout the entire Centre. That includes the lakeside paths, the open grass areas, the Legislative grounds, and every connected trail. The Provincial Capital Commission cites four reasons: people not comfortable around dogs, cyclist and vehicle safety, wildlife protection (Wascana is home to geese, ducks, deer, foxes, and beavers), and dogs getting onto thin ice in winter.

The substitute, if you want a Wascana-style green-space experience without the leash, is Cathy Lauritsen Memorial Off-Leash Dog Park, which sits directly along Wascana Creek upstream from the lake. It is the closest legal off-leash answer to “I want my dog to run by the water.” Just remember the creek-side boundary is unfenced and Wascana wildlife is just as present at Cathy Lauritsen as it is in the Centre itself.

Animal Bylaw 2009-44: what every off-leash visitor needs to know

Regina's Animal Bylaw 2009-44 governs every off-leash visit. The bylaw was tightened in March 2026, with increased fines for at-large dogs, failure to control, and aggressive behaviour in off-leash parks. The four things that come up most often:

1. Licence required. A current City of Regina dog licence is required to enter any off-leash area. There is a meaningful discount for spayed or neutered dogs. Animal Services officers patrol the parks and ticket unlicensed dogs.
2. Leash until you're inside. Your dog must be on a leash up until the moment you cross the off-leash boundary, and back on a leash the moment you leave. This catches a lot of owners off guard in the parking lots and on the approach paths.
3. Verbal control inside the park. Within the off-leash zone, dogs must be under verbal control at all times. If your dog will not come when called or is running out of sight, the bylaw considers them at-large and you can be ticketed even inside the park boundary.
4. Aggressive behaviour fines increased in 2026. The March 2026 bylaw update raised fines for aggressive behaviour and at-large offences by $50 per incident. Repeated violations can lead to a dog being prohibited from off-leash areas city-wide. The practical version: if your dog has a hard time around other dogs, switch to a quieter window or train in lower-traffic parks before a complaint gets filed.

Animal Services handles complaints and enforcement. For most regular park users the bylaw is invisible because everyone is already doing the right things; the practical reasons to know it are the licence requirement, the leash-to-the-boundary rule, and the new higher fines after the 2026 update.

Prairie winter at Regina dog parks

Regina winters are long and serious. December through February routinely sees stretches of -25C to -35C with windchill, and that changes which parks are usable.

Cathy Lauritsen becomes harder in deep cold because the open prairie wind through the park cuts hard and the creek side increases coyote activity. Wascana Creek ice is never safe to walk on; dogs running on the ice edge is the highest-risk winter scenario. Most regulars switch to the fully fenced parks (Mount Pleasant, Ross Industrial, Horizon Station, Mamowimiweyitamowin) from December through February because the fencing keeps dogs away from creek ice and the smaller footprints reduce wind exposure.

Paw protection matters below -20C. Boots or paw balm prevent ice-ball buildup between the toes and protect against the salt and grit on the access paths and parking lots. Watch for limping or lifting paws; if your dog is favouring a foot, end the visit and warm them up. Short-coat breeds (greyhounds, whippets, pit-mix dogs, dachshunds) generally cap out at 15 to 20 minutes below -20C even with a coat on. Double-coat breeds (huskies, malamutes, shepherds) handle the cold fine but still need paw protection on icy paths.

Urban coyotes along the Wascana corridor

Urban coyotes are well established in the Wascana corridor and on the city edges. Sightings come up routinely at Cathy Lauritsen (creek frontage), Horizon Station (the east-end edge backs onto open prairie), and occasionally at the other parks during pup-rearing season (April through June, when they get more defensive of dens). They are most active at dawn and dusk.

Practical rules. First, Cathy Lauritsen and Horizon Station at dawn and dusk are where you need bulletproof recall and your dog in sight at all times. Second, if you see a coyote, leash up immediately and walk (do not run) toward your vehicle. Third, coyotes will follow off-leash dogs back toward owners; if your dog is being followed, stand your ground, look big, and yell. Fourth, during pup-rearing season the fully fenced parks (Mount Pleasant, Ross Industrial, Mamowimiweyitamowin) are the lower-risk option if coyote activity is high in your neighbourhood.

Summer hazards: blue-green algae and heat

Late July through September is the peak risk window for blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in Wascana Lake, Wascana Creek, and stagnant city stormwater ponds. Blooms look like spilled paint, a thick green film, or foam at the waterline. Dogs that drink or wade in affected water can develop acute liver or neurological damage within hours, and toxicity can be fatal. The Saskatchewan Health Authority posts advisories when blooms are confirmed.

Practical rule for August and September: do not let your dog drink from Wascana Creek (relevant at Cathy Lauritsen) or any standing pond, bring a water bottle and a collapsible bowl, and if the water looks off, keep your dog out of it entirely. If your dog has been in suspect water and starts vomiting, staggering, drooling heavily, or having a seizure, go to a 24-hour vet immediately.

Regina summers also run hot enough that mid-day visits in July and August are a real concern for short-nosed breeds (bulldogs, pugs, boxers) and heavy-coat breeds. Aim for early morning or after 7 p.m., and skip the unshaded parks (Ross Industrial and Horizon Station in particular) when it's above 28C.

Skunks, porcupines, and other prairie wildlife

Summer evenings in Regina park land bring out the small-mammal crowd. Skunks are everywhere, raccoons turn up around Wascana, and porcupines occasionally appear at the city-edge parks. Skunk spray is messy but not life-threatening; porcupine quills are a vet visit. The combination means that dawn, dusk, and after-dark visits to Cathy Lauritsen and Horizon Station need the same recall discipline as the coyote framing above.

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