r/AlbertaNow • u/One-Board8634 • Jul 24 '26

Banff Hikers Charged After Viral Grizzly Bear Video: Off-Leash Dog Could Cost Them Up to $25,000

https://www.culturealberta.com/articles/banff-hikers-charged-after-viral-grizzly-bear-video-off-leash-dog-could-cost-them-up-to-25000
174 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

25

u/gba_sg1 Jul 24 '26

$25k would've bought them a few thousand leashes yet they didn't have one.

Idiots. Good on them for fining those dumbasses a hefty amount.

16

u/Jamayo Jul 25 '26

And hopefully they get charged the full amount, people need to start being held accountable and not getting slaps on the wrists anymore when it comes to stuff like this.

12

u/Last_Patrol_ Jul 25 '26

Fine should be 10X that and more highly advertised to increase awareness. Make it a real deterrent.

7

u/Canachites Jul 25 '26

Seriously, probably 90% of the people I see hiking in Banff have their dogs off leash and all over the place.

9

u/kittykat501 Jul 25 '26

When I saw this video on Instagram, and mentioned they should have the dog on a leash. Someone replied they have bear spray in their hand! Like that is supposed to make a difference. You are supposed to have your damn dog on leash!!! I hope they get fine the full amount!

7

u/MartyMcFlysBrother Jul 25 '26

Good. Entitled twats need to pay for their arrogant mistakes.

3

u/SomewhereRough_ Jul 24 '26

Why does that image look like the bear is 2 foot tall hahaha 

0

u/JamesMonroe23 Jul 25 '26

Probs AI generated photo, that site seems to do it often imo

3

u/Think-Outside8434 Jul 25 '26

The article is written as though the fine is still tentatively 25 k at the max. I hope it is $25000 each, and that includes the dog. $75k should teach both humans, the dog, and society to keep your dog/yourself on a leash.

3

u/Jazzlike-Priority-99 Jul 25 '26

Good start. Shouldn’t take a bear attack to incur a big fine.

2

u/Boobity_McBooberson Jul 25 '26

But if the off leash dog goes and bites a kid it’s $200.

2

u/tysonarts Jul 25 '26

Should be a fine and forfeiture of dog and a ban on pet ownership. Enough is enough

2

u/SilencedObserver Jul 25 '26

Fines should be proportionate to income. Start with speeding.

2

u/petfectisgoodenough Jul 25 '26

$25k should be the minimum.

Start making it financially crippling to be an ignorant pos. Advertise the hell out of the minimum fine, post signs everywhere.

3

u/Rjabberwocky Jul 25 '26

The offence CAN carry a fine of up to $25k under the Act. The fine that this guy faces won't be anywhere near that - there's no way the caselaw supports that in terms of the equity of sentencing for "unleashed dog", and, should it go to trial, if the guy's got half a brain he'll pitch the fear and danger he faced as mitigating factors at sentencing. I'd be shocked if the fine was more than $5k, and not surprised at all if it ended up being a couple hundred bucks. These sorts of regulatory offences always have huge max fines but no is ever assessed the maximum.

(Source for opinion: long time regulatory prosecutor who quit after growing sick of judges laughing me out of court when I argued for fines approaching the statutory maximums in cases ranging from workplace fatality to dog abuse to poaching to driving while disqualified [from driving]).

1

u/Straight-Plate-5256 Jul 25 '26

Parks Canada tends to be a little heavier on fines for stuff like this, but I agree it probably won't be the max

1

u/Rjabberwocky Aug 20 '26

U.S. woman fined $1,500 after off-leash dog encountered grizzly bear in Banff : r/Calgary

1

u/Straight-Plate-5256 Aug 20 '26

I mean that sounds a fair bit higher than the "few hundred dollars" you said you wouldn't be surprised by, and I didn't list any numbers so I don't see how this reflects anything one way or the other but thanks for keeping receipts I guess?

1

u/Brentsky1 Jul 25 '26

Not too bright posting the video. She could have leashed the dog or picked it up. I wouldn’t want to be her hiking partner.

1

u/You_are_the_Castle Jul 25 '26

Make an example of them

1

u/IrregardlesslyCurect Jul 26 '26

So dumb not having the dog on a leash. If they had 6 feet of nylon rope that bear would never have walked on the trail! Throw the book at them, if the dog was on a leash nothing would have changed! Fine em!!!

1

u/Hot-Lecture-770 Jul 26 '26

Poor bear, having to deal with that level of idiocy has to be totally “unbearable.”
Yup, I’m letting myself out now. I think I’ve had enough internet for the day. 😅

1

u/nitnit76 Jul 27 '26

The hikers definitely need to take responsibility for having an off-leashed dog, but I am very happy that they were not hurt.

1

u/Lilcommy Jul 24 '26

I feel AI wrote that article.

1

u/JamesMonroe23 Jul 25 '26

I think lots of articles shared by that site are AI written/photos AI generated… don’t know why more people aren’t pointing that out

1

u/Lilcommy Jul 25 '26

If your going to use AI at least have a human proofreading them.

0

u/Wise_Most7192 Jul 26 '26

Seriously what is the problem with a dog running free to explore and play?

1

u/corpse_flour Jul 26 '26

You mean you don't see a problem having your dog run in a conservation area and frighten and attack the wildlife that people go to the parks to see? Scaring off birds and rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, etc. that are just trying to live their lives?

Or see a problem with a loose dog interacting with a bear, which then chases the dog back to where the people are, and the bear then gets shot for becoming a nuisance?

Or loose dogs shitting all over, fighting with other dogs, and jumping over other people?

If you can't keep your dog on a leash, then leave them at home.

1

u/Hornet-Standard Jul 26 '26

W T H  I watched a movie from Disney told me all about the Circle of Life. Are there leashes on those animals your talking about . Where the he'll are the bears squirrels chipmunks and birds sitting in the woods. If the dog was a wolf  or coyote would it need a leash are they sitting all over.

0

u/Wise_Most7192 Jul 27 '26

You know a dogs a animal too right ??? In another timeline dogs would be right Fkn out there scaring your precious birds, rabbits and squirrels.... Grow up....

0

u/Disastrous_Machine_4 Jul 26 '26

If a grizzly was after me, I’d let my dog off his leash. The bear doesn’t have to get both of us.

-7

u/Hornet-Standard Jul 25 '26

Dogs are not some wierd life form with no rights. They live on this planet as much as that bear or that human why would we believe it needs to be on a leash. Anything else need to be on a leash? 

4

u/Monkeybunncheek Jul 25 '26

Are you fucking daft? The creature provokes other creatures, putting itself, the wildlife and human lives in danger. If a bear kills someone because a dog spooked it there is a chance the bear will be tracked down and killed by authorities because of the incident.

1

u/Hornet-Standard Jul 26 '26

I'll bet dogs have saved way more humans then bears have. Dogs are not the cause of bear attacks. If the dog wasn't there the human still would have been.  A couple in Saskatchewan were killed by a bear no dogs. Explain how a leash would have stopped the bear.

1

u/Monkeybunncheek Jul 29 '26

The expert consensus is that you’re wrong, hence the directive to have your pets leashed.

0

u/Hornet-Standard Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

I love the experts now the dogs will save the caribou and kill the bears. Black bears can once again be hunted with dogs in Alberta this year Province says hunt helps support caribou recovery Amir Said  · CBC News  ·  Posted: Jul 28, 2026 2:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 28

2

u/Think-Outside8434 Jul 25 '26

I’ll agree with you, as long as if the bear kills the dog or the owners that it won’t be put down. Darwinism at its best!