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Toronto Animal Services - Enforcement and Mobile Response

Enforcement and Mobile Response

Toronto Animal Services promotes the health and safety of people, pets and animals living together in Toronto Communities by:

  • providing 24 hour emergency response to calls for stray domestic animals and wildlife requiring immediate medical assistance
  • responding to public safety concerns involving an animal and animals jeopardizing the safety of the public
  • picking up stray domestic animals that are lost; returning them to their owners or caring for them at one of our shelters while searching for the owner
  • providing the removal of cadavers (dead animals), on public or private property. Please note: If the homeowner is home, Toronto Animal Services staff will enter the property to remove the animal if it is accessible (e.g., not on roofs or trees). However, if the homeowner is not at home, they should place the animal on the curbside in a box or bag and staff will pick it up from there.
  • promoting responsible pet ownership through the enforcement of Toronto Municipal Code 349 and other related laws

Reporting an Incident and/or Requesting an Investigation
When reporting an incident or requesting an investigation it is helpful to provide as much information as possible to facilitate conclusive and timely responses by our officers.

If the concern relates to animals being kept on privately owned property, providing the address is essential.

Every situation is unique and therefore the time needed to gain compliance will vary. In cases where an animal owner does not comply in a reasonable time, our officers will issue Notices of Violation, Written Warnings, and may be in a position to lay charges if there is sufficient evidence. Priority is given to those situations where there is a threat to the safety of the animal or public safety.

Due to freedom of information issues each officer is required to make the best efforts to ensure that the privacy of individuals is maintained during an investigation. This will often affect the amount of information that can be communicated and the details that can be provided during an investigation.

Animal Services is responsible for enforcement related to the following:

Toronto Municipal Code Regulations
Toronto Animal Services enforces provisions of the Toronto Municipal Code and The Dog Owners' Liability Act:

  • to ensure that animals are kept in accordance with the conditions set out in the Municipal Code
  • to ensure animal owners understand their responsibilities owning a pet in the City
  • to ensure that specific safety concerns and emergencies within the authority of the Municipal Code and Dog Owners' Liability Act are addressed in a timely manner

Animal Services inspects and investigates animal related complaints on private property and City owned lands (e.g. Parks) to ensure compliance with Acts, by-laws and regulations in order to maintain a high level of public safety, neighbourhood integrity and cleanliness, and consumer protection.

Bylaw Compliance Program
The bylaw compliance program responds to complaints and initiates proactive prevention through a range of approaches including inspections, alternative dispute resolution, education and, if necessary, enforcement, prosecution and other legal proceedings.

Contact us
To contact us about an enforcement matter you may do so by telephone or e-mail:

Telephone:     416-338-PAWS (7297)
E-Mail:             TASEMRU@toronto.ca

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