All dog owners in Toronto must follow the rules below as well as comply with the Toronto Animals Bylaw and the Province of Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act (DOLA).
All dogs must be leashed in public unless you are in an officially designated dogs off-leash area. This includes parks, school yards, beaches, sidewalks and roadways. Contact 311 to report an owner whose dog is off-leash outside of a designated off-leash area.
Leashes should be no more than two metres long and securely attached to a collar or harness. Leashing your dog to a pole or bike rack is not allowed.
You are allowed to tether your dog outdoors for up to one hour unsupervised. The tether used to tie your dog must be more than three metres long, and in a manner that prevents them from leaving your property. You cannot use a choke collar, choke chain or pronged collar for your dog at any time when tethering. Martingale collars, which are considered humane choke collars, are allowed. The tether must not cause injury to the animal.
Bag and dispose of dog waste in green bins or garbage bins. You must immediately pick up dog waste in parks and public spaces. Dog owners have up to 24 hours to remove dog waste from their own property.
If notified, Toronto Animal Service officers will caution the dog owner and advise that they are to:
All dogs owned in Toronto must be licensed and wear a tag. If your pet is lost or involved in an emergency, a licence provides information needed to contact you and lost pets are returned home faster and spends less time in shelters.
Pit bulls are banned in Ontario under provincial law, the City of Toronto enforces this legislation locally. Contact 311 to report concerns.
As a dog owner, you are responsible for your dogs’ actions and should take precautions to prevent your dog from biting, attacking or engaging in threatening behaviour. The Ontario Dog Owners' Liability Act states that owners will be liable for damages resulting from a bite or attack by the dog on another person or domestic animal.
Reports indicate that most attacks could have been prevented if the dog had been on a leash, with a significant number of these incidents being the first time the dog displayed serious aggression. Even well-behaved dogs can have bad days. The best way to ensure the safety of both others and your dog is to keep them leashed.
Many dogs are not used to socializing with young children and other dogs and it’s important to respect their space. Learn how to safely greet dogs and give them the space they need. Children should be supervised closely around dogs and be taught how to interact with them in a gentle, respectful way. Parents and caregivers should also be mindful of their child’s safety when visiting designated dog off-leash areas.
Dogs are naturally interested in wildlife, and some types of wildlife in Toronto could threaten, or are threatened by, dogs. To protect both your dog and the city’s wildlife, be aware of your surroundings and keep your dog on a leash at all times and close to you. Most negative encounters with wildlife could have been prevented if dogs were leashed.
If you see a coyote, pick up small dogs and keep larger dogs leashed and at your side. Never run away from a coyote; avoid turning your back, maintain eye contact and slowly back away. Learn how you can use aversion techniques to keep yourself, your pets and wildlife safe.
Socializing is important for puppies as they can learn to meet and enjoy a variety of people, animals, places and things. Done properly, socializing helps puppies feel comfortable and confident in various situations. The main rule for effective socializing is to let your dog progress at their own pace and never force them to be around someone or in a situation when they’re clearly fearful or uncomfortable. Don’t wait for a serious incident to happen. The first time your dog shows aggressive behaviour toward anybody, even if no injury occurs, seek professional help.
Excessive barking can disturb and upset your neighbours. Use training or control techniques to prevent your dog from barking too much. If you have a problem with a noisy animal in your neighbourhood, consider speaking with the owner first. If this approach does not work, connect with 311.
Contact 311 to submit a service request for any animal kept in dirty conditions, where waste, bad smells, bugs, or things that attract rats or mice build up. This can harm the health of people or animals, or make people feel uncomfortable or bothered.
If this is a multi-residential property, speak to the Property Manager first. If this does not resolve the problem, then you can contact 311 to submit a service request for an investigation.
Once a service request has been submitted, Toronto Animal Services will follow these steps: