Animal Services

Common animal fees are listed below. For a complete list of fees, see the City's Fees and Charges By-law or contact the Owen Sound Animal Shelter.

Dog and cat licences can be purchased at City Hall (808 2nd Avenue East) or the Owen Sound Animal Shelter (2125 18th Avenue East). All other fees can be paid at the Owen Sound Animal Shelter. For more information on dog and cat licences, please visit our Dog and Cat Licences webpage.

As per By-law No. 2005-123 - A By-law to Licence, Regulate and Govern Dog Kennels within the City of Owen Sound, no person shall keep a kennel of dogs in the City except under the authority of a currently valid licence which must be renewed annually before January 15th of each year.

The Kennel Licence Application Form must be completed and submitted to the Licensing Coordinator, accompanied by the $300.00 fee.

If you have any questions, please contact the Licensing Coordinator by emailing lkazarian@owensound.ca or calling 519-376-4440 ext. 1268.

You can have animals like birds, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, and lizards as pets in the City.

The City's Keeping of Certain Kinds of Animals By-law does not allow you to keep other animals, including pigs, snakes with venom, and chickens.

For questions or to report an animal that is not allowed in the City, contact By-law Enforcement.

Feeding wild animals, other than song birds, is not allowed in the City and can do more harm than good:

• Artificial feed is not healthy for wildlife;
• Animals which are fed can become aggressive and/or dependent on artificial food sources;
• Feeding animals near roads increases their risk of being hit by vehicles; and
• Feeding wildlife may attract other unwanted animals to your property.

If you have a wild animal on your property you are concerned about, please visit the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) website to help direct your concerns.

The MNRF lists authorized wildlife rehabilitators in Ontario on their website.

Licensed trappers can be contacted to remove any nuisance wildlife from private property; however, there are rules in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act on when and where nuisance animals can be moved. The Ontario Fur Managers Federation maintains a list of licensed trappers and they can be contacted at 705-254-3338.

It is the responsibility of the property owner to contact and pay for the licensed trapper to attend; however, there is no obligation for a property owner to have a nuisance animal removed from their property.

It is not uncommon to see and hear coyotes in the City of Owen Sound, as they are part of our natural environment. Coyotes are not considered to be a significant threat to people. However, they are 
wild animals and should be treated appropriately. Feeding coyotes, tolerating them on our property and allowing pets to roam freely, contribute to coyotes losing their inhibitions and fear of people.

Basic tips to help prevent human/coyote encounters:

• Discourage coyotes from coming onto your property by consistently frightening them away. This could mean using motion sensor lights or adding bells to your exterior doors. 
• Never feed wildlife. Ensure garbage, green bins, compost and anything that may attract animals is sealed and not accessible.
• If you encounter a coyote, wave your arms, shout and act aggressively towards it. 
• If approached while walking a small dog, pick up your dog and walk backward slowly while making loud noises. Do not turn your back.

What to do if you encounter a coyote and believe it poses an immediate risk to your health or safety, please call 911.

The City of Owen Sound Animal Services does not respond to calls regarding wild animals, including coyotes. 

If you have a coyote on your property you are concerned about, please visit the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) website to help direct your concerns.

The MNRF lists authorized wildlife rehabilitators in Ontario on their website.

Licensed trappers can be contacted to remove any nuisance wildlife from private property; however, there are rules in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act on when and where nuisance animals can be moved. The Ontario Fur Managers Federation maintains a list of licensed trappers and they can be contacted at 705-254-3338.

The beaver bounty program is administered and paid for by Grey County. Trappers receive $25.00 per beaver and must bring the tail to City Hall for inspection, along with the Beaver Authorization and Certification Form. The City Clerk will sign and forward the paperwork to Grey County for processing and payment.

To apply to trap a coyote or wolf, complete the Coyote or Wolf Compensation Claim Form and submit it to the Clerk's Division at clerks@owensound.ca. It includes the steps to be completed by the stockowner, the Livestock Evaluator, the licensed hunter/trapper, the City of Owen Sound, and Grey County. Please note that Grey County does not require Section 4 of this form to be completed. Hunters/trappers receive $50.00 per coyote or wolf. The City Clerk will sign and forward the paperwork to Grey County for processing and payment.

Resources:

County of Grey By-law No. 3274-91 - Nuisance Beaver Removal

County of Grey By-law No. 3332-92 - Wolf and Coyote Control