Animal Control and Dog Licensing Fees

1. This by-law may be cited as the “Animal Control By-Law”.

In this by-law:

1. "Animal Control Officer" shall mean the person or persons appointed by the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet to enforce this by-law and any servant or agent of such person or persons employed for such purposes.
2. "Corporation" shall mean the Corporation of the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet.
3. "Dog" means any member of the species Canis familiaris, or any hybrid thereof, over the age of 8 weeks.
4. "Dog Catcher" shall mean the Dog Catcher appointed by the Council of the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet.
5. "Kennel" shall mean an establishment for breeding or boarding of dogs and/or dogs that are registered or eligible for registration with an association incorporated under the Animal Pedigree Act (Canada).
6. "Municipal Law Enforcement Officer" shall mean the Municipal Law Enforcement Officer appointed by the Council of the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet.
7. "Neutered Dog" shall mean a male dog which has been castrated of a spayed female dog. (Deleted, amended by By-Law 2009-85, December 7, 2009.)
8. "Non-Property Owner" being one who resides within the limits of the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet but does not own property in his or her name. (Amended by By-Law 2017-29, May 15, 2017.)
9. "Owner" means a person who possesses or harbors a dog, where the owner is a minor, the person responsible for the custody of the minor, and “owns” and “owned” have a corresponding meaning.
10. "Property Owner" being one who owns property in his or her name within the limits of the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet. (Amended by By-Law 2017-29, May 15, 2017.)
11. "Running at large" shall mean a dog found in any place other than the premises of the owner of the dog and not under the control of any person by means of a leash. (Amended by By-Law 2020-12, March 20, 2020.)
12. "Township" shall mean the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet.
13. "Vicious Dog" means any dog which has bitten another animal or person without provocation.
14. "Zoning Administrator" shall mean the Zoning Administrator appointed by the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet.

1. Every resident in the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet who is the owner of a dog shall, within thirty (30) days following the date that a dog comes into his or her possession, or where applicable, upon the dog reaching the age of eight (8) weeks, register the dog with the Township, and thereafter annually pay a fee as prescribed in Schedule “A” of this By-law.
2. Upon application of a license for a neutered dog the owner shall produce a certificate of a Veterinary Surgeon that such dog has been neutered. (Deleted, amended by By-Law 2009-85 December 7, 2009.)
3. Upon payment of the prescribed license fee, the Township shall issue a tag bearing a serial number and year of issue and shall cause to be entered in a file kept for that purpose the following information:
   1. Name of owner
   2. Address of owner
   3. Telephone number of owner
   4. Name of dog
   5. Description and breed of dog
4. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to notify the Municipal Law Enforcement Officer of any changes in the information provided at the time the tag was issued.
5. The owner of a dog shall keep the tag securely fixed on the dog at all times until the tag is renewed or replaced, but the tag may be removed while the dog is being lawfully used for hunting.
6. The fee charged for the replacement of lost dog tags shall be five dollars ($5.00).
7. No tag or registration fee under this By-law shall be transferable and the tag shall expire and become void upon the sale, death, or other disposal of the dog.
8. No person other than the owner or his agent shall remove the licence tag from a dog.

1. No person shall operate a kennel without first obtaining written confirmation from the Zoning administrator that such operation complies with the Zoning By-law of the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3, the owner of a Kennel shall pay an annual licence fee as prescribed in Schedule “A” and such owner is not liable to pay any further licence fee in respect to dogs harbored therein.
3. No person who owns or harbours a dog within the Township shall permit such dog to become a public nuisance. A dog shall be considered a public nuisance if:
   1. it persistently barks or howls.
   2. it causes damage to public or private property.
   3. it interferes with or dumps or scatters garbage or trash.
   4. it chases pedestrians, bicyclists or vehicles.
4. No person shall keep or allow to be kept within the boundaries of the Township more than three (3) dogs per household, with the exception of those holding a kennel licence.
5. Transition rule: Every person who registered more than three (3) dogs in any one household by March 31, 2001, may be recognized as being legal non-conforming until such dogs over the prescribed amount of three (3) should die or be adopted out. Afterward, the legal non-conforming owner is subject to all the requirements of this By-law.

1. No person who owns, harbors or possesses any dog shall allow the dog to run at large in the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet, or trespass on private property even when on a leash.
2. Every owner of a dog shall ensure that the dog is kept on a leash having a length of not more than 2.4 meters and under the direct physical control of a person when the dog is on any land in the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet unless:
   1. The land is the premises of the owner of the dog;
   2. The land is owned by a person who has given prior consent to the dog being off the leash, or:
   3. The land is parkland that is:
      1. Owned by the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet, and designated as an off-leash dog park;
      2. Not designated by sign as an area where dogs are prohibited; every owner of a dog shall ensure that the dog is kept on a leash and under the control of a person when the dog is in the area designated by sign.
   4. No owner of a dog shall control a dog by means of a leash that:
      1. Is not held by the person in his or her hand, or
      2. Is not securely affixed to some immovable structure from which the dog cannot escape. (Amended by By-Law 2020-12 March 3, 2020.)
3. For the purposes of this by-law, a dog shall be deemed to be running at large if:
4. The dog is found in any other pace than the premises of the owner of the dog; or
5. The dog is not under the control of a responsible person. (Amended by By-Law 2018-23 March 6, 2018.)
6. Any dog running at large contrary to the provisions of this by-law may be captured by the Municipal Law Enforcement Officer or Dog Catcher.
7. No person shall permit a dog to attack any person or domestic animal or to fight with another animal.
8. Where a dog is captured, the owner shall be liable for the pick-up, impounding and maintenance fees prescribed in Schedule “A” as pound fees and shall pay all costs to the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet.
9. In the event that possession of any impounded dog has not been restored to the owner within three clear days, not including the date of impounding and the date of disposal (exclusive of statutory holidays and Sundays) after impounding, the dog may be killed or sold for such price as the Municipal Law Enforcement Officer deems reasonable, or he/she may dispose of the dog pursuant to the Animal for Research Act and Regulations thereunder. The sale price of any dog so sold shall belong to the Municipality and no damages or compensation shall be recovered on account of any disposition made thereunder.
10. Where a dog which has been impounded is injured or should be destroyed without delay for humane reasons, the Municipal Law Enforcement Officer may dispose of the dog in a humane manner as soon after seizure as he/she thinks fit without permitting any person to reclaim the dog or without offering it for sale, and no damages or compensation shall be recovered on account of such disposition. When the dog is identifiable, the Municipal Law Enforcement Officer will attempt to notify the owner in advance of its destruction.
11. The Municipal Law Enforcement Officer shall keep a record of every dog impounded or seized, including the date it was impounded, a description of the dog, the license and tag number if it wore a tag, and the date of the disposition and the disposition made.
12. Possession of the dog may be restored to the owner if the owner claims possession of the dog within seventy-two (72) hours (exclusive of statutory holidays and Sundays) of impounding.
13. The Municipal Law Enforcement Officer may release a captured dog to the owner if satisfied that the dog is licensed for the current year, after identification of the dog by the owner and payment by him of the pound fees prescribed in Schedule “A”.
14. Where the owner of a dog refuses to take possession of his/her dog and/or refuses to pay the pound fees, such fees and all costs incurred by the Township shall be added to the collector’s roll of taxes for the current year and shall be collected in like manner and wit the same remedies as municipal taxes.

(Amended by By-Law 2020-12 March 3, 2020.)

Every owner of a dog shall immediately remove any feces left by the dog in the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet:

1. on a highway or roadway;
2. in a public park, recreation area, or conservation area;
3. on any public property, and
4. on any private property other than the property of
   1. the owner of the dog, or
   2. the person having care, custody or control of the dog.
5. every owner of a dog shall remove from his or her property, in a timely manner, feces left by the dog, so as not to disturb the enjoyment, comfort, convenience of any person in the vicinity of the property.

1. The owner of a vicious dog shall, at all times, when it is not in the owner’s dwelling but otherwise within the boundaries of the owner’s lands, be kept within a fenced yard as prescribed in Schedule “A”, paragraph 4, so as to prevent the dog from escaping from the owner’s lands and to prevent the dog from causing injury to any person or animal entering the owner’s lands.
2. The owner of a vicious dog shall at all times when the dog is outside the boundaries of the owner’s lands keep the dog muzzled so as to prevent it from biting o the owner of the dog unless the dog s on the lands of a person who has consented to it being on his lands, in which case the provision s of Section 6 a) may apply.

1. That By-Law number 2001-42 is hereby repealed.
2. Schedule “A” hereto attached is part of this By-Law.
3. The provisions of this By-law shall be enforced by the Municipal Law Enforcement Officer.

1. Every person who contravenes any of the provisions of this by-law is guilty of an offence and on conviction thereof shall forfeit and pay a penalty for each such offence and every such penalty shall be recoverable under the provincial Offences Act , R.S.O. 1990, chapter P. 33 and amendments thereto.
2. When a person has been convicted of an offence under this by-law, any court of competent jurisdiction thereafter, may, in addition to any other penalty imposed on the person convicted, issue an order prohibiting the continuation or repetition of the offence or the doing of any act or thing by the person convicted directed toward the continuation or repetition of the offence.
3. The requirements of this by-law are severable. If any requirements of this by-law are held invalid, the application of such requirements to other circumstances and the remainder of this by-law shall not affected.
4. This by-law shall come into force and take effect on the day of its passing.

Fees for dog licences from January 1st to April 30th of every calendar year.

In person

• For each dog (male or female): $ 30.00
• Kennel Licence (more than three dogs)*: $ 100.00

Dog Owners have up to January 31 of each year to request a cancellation of the fee for a dog licence if the owner no longer has a dog or dogs. Beyond February 1st, the dog licence fee shall be payable in full.

*The property shall be adequately zoned for this type of use, and the zoning category shall be confirmed by the Zoning Administrator prior to the issuance of the licence.

Fees for dog licences from May 1st to December 31st of every calendar year.

In person

• For each dog (male or female): $ 60.00
• Kennel Licence (more than three dogs)*: $ 110.00

*The property shall be adequately zoned for this type of use, and the zoning category shall be confirmed by the Zoning Administrator prior to the issuance of the licence.

Notwithstanding section 1, newcomers to the township of Alfred and Plantagenet and/or current residents with new dogs have 7 days to purchase a valid dog tag for a fee of thirty dollars ($ 30.00) or thirty-five dollars ($35.00) by mail.

Guide dogs for disabled persons: Upon proof of a trained guide dog from a recognized institution, no fee shall apply to the purchase of a dog tag.

• Pick-Up & Impounding: $ 40.00
• Daily maintenance: $ 20.00/day
• Disposing: $ 95.00
• Administration: 10% of above prices where applicable

(Repealed by By-Law 2009-85)

1. Fences shall be 1.8 meters (6 feet) in height and installed such that no gap greater than 150mm (4 inches) exists between the underside of the fence and the finished grade. Fences shall be of a design that will reasonably deter children from climbing it to gain access to the fenced-in area and that will prevent a vicious dog from digging its way out of or otherwise escaping from the enclosed yard. If a fence contains an opening for access, the opening shall be closed with a gate which shall provide protection equivalent to the fence and shall be equipped with self-closing, self-latching devices, and locks located at the top of and inside the gates.
2. A fence shall:
   1. if of chainlink construction:
      1. be of not greater than 50mm (2inches) diamond mesh;
      2. be constructed of galvanized steel wire not less than 3.6mm in diameter (no. 9 gauge), or of a minimum of 2.9mm (no. 11 gauge) steel wire covered with a vinyl coating forming a total thickness equivalent to 3.6mm in diameter (no. 9 gauge).
      3. be supported by at least 38mm diameter (1.5 inches) galvanized steel posts installed in accordance with good fencing techniques. Such posts shall be spaced not more than 3m (10 feet) apart. Top horizontal rails shall be at least 32mm diameter (1.25 inches) galvanized steel. Bottom horizontal rails shall be a 12mm diameter (.5 inches) galvanized tension rail or a 32mm diameter (1.25 inches) galvanized rail.
   2. if of wood construction:
      1. be of alternating vertical boards attached to supporting horizontal members. Such vertical boards shall have a minimum dimension of 19 x 88mm (1x4 inches nominal) and spaced at a maximum of 200mm (4 inches).
      2. Supporting horizontal members shall have a minimum dimension of 38 x 88mm (2x4 inches nominal) and shall be spaced a minimum of 1.4m (4 feet 6 inches) apart.
      3. Horizonal members shall be supported by posts spaced not more than 2.4m (8 feet) on centre. Such posts shall 88mm (4 inches nominal) square or in diameter and securely placed to a minimum of 0.6m (2 feet) below grade. That portion below grade shall be treated with a wood preservative or the post shall be of pressure treated wood.

(Repealed by By-Law 2009-85)

1. Fees for any adopted dog from the pound shall be $45.00. The forty-five dollars fee for adoption shall include the dog tag for the adopted dog for the current year.