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Dog playing in water

Animal Services

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Dog and Cat
Adopt a pet
Lost and found
Lost and found pets
Volunteering and fostering
Ways to help? Volunteer or foster!

Oshawa Animal Services provides a safe and warm space for lost and found animals within Oshawa.

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Get a Pet Licence

Hours of Operation

  • Office hours are Monday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Adoption hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Closed Sunday and all statutory holidays
  • After hours please call 905-436-3311 and follow the voice prompts

Pet ownership responsibilities

  • Get your dog, cat or ferret licensed with the City of Oshawa
  • Clean up after your pet and to dispose of the bags in the nearest litter container or at our household 
  • Limit the number of dogs in your home to three, cats to six, and ferrets to two
  • Do not let your dog bark persistently (it is a violation of the Noise By-law)
  • Build dog houses according to City guidelines as established in the Responsible Pet Owner's By-law 
  • Have your pet microchipped and vaccinated (rabies)
  • Identify your pet with a collar and tag
  • Animals must be treated humanely
  • Provide veterinary care as reasonably required
  • Spay/Neuter your pet
  • Feed your pet good, healthy food, appropriate to the animal
  • Make sure they always have fresh water to drink
  • Do not put pets in weather conditions that could pose a risk to health and safety; except for
    • brief walks or periods of exercise
    • Your pet has access to shelter that adequately protects the pet from the elements

Tethering

  • Tethers must be at least 3 m long in order to allow your dog to move safely and freely.
  • The tether must be attached to a permanent object.
  • Do not use choke chains and/or prong collars to tether your dog.
  • You are not allowed to tether your dog for any longer than two hours in a 24 hour period.
  • A tethered dog must be supervised by the owner or an authorized person at all times while tethered.

Pets in Vehicles

  • Do not leave your pet in your vehicle in a manner that could pose a risk to their health and safety. Conditions that could be harmful to your pet or others such as:
    • inadequate ventilation
    • temperature of the vehicle's interior
    • inadequate restraint of your pet (must prevent contact between the pet and the public)
  • Do not transport your pet outside of the vehicle's passenger compartment unless it is secured in a way that protects the pet's health and safety.

Doghouse standards

  • Doghouses must be large enough to allow each dog within to extend its legs and body to its full natural extent, stand, turn around, lie down and to sit.
  • Doghouses must be constructed so that they are sufficiently insulated and completely enclosed (exception: door), with a roof, floor and walls, and constructed of a durable material that is waterproof, weatherproof and able to be sanitized.
  • Doghouses must have an elevated floor to prevent direct contact with the ground surface.
  • There must be adequate ventilation for the health, welfare and comfort of each dog inside.
  • There must be a partial wall (aside from the door flap) within the doghouse that separates the entrance from the sleeping area.
  • Doghouses must have a suitable door flap between November 1 to April 30 of the next year.
  • Doghouses must be located in an area other than the front yard and no closer than 2 m of a lot line.
  • Doghouses must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, safe, and in a state of good repair.
  • Doghouses must be maintained with clean and dry bedding material.

A good example of an ideal doghouse can be found in the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (O.S.P.C.A.) guidelines for doghouses.

Dog pens and enclosures standards

  • Dog pens must have a minimum area of 4.6 sq m per dog and must allow each dog inside to extend its legs and body to its full natural extent, stand, turn around, lie down and to sit.
  • No side of a pen can be less than 1 m in length and the height cannot be less than 1 m higher than the tallest dog in standing position while standing on two legs.
  • Dog pens must be constructed and located to allow each dog to be observed by the owner and must be designed to prevent the escape of dogs outside of the pen.
  • Dog pens must be located in an area other than the front yard and no closer than 2 m of a lot line.
  • Dog pens must be clean and safe and maintained in a good state of repair at all times with a dry area large enough to allow each dog to lie down.
  • Dogs must not be restrained by a tether and must be permitted outside of the dog pen (in a controlled environment) for a minimum of one hour within each 24 hour period.
  • Dogs in a dog pen must have an environment that ensures the safe and humane treatment of the animal.
  • Dog pens may include doghouses within the pen.

Dog Owners Liability Act

The Dog Owners Liability Act includes broader powers to deal with dangerous dogs.

Dog owners need to follow:

  • The City of Oshawa's  Responsible Pet Owner's By-law 
  • The province of Ontario's Dog Owners' Liability Act
  • As a dog walker, the number dogs that you are allowed to walk is limited to four
  • Tethering
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Contact Us

© 2022 City of Oshawa

Service Oshawa
1st Floor, West Wing, City Hall
50 Centre St. S.
Oshawa, ON L1H 3Z7

Phone: 905-436-3311
Toll Free: 1-800-667-4292
Email: [email protected]

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