Responsible dog ownership
License and register your pets where such laws apply. In many areas with higher licensing compliance rates, the profits are put back into the bylaw program and used for educational purposes, more staff, public resources, and awareness. Licensing and registering also helps municipalities with more accurate pet population numbers.
Permanent identification, such as microchips, is an affordable and practical way to make sure your pet always has identification. Owners are required to do their due diligence and ensure the microchip is up to date with current contact information. Microchips have contributed to higher numbers of pets being reunited with their owners.
Permanent identification is your pet’s ticket home should they escape or become lost.
We encourage spay and neuter for all dogs who are not involved in an ethical, reputable, and responsible breeding program.
However, we do not support mandatory spay and neuter laws. As with most legislation, it may come from a desire to keep animals and people safer and healthier, but in practice it is band-aid solution to an issue that has much deeper roots in society. Mandatory spay and neuter programs are expensive to enforce, target low-income pet owners, and result in more surrenders due to non-compliance. It tends to drive the neediest pet owners underground, afraid to seek veterinary care or other assistance.
A more effective strategy would include:
- low cost and subsidized spay and neuter programs
- low cost and subsidized options for overall veterinary care
- education about responsible pet ownership and spay/neuter (including busting common myths that still exist)
- awareness about unethical breeding practices and the importance of research and due diligence in sourcing a dog
- a collaborative hand and presence in areas in which poverty is common
Please do your part to make sure your pets have access to proper training, medical care, physical outlets, and to activities which meet their emotional and mental needs. Happy and healthy dogs are always the ultimate goal, and we encourage people to seek professional help in areas in which their pets are struggling.
Socializing and exposing your dog to all sorts of new places, things, and people is encouraged if your dog is capable of this. If your dog struggles in these areas, please seek professional help so that you and your dog can work towards successful interactions or a better understanding of your dog’s requirements and limits.
Seeking appropriate training is a great way to establish a bond, meet your dog’s requirements, and set yourself and your dog up to succeed.
In recognizing areas in which your pet struggles, you are able to prevent your dog from becoming a threat or nuisance in the community.
We encourage dog owners to take the time to train their dogs using humane methods such as LIMA: least intrusive, minimally aversive.
Positive reinforcement should be the first step towards effective training and behaviour modification. Positive reinforcement is associated with the lowest incidence of aggression, attention seeking behaviours, avoidance, and fear in our canine companions.
Look into a pet insurance or a savings plan as a backup plan for pet emergencies.
Not everyone is able to afford the steadily increasing costs of veterinarian care, and often times a pet insurance plan is a fairly affordable monthly option for peace of mind should accidental injury or illnesses occur.
Demonstrate courtesy and respect while out in public with your dog. This means removing your pets from any situations that could be unsafe or result in unwanted behaviour, following leash laws in your communities, having your pets under control, obeying the animal control laws in your community, and being mindful of your pets at all times.
Do your part to maintain a positive, responsible, and polite presence while in the community.
Pets are a lifetime commitment, so we ask that dog owners to take this into consideration. Owning a pet comes with great responsibility and a lifetime of financial and emotional commitment. Please make sure that you will be able to provide the necessities to your pets and have a backup plan should a situation occurs that leaves you unable to care for your pets. We encourage the use of wills that leave clear instructions regarding your pet’s care and life without you.
