Animal Services

Pets are often considered a member of your family. The Municipality is proud to be a pet friendly community. We provide dog tags, help reunite lost and found pets with their families, and partner with the Humane Society to help reduce cat overpopulation.

Dog Tags

All dogs that live in Meaford must be licensed, and will be issued a dog tag. Having a licence for your dog helps us get your dog home quickly if it gets lost.

We do not licence cats.

Getting a Dog Tag

You can get a dog licence and tag at a discounted rate until March 31. You must provide proof of rabies vaccination with your application. We have several options to obtain your dog tag(s):

In person at the Administrative Office, located at 21 Trowbridge Street W. from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Online by filling out the Dog Tag Application Form
Drop off the renewal form that was mailed to you in person to the Administrative Office, located at 21 Trowbridge Street W. during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m). If coming outside of regular hours, place the form and payment in drop box and the tag will be mailed to you.
Mail the renewal form and payment by regular post to 21 Trowbridge Street W., Meaford, ON N4L 1A1 and the tag will be mailed to you.

Cost (Spayed/Neutered)

Early Bird Rate: $15.00 (discounted rate until March 31)
Regular Rate: $30.00 (applied after March 31)

Cost (Not Spayed/Unneutered)

Early Bird Rate: $20.00 (discounted rate until March 31)
Regular Rate: $40.00 (applied after March 31)

Off-Leash Areas

Dogs may be off-leash year-round in 2 areas of the Municipality of Meaford:

They are also permitted to be off-leash in Memorial Park (excluding playground areas) from December 1 to March 31 each year.

Off-Leash Rules

Dogs must be under the care and control of their owner/handler at all times.

Dog owners/handlers in off-leash areas must:

Be over the age of 16
Stay within sight of the dog
Control the dog using commands
Carry a leash at all times
Stoop and scoop any waste left by their dog

Aggressive or sick dogs, digging, female dogs in heat, and puppies under the age of 4 months are not permitted in off-leash areas.

For more information on off-leash area rules, please see the Dog at Large By-Law.

Lost and Found

If you find a lost dog, during administration hours between from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., please contact our on-call Municipal Officer at 519-379-0500, or email bylaw@meaford.ca and an officer will contact you by end of day. If this is afterhours, please call 1-888-525-7024 and your call will be dispatched to our provider.

Please note that we do not chase after running dogs at large nor cats.

Our Municipal Officers will pick up lost dogs and check for a licence. If no licence is found, we will post the dog's information to our Facebook page to try to find the owner. If the owner isn't found, the dog will be transferred to the Georgian Triangle Humane Society. They will check for a microchip, try to find the owner, and work to find the dog a forever home if no owner comes forward.

If you have lost your pet, please send us an email to bylaw@meaford.ca with the animal's gender, breed, age, distinguishing features, location last seen, and a photo. We will post this information to our Facebook page in case your dog is found. Pound fees may apply for found pets.

Adoptions

If you would like to adopt a dog or cat, please visit the Georgian Triangle Humane Society.

Cat Spay/Neuter Assistance Program

In partnership with the Georgian Triangle Humane Society, the Municipality of Meaford offers a financial assistance program to cover the cost of Spay/Neuter operations for cat owners. This program is designed to help reduce cat overpopulation.

To be eligible for this program:

You must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of the Municipality of Meaford
The family annual household income must be no greater than the Statistics Canada Low Income Cut-Offs.
You must have a vet that is willing to work with you for this program.
You must be able to contribute $75 towards the cost of the spay or neuter surgery
Cats must be over 5 months old and less than 7 years old.
Cats must be healthy (no signs of illness such as watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, runny noses or skin conditions)
Cats are not noticeably pregnant

For more information or to apply, please contact the Georgian Triangle Humane Society directly.

Wildlife

Meaford is home to many different species of wild animals. You might see squirrels, raccoons, deer, turtles, coyote, beavers, or more!

Why are we seeing Raccoons in urban areas?

Every spring there is generally an increase in sightings of raccoons during the daytime. It is not unusual for raccoons to be out in the daytime in search of food. Raccoons adapt to changes in their environment in the spring and look for food when it is most available, or when their young are sleeping.

Some helpful tips if you see raccoons:

Keep kids and pets away. Never approach wildlife and always keep a safe distance.
Never trap and relocate wildlife.
Remove food sources on your property such as bird feeders, pet food, or food waste.
Ensure pets are up-to-date on vaccines.

What to do if you see a sick Raccoon

Where a raccoon is showing signs of sickness or acting strangely such as being overly friendly, disoriented, unstable when walking, lethargic, or paralyzed please leave it alone or contact an agent as identified below for assistance.

You may use an agent to act on your behalf to carry out or assist with wildlife removal. According to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, ‘Agents’ https://www.ontario.ca/page/hire-wildlife-agent are:

Licensed trappers or hunters (with a current licence)
Employees or agents of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
Members of a landowners’ immediate family acting on behalf of the landowner.
A person whose business is primarily removing problem wildlife. If they capture and release it (if it is capable of being released), unless also authorized by the ministry to destroy problem wildlife. There are restrictions to capturing and releasing the wild animal

The Municipality of Meaford does not offer wildlife control

If there is an emergency situation involving wildlife that is acting aggressively, exhibiting life threatening injuries, or is a threat to humans, please call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

What to do if there has been contact with a Wild Animal

If you or a loved one has been bitten or scratched by a raccoon or other wild animal, seek medical attention immediately and fill out the animal exposure report for public health tracking found at Public Health Grey Bruce. If your pet has been bitten or scratched, contact your veterinarian.

Wildlife and Protecting your Property

It is the landowner’s responsibility to protect their own land from wildlife. If you have to take action to address wildlife it must be done in accordance with the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, which sets out the legal parameters for home owners on how to deal with animals damaging or that are a nuisance to their property, while not causing unnecessary stress or suffering to wildlife.

If you decide the best approach is to discharge a firearm for the protection of your property, please ensure you abide by the Municipality’s Firearms By-law #046-2014, and all applicable Federal and Provincial statues and regulations.

Additional Resources

Report a Concern