Animal Control & Wildlife Concerns

Licensing

All dogs in South Huron must be licensed by the Municipality each year and must wear their dog tag at all times.

To be eligible for a licence, owners must provide proof that your dog(s) have received their rabies vaccination. 

A licence is valid from January 1 to December 31 of the year in which it is issued and must be renewed every year.

One year licence: $20 if spayed or neutered, $30 if not spayed or neutered.

There is a limit of two dogs per household. The total number of cats and dogs in a household cannot exceed four (4).

All dog owners must abide by "poop and scoop" regulations at all times.

Found a lost or wandering dog? 

Call the Municipality during business hours at 519-235-0310. Please note that our dog collector will only pick up contained/leashed dogs.

Looking for a lost dog?

Contact our area vet clinics:

• South Huron Veterinary Clinic, Zurich: 519-236-4301
• Exeter Animal Hospital, Exeter: 519-235-2662
• Thames Road Vet Clinic, Exeter: 519-235-0001
• Kirkton Vet Clinic, Kirkton: 519-229-8911

Cat owners have a responsibility to keep their cat on their property, using a leash or harness if necessary. Owners are responsible to vaccinate and neuter or spay their cat to prevent attracting stray cats to the area. Cats are not licensed in South Huron. 

There is a limit of animals per household. The total number of cats and dogs in a household cannot exceed four (4).

Feral and Stray cats are the wild offspring of domestic cats that are primarily the result of pet owners' abandonment, failure to confine or failure to spay or neuter their animals allowing them to breed uncontrolled. Feral and stray cats that are not owned by anyone and live in the neighbourhood on their own.

Animal control offences (e.g., barking dogs): South Huron Municipal Office: 519-235-0310 or our Report a Problem form.

Dead animal on municipal streets or municipal property: South Huron Municipal Office: 519-235-0310 or our Report a Problem form.

Sick or injured wildlife: Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry – Southern Region, 519-826-4955

The Municipality does not provide a service to deal with, or remove, nuisance or injured wildlife on private property. Learn more about the best way to handle wildlife issues that may be affecting you or your property. 

• If you are in immediate danger, or if the animal is aggressive and may injure someone, call the Police at 911; Protection of public health and safety is a priority.
• If you have been bitten, or had direct contact with a wild animal, seek medical attention and report it to Huron Perth Public Health at 1-844-935-1327. Any human contact with an animal with rabies, dead or alive, should be reported to Huron Perth Public Health at 1-844-935-1327 as soon as possible. For more information see the Huron Perth Public Health website on Rabies and Animal Bites.
• If your pet or livestock have been bitten, or had direct contact with a wild animal, contact your vet.
• If your domestic animal has been in contact with a raccoon, skunk, fox or bat that you suspect has rabies, contact OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) at 1-877-424-1300.
• If a wild animal has been in contact with a raccoon, skunk, fox, or bat that you suspect has rabies, contact the MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) at 1-888-574-6656. 
• If you wake and find a bat in your bedroom or sleeping area, or if your pet is playing with a bat, call Huron Perth Public Health as soon as possible.
• Wildlife issues on private property are the responsibility of the landowner. Landowners can call pest control or animal control companies to remove wildlife from their properties.