Animal Services and Control

In the City of Dryden, you must have a licence for your dog and attach it to your dog's collar. You could be fined $105 if you don't.

Having a licence for your dog makes it easier to find your lost pet. Proper identification means a faster return to your family.

If you are having problems with a dog in your neighbourhood, follow these steps to make a complaint:

1. Talk to the dog's owner if you know who it is and feel comfortable doing so. Politely explain to them the impact their dog is having on you, your property and/or your pets.
2. If a conversation with the owner doesn't resolve the issue, register a complaint by calling the Animal Control and By-law Enforcement Office. You must also complete a Dog Complaint Form.

If the dog is running at large, an Animal Control officer will be sent to catch the dog. If the dog is licensed, it will be returned to the owner and the owner may be fined. If the dog is not licensed, it will be taken to the pound until the owner can be located.

Questions and Answers:

What is a feral cat?

A feral cat looks exactly like a domestic house cat, but has behaviours and a lifestyle similar to that of a wild animal.  Feral cats also commonly referred to as community cats, are cats that have not been socialized with humans and live outside.  These cats may have been someone's pet at one point but have been either abandoned or lost.  They may also be born outside and have lived outside their entire life.  Because these cats are not socialized with humans, they tend to avoid people due to a lack of trust.  These cats do not make good house pets as they may act in fear triggered aggression when approached by humans and made to feel trapped or threatened.  

Are you having an issue with a feral cat, or number of feral cats?  Here are some solutions to discourage a feral cat from visiting your property.

Remove Food Sources:  Providing these cats with a frequent food source will encourage them to continue to return to your property.  If you have pets, keep their food inside and do not feed them outside.  Keep garbage in a container with a tight-fitting lid.  Removing food sources will cause the cats to look to other areas for food.

Remove Shelter:  Block off any entrance to small enclosed spaces, such as underneath sheds, decks, porches, or homes.  Cats will use these areas to seek shelter from harsh weather, breeding and raising their young.  Boarding up these areas will cause the cats to look for shelter away from your property.

Make Life Uncomfortable:  If you are having cats visiting your garden beds and using them as a litter box you can add things like sharp pebbles, wood chips, eggshells, or chicken wire to make the soil uncomfortable or undiggable.  Cats also like to lounge about, occasionally scaring the cat will cause them to seek another area where they can relax.  

Pet Cats:  It is highly recommended that you have your own pet cats spayed or neutered.  An unaltered cat should be kept inside to prevent it from breeding and contributing to the population of unowned cats.  Allowing your unaltered cat to roam freely will attract other unaltered cats to the area.  You can also install bells on fence posts or railings; the bell will ring when the cat jumps onto the railing or post which will deter the cat.

Repellents:  There are substances available to you that will deter cats from visiting your property.  You can purchase commercial critter repellents or use natural repellants.  These natural repellents can include citrus sprays or peels, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, or ground mustard.  Cats do not like these scents and will tend to avoid these materials.  You can also install motion detection sprinkler systems that will scare cats off of your property.

Spread the Word:  Speak with your neighbours about taking similar steps to prevent cats from visiting your neighbourhood.  Neighbourhoods that work together tend to have less issues with feral cats.

Do you have a lost pet? Call the Animal Control and By-law Enforcement Office at 807-223-2225 ext 518 to report your missing pet. You can also:

• Check with your neighbours to see if they have seen your pet
• Post flyers in your neighbourhood

To make it easier for us to get your pet home to you, make sure you purchase a licence for your pet.