Pets and Wild Animals in Aylmer

1-833-9-ANIMAL   (1-833-926-4625)

Call the PAWS number if you believe an animal is in distress or is being neglected.

This includes animals that are generally in a home, on a farm, kept in a commercial business such as a kennel or pet store, or any domestic pet if you suspect:

• they are injured, in pain, sick, suffering or
• they lack proper care including inadequate water, food, shelter, medical attention, care, space to move, etc.

The PAWS answering service will take your complaint and assign an Inspector to contact you for more detail. PAWS Inspectors work 7 days a week.

Note: PAWS Inspectors will not deal with injured wild animals such as deer, raccoons, skunks, etc. Property owners should contact Hillside Kennels or another private contractor for that service. Please do not call the OPP.

• Call Townhall at 519-773-3164

The Town of Aylmer contracted Animal Control Service (based in Innerkip). The Town’s contractor will pickup stray dogs during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, excluding statutory holidays. Stray dogs must be conditioned meaning kept or restricted to the interior of a building or fenced in area.

The Animal Control Service will respond to humane requests for the pick up of dogs at large that are deemed vicious, injured and/or ill, when requested by Town staff.

The Town will not:

• Pick up stray cats
• Pick up wildlife on private property, unless the property owner pays for this service themselves; for example, nuisance raccoons wandering in a yard. A typical callout for this service is $150 (cash).

911 (Emergency) or 519-773-3144 (non-Emergency)

Call this number when any life is in immediate danger or distress such as:

• An animal attack
• An animal being kept in a very hot or cold vehicle
• If there is a public safety issue

Town of Aylmer By-Law Officers will investigate:

• Dog bites, barking, not on a leash, failing to clean excrement, improper tethering, large numbers of dogs or cats, keeping prohibited animals.

Contact:

519-773-3164

Business Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

File a confidential complaint using our online form.

If you come across sick or diseased wildlife and you suspect there is a public health risk (such as rabies or West Nile virus) , contact the Southwest Public Health Unit.

• +1 800-922-0096
• If you are bitten or scratched by any animal please contact the Health Unit for more information on the next steps to determine if you have had a rabies exposure.
• Link: https://www.swpublichealth.ca/en/my-health/animal-bites-and-rabies.aspx

In Ontario, wildlife rehabilitators are authorized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to provide temporary care to sick, injured and abandoned wildlife so it can be returned to the wild. Rehabilitators commit significant time and resources, and many solicit donations to assist with their work.

Every effort is made by wildlife rehabilitators to ensure wildlife in their care do not become tame.

To get help for a sick, injured or abandoned animal, you can contact:

• an authorized wildlife rehabilitator
• your local ministry district office

The Town of Aylmer discontinued the dog tag program effective January 1, 2022. All other animal control services and related by-laws remain in effect.

To ensure the safety of your pet and to make sure that they find their way back to you, please ensure that their collar has a personal ID tag with your up-to-date contact information and consider getting your pet microchipped. For more information on the animal control by-law, please visit the by-law section of this site.

An up to date version of the animal control by-law is available below:

Animals Control By-Law – Office Consolidation Download

If your dog is missing, call Hillside Kennels Animal Control LTD at 519-469-3247, to report your dog missing and inquire if the Animal Control Officer has picked it up. Also ask if someone turned your dog in to the shelter. You may also want to report the dog missing to a neighbouring municipality.

Have you Lost or Found a Pet?

You may wish to post on Facebook Aylmer community groups or Kijiji under Lost and Found and/or on Helping Lost and Found Pets (HELP). A growing number of municipalities are starting to use the HELP site and recommending it to residents. It’s free to use.

Pet owners can pre-register pets for free. If your pet goes missing, simply change the status from “safe” to “lost” and your pet will appear on the map. It’s also free to list lost and found pets and to sign up to receive alerts for lost/found pets in a couple of different areas. Lost and found ads are share-able and printable. Sightings feature for lost pets is available. Includes a free Android app for smartphones.

People can also take a photo of any lost or found pet posters and send them to HeLP who will contact the people about the pet to see if they want assistance posting on the HeLP site.

It is also suggested that those who have lost pets see the unique, expert pet recovery information on the non-profit Missing Pet Partnership site and their blog. It explains lost pet behaviour and is specific to an animal’s species, temperament and circumstances.

• Call Townhall at 519-773-3164 or file a Service Request Form