The Council of the City of Toronto has just enacted some long overdue bylaws for dog owners.
Passed on January 31 and enacted as of March 1, the newly added animal bylaws include a ban on choke collars and chains, pronged collars or anything similar, and finally, a 1 hour limit when it comes to leaving your pup tethered outside unsupervised.
The bylaw also states, “no person shall allow an animal to remain outdoors during extreme weather unless the animal has access to an enclosure that will adequately protect the animal from the elements.”
This means that when either extreme hot or extreme cold weather warnings are issued, neighbors can rightfully report on dogs being left to fend for themselves on balconies and in backyards.
This brings to mind a big story from last winter, where neighbors residing in the Liberty Village area of Toronto banded together to save a pup left outside on a condo balcony during -20 degree weather. A post in the Liberty Village Residents Association is what alerted residents to the howling dog and drove them to eventually contact police to get the dog back inside safely.
This situation led Todd Hofley, the admin of the group, which now has over 8,500 members, to propose a solution at the next condo best practices meeting where, “if there is reasonable belief that their pet is in immediate and life threatening danger because of getting outside, that the condominium corporation has the right to enter the unit and bring the animal inside.”
Further bylaws passed include dogs owners being liable in the instance of biting another animal or person, proper leash and tethering lengths, licensing and tags, and continuous barking or whining being finable under the noise bylaw.
Any infraction of the above will result in a minimum fine of $240.
We couldn’t be more thrilled with these new laws and believe that no pup should be left alone in any weather, no matter how many errands you need to run. Leave your pet at home and take them on a walk when you’re finished!
To find out more about the dangers of using choke and shock collars on your dog, read this story previously published on Angus Post.
