Animal Services

Report sick or dead wild birds: Like many other areas across Canada, York Region municipalities including Richmond Hill are seeing cases of wild birds that have died or are infected with presumed avian influenza (H5N1), also known as bird flu. If you come across sick or dead geese, ducks or other wild birds in Richmond Hill, please do not touch them. Report them to our animal services provider, Vaughan Animal Services at 905-832-2281 or animal.services@vaughan.ca and they will respond. For more information, visit our Wildlife in the City page.

Your pets are members of our community and we want them to be safe and enjoy living in Richmond Hill. Our Animal Control By-Laws keep our community and companion animals safe by making sure pet owners understand their responsibilities.

Buy your 2023 dog licence

Learn about being a good pet owner in Richmond Hill:

• Responsible pet ownership
• Animal licences 
• Off-leash areas

Animal Services By-laws

Richmond Hill has a partnership with the City of Vaughan Animal Services that provides animal control and animal shelter services. Officers respond to calls about wildlife and pets.

You can contact them for:

• animal bylaw violations
• off leash or stray animals
• a lost/found pet
• injured animals
• dog bite or attack
• complaints about barking dogs or poop and scoop
• to report dead animals on public property, including the road (note that private property owners are responsible for addressing dead and nuisance wildlife on private property)
• animal cruelty concerns

Visit their website at www.vaughan.ca/animalservices or reach them at:
Telephone: 905-832-2281 (press "0" to speak with Access Vaughan)
Toll free: 1-855-227-7297
animal.services@vaughan.ca​

Vaughan Animal Services responds to emergency calls 24/7.

Dangerous Dogs

Provincial Offences Officers have authority to designate a dog as dangerous, and require the dog’s owner to comply with requirements as set out in a Dangerous Dog Notice to ensure the dog does not pose a risk to the community. A dangerous dog means a dog that, in the absence of any mitigating factor, has bitten a person or domestic animal.

 A dog owner may contest the requirements of a Dangerous Dog Notice through an appeal hearing. A request for an appeal hearing must be made in writing within five days of receipt of the Notice. Once an appeal request is reviewed and approved, the appeal hearing will be scheduled upon payment of the Dangerous Dog Hearing Fee.

 Dangerous Dog Notice appeal hearings are conducted by the City’s appointed Hearing Officer, and in accordance with the Statutory Powers and Procedures Act. Upon review of the Dangerous Dog Notice, the Hearing Officer may confirm, amend or rescind the requirements set out in the Notice. Should the Dangerous Dog Notice be rescinded in its entirety, the Dangerous Dog Hearing Review fee will be refunded. 

 While a hearing request may be made, the Dangerous Dog Notice requirements take effect once the order is served, and remain in effect until a hearing is held and a decision is provided.

Frequently asked questions about pets in Richmond Hill