Dogs

The Town regulates the keeping of dogs within the Town of Essex through By-law 1606.

Animal Care and Control By-law

The Animal Care and Control By-law includes the following four new provisions:

• a ban on tethering or chaining an animal for more than four hours per day;
• a ban on driving with a dog loose in the back of an open pickup truck;
• a ban on leaving an animal in a car when the temperature is too hot or too cold; and
• new provisions on animal welfare standards for pet owners.

The by-law also requires dogs and dog kennels to be registered and licensed and sets out how dogs will be controlled within the Town of Essex. Four of the key points are:

• A maximum of three dogs per household;
• Dogs are not allowed to run at large;
• All dogs and dog kennels within the Town of Essex must be licensed;
• The set fine schedule (By-law 1606) includes a $125 fine for not obtaining a licence or harbouring more than three dogs, and a $200 fine for allowing a dog to run at large.

Applicable licence fees for dogs and dog kennels are outlined in the table below. Please note that licences must be purchased annually and are generally purchased during the first three months of the year. If licences are not purchased between January 1 and March 31, the licence fee will double in cost from April 1 to June 30, and will triple in cost from July 1 to December 31.

How do I purchase a dog tag?

There are a variety of ways to purchase dog tags:

In person at:

Essex Town Hall 
33 Talbot Street South, Essex
Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

Harrow and Colchester South Community Centre 
243 McAffee Street, Harrow
Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm
(Please call ahead at 519-776-7336 ext 1124 to ensure availability)

By mail to:

Essex Town Hall
33 Talbot Street South
Essex, Ontario N8M 1A8

By drop box located at:

Essex Town Hall
33 Talbot Street South, Essex

Harrow and Colchester South Community Centre
243 McAffee Street, Harrow

Dog tags for purchases made by mail or drop box will be mailed to residents upon receipt of payment.

Enjoying the outdoors with your dog

When enjoying the outdoors, please keep your dog on a leash and observe the Poop n' Scoop provisions of By-law 1606.

An off-leash dog park is available for public use in Essex Centre. Located near the old pool house near the Essex Centre Sports Complex (60 Fairview Avenue West), the dog park consists of an enclosed and grassed area with an additional fenced entrance that allows handlers to leash their dogs before exiting the park.

The dog park is self-policed but guidelines are clearly posted. To use the park, dogs must have up-to-date vaccinations and dog tags and must be under constant supervision and voice control. Puppies under four months old, dogs in heat, and sick or aggressive dogs are prohibited from using the park. Handlers are limited to three dogs each.

Dangerous dogs

Owners of dogs should be aware that Animal Care and Control By-law provides for the muzzling of dangerous dogs.

The owner of a dog who has been served with a Notice to Muzzle by the Town's By-law Enforcement Officer is responsible for ensuring the following:

• The dog is restrained within a building or house or in an enclosed pen when on the owner's property; or
• The dog is securely on a collar-type leash with a maximum length of one metre and is muzzled when it is off the owner's property.

Owners of a dangerous dog must have an insurance policy that provides personal liability insurance in an amount not less the $1,000,000.

If you witness an attack of a person or a pet by another dog, please call the Essex Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police and the Town's Animal Control Officer to report the incident. A witness to an attack means a person who has or claims to have knowledge relevant to the attack and includes the victim of the attack.

Upon reporting an incident, the witness will be required to complete a Declaration Regarding a Dangerous Dog.