FAQs About Owning Dogs
Can a Compliance Officer come onto my property and take my dog and impound him/her?
Yes. This is provided for under the Act. This is often a sensitive topic. While all Compliance Officers are warranted to enforce this section of the Dog Control Act, and often do, we are always mindful that this is your private property and we always think long and hard about our options before deciding to enter and remove a dog(s) from a dog owners property. When we decide to go down this channel of enforcement, it is always to provide community safety, abate a nuisance to surrounding community members, the welfare of a dog, or just non-compliance. Your privacy is important to us. The legislation is detailed below.
This in the relative piece of legislation that we follow:
Section 14 - Power of entry
(1) Where any dog control officer has good cause to suspect that an offence against this Act or against any bylaw made under this Act is being committed on any land or premises, the dog control officer, and all persons he or she calls to his or her assistance, may enter at any reasonable time onto the land or premises
(a) to inspect any dog for the time being appearing to be kept on that land or premises or to inspect the conditions in which any such dog is kept; and
(b) if authorised under any other provision of this Act, to seize or take custody of any dog on the land or premises.
(2) Where any dog control officer has good cause to suspect that an offence against this Act or against any bylaw made under this Act has, at any time in the preceding 6 months, been committed in respect of any dog for the time being appearing to be kept on any land or premises, the dog control officer, and all persons he or she calls to his or her assistance, may enter at any reasonable time onto the land or premises
(a) to inspect any dog on the land or premises; and
(b) if authorised under any other provision of this Act, to seize or take custody of any dog on the land or premises.
Do I have to be at home at the time?
No, but we will leave a seizure notice informing you of the section we have removed your dog(s) and our contact details.
Why do I have to pay a seizure fee for having my dog seized from my property when it wasn't out roaming?
There are financial costs to every action that the Compliance Unit embarks on. Costs must be met for an officers time, fuel and vehicle costs to and from your property. Those costs must be met by you, the dog owner.
