Animal Protection Services

The Kitchener-Waterloo and North Waterloo Humane Society (KWHS) is under contract to the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo to provide animal control, dog licensing, shelter services and by-law enforcement. Animal Protection Officers are municipal law enforcement officers empowered to enforce municipal animal bylaws. They can issue Provincial Offence Notices (tickets), summons to appear in court (charges), or designate an animal as potentially dangerous, dangerous, restricted or prohibited.

Call Animal Protection Services

to report bylaw violations (except barking dogs - see below)
to report stray animals
to report a lost pet
to report a found pet
to report injured animals
to purchase a dog license
to report a dog bite
to report a dead domestic animal
to report dead wildlife (dead wildlife on public property is collected at no charge)

After Hours

Animal Protection Services provides limited 24 hour emergency services for the cities of Kitchener & Waterloo. We do not provide for the patrolling of dogs at large or the pick-up of stray animals after business hours. Our answering service takes calls after normal business hours, and we will respond to emergencies involving pets and wildlife. To contact our after hours service, please call 1-877-289-9317.

If you find a pet with no identification after hours, we would ask that you provide shelter for it overnight and call us in the morning to arrange for the pet to come to our Centre. If you are unable to provide shelter for the pet, we provide overnight pens located at the rear of our Centre. If you have lost your pet, we will be able to take a report as soon as we open the following day.

Animal Rescue

The KWHS does not permit the employees of the KWHS to attempt to rescue any animal confined in a tree, or a hydro pole carrying power, that would endanger the life or limb of said employees.

After Hours Animal Emergencies

If you have a medical emergency involving your own pet the Emergency Veterinary Clinic is open from 6 p.m. – 8 a.m. each evening and 24 hours on weekends and holidays. The clinic requests that you call ahead and let them know what kind of problem your pet is experiencing before you go. 450 Maple Grove Rd, Cambridge, N3E 1B6 (519) 650-1617 http://www.emergencyvc.ca/

Urban Wildlife

If you are in need of information about wildlife control please contact Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control at: 1-877-222-9453.
Click here for Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control’s website.

Please also consult this information from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

Barking Dogs

Barking dogs are considered a noise violation, and are handled by municipal by-law enforcement or the police. Call the appropriate number and state that you wish to make a noise complaint.

City of Kitchener (519) 653-7700 (Waterloo Regional Police)

City of Waterloo (519) 747-8785