Hamilton Animal Services offers additional tips to protect pets against Rabies
Hamilton, ON – April 13, 2016 – The City of Hamilton Animal Services is providing additional information to pet owners on protecting their animals with the recent increase in wildlife found positive for raccoon rabies in Hamilton.
Vaccination
You must have a current rabies vaccine for your cat and/or dog over three months old under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, Regulation 567. Take your pet to a veterinarian regularly for vaccinations.
Prohibiting animals at large
Allowing dogs or cats to roam free on public property without a leash not only exposes that animal to increased risk of coming into contact with rabid wildlife, it is also a public safety concern. Even if a pet is leashed or enclosed in a yard or fenced area, pet owners are advised to keep a watchful eye, particularly in areas of Hamilton where a higher number of sick wildlife have been reported.
Registration and licensing
Hamilton Animal Services estimates there are approximately 70,000 dogs across Hamilton; however, and only 50% are properly licensed. The City of Hamilton’s Responsible Animal Ownership By-law requires that all dog owners obtain an annual dog license before the dog is three months old and the license must be attached to the dog's collar.
While not mandatory, Hamilton residents are encouraged to buy a cat registration tag for $13 from the City of Hamilton.
Dog licensing or cat registration offers several benefits for the animal, the pet owner, and the community:
- Assures Animal Services officers that an animal is vaccinated for their own safety and the safety of the community
- Provides an easier way for an owner to find a lost pet
- Animal Services will take the animal directly home if wearing its tag, reducing the risk of the animal’s exposure to sick wildlife
- Allows Animal Services staff to contact an owner quickly in an emergency
- Enables Animal Services to make vital decisions regarding the pet’s care
- $1 from each license goes towards funding Hamilton’s leash-free parks
- License fees are also used to care for and feed lost or stray pets, and find a home for them
City of Hamilton Animal Services also offers tips to avoid attracting wildlife and to prevent rabies:
- Always keep a safe distance from wild animals and do not feed them
- Do not pet or play with wild animals, even young animals away from their mothers. This is putting the community at risk
- Put your garbage in hard plastic containers with locking lids. Store them indoors until your pick up day
- Remove extra fruit and vegetables from your trees and gardens
- Keep compost in containers with locking lids
- Keep pet food inside your house
- Using motion-sensitive lights in your yard. Nocturnal wildlife are less likely to be in well-lit areas
- Call Hamilton Animal Services at 905-546-2489 if you see a dead, sick or strangely acting raccoon, skunk or other wild animal
- Contact your vet or the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) at 1-877-424-1300 if your pet is in contact with a wild animal
Sick, Injured & Deceased Wildlife Statistics, City of Hamilton – January to March
20162015Change
Deceased Wildlife551303+248
Deceased Rabies Vector (raccoons, skunks, fox)247132+115
Sick, Injured Wildlife453338+115
Sick, Injured Rabies Vector (raccoons, skunks, fox)348205+143
*Note: Deceased and sick/injured stats above are inclusive of the rabies vector animals.
Learn more about:
For more information on animal licensing:
- City of Hamilton - Buy a Dog Licence
- Animal Services Facebook