Complaint Information & Process

Complaint Information & Process

Ajax Animal Services deals with a wide variety of complaints ranging from barking dogs, and animals at large to dog bites and pit bull concerns. Complaints can be reported by contacting Animal Services at (905) 683-8275,by email at , or by Filing a Complaint On-line.

We do not accept anonymous complaints and for that reason we requireyour name, address, and phone number in orderfor a complaint to be generated.All personal information given remains strictly confidential and is maintained for the Town's use only.

Please refer below for examples of types of complaints and information that would be necessary and/or useful at the time of filing your concerns.

Complaint Examples:

Dog at large
Found stray dog in your possession
At large or stray cats
Lost or missing pets
Dog / Cat Bite or Attack on a Person or Domestic Animal
Pit bull Violations
Dog barking excessively
Dog / Cat excrement not being removed by owner
Deceased animalon the road
Wildlife concerns
Injured wildlife

Dog at large:

·  Location of dog.

·  Colour, breed,description of the dog. (if possible)

·  Does the dog look sick or injured?

Found stray dog in your possession:

·  Animal Services will pick up any stray dog that a person has taken possession of during regular business hours as long as a person is available to sign the dog over to the Town.

·  Any dog should be transferred to the Town within 24 hours of you taking charge of the dog(s).

At large or stray cats:

·  Any stray or ‘at large’ cat MUST be contained before Animal Services will respond. Animal Services does not trap stray cats.

·  Animal Services will pick up any stray cat that a person has taken possession of during regular business hours as long as a person is available to sign the cat over to the Town.

·  Any cat should be transferred to the Town within 24 hours of you taking charge of the cat(s).

·  The Town will not pick up kittens that are still in need of mother without her capture as well.

Lost or missing pets:

·  Date and location of where the pet was last seen or went missing from.

·  Description of the missing pet. (Breed, colour, sex, distinguishing markings, collar, microchip, etc.) The more information that can be provided, the easier staff can cross reference missing animals.

·  In addition to contacting the Town, it is advised that you also contact our shared shelter at 905-655-0283.

Dog / Cat Bite or Attack on a Person or Domestic Animal:

·  If you have been bitten or scratched by a dog or cat resulting in broken skin, it is strongly advised that you seek medical attention.

·  If you have been bitten or scratched by a dog or cat resulting in broken skin, you must report this to the Health Department at 905-668-7711.

Information required:

·  Date, time and location of the incident.

·  Description of the animal that bit or attacked.

·  Address of where the animal lives. (if known)

·  A description of all individuals involved including names, addresses, license plates, etc.(if known)

·  Any other available information on the complaintincident including breed, colour, sex, distinguishing markings, etc. of the animal.

Statements:

·  Animal Services will need a victimstatement outlining all details of the incident.

·  Statementsshould come from all witnesses as well.

·  All statements should be completed as soon as practical after the incident.

·  All statements should be signed and dated by hand when completed. In the event thatCourt action is necessary, these statements will be used to refresh your memory.

Other Information:

·  Pictures of injury or damage (Animal Services will take pictures of any bite during the investigation, however, time delay may be in place).

·  Acopy of any medical reports (if applicable).

·  A copy of anyveterinary reports (if applicable).

Pit bull Violations:

** For information on what a pit bull is and what added requirements are placed on
the owners of pit bulls, please visit our Pit bull page.

·  Date, time and locationthatthe suspected pit bull was seen.

·  Description of the suspected pit bull includingcolour, sex, distinguishing markings, etc. of the pit bull.

·  Address of where thepit bulllives. (if known)

·  A description of the person in control of the pit bull.

Dog barking excessively:

·  Location ofthe barking dog.

·  Description of thebarking dog. (Breed, colour, sex, distinguishing markings, collar, etc.) Although it is not mandatory to be able to see the dog, the Courts have, at times,made this a requirement for successful prosecutions.

·  Time of day and length of time that the dog can be heard barking. The more information that can be provided, the easier staff can investigate your complaint.

·  First time barking complaints will be handled by By-law staff as a public education service.

·  Shouldbarking continue after the educational process, then there is a requirement for complainants to maintainBarking Logs.Barking Logs will be used in Court proceedings and must be completed in a very specific manner and for that reason a By-law Officer will meet with individuals to instruct them how they should be filled out. Please be advised thatbarking complaints are extremely difficult to get convictions on when there is only one individual or household complaining. The Courts tend to view this as a neighbour dispute and as a personal issue. The more individuals maintainingbarking logs, the better evidence that can be presented in Court if required.

·  Complainants must be willing to fill out barking logs and attend Court if charges are pursued.

Dog / Cat excrement not being removed by owner:

On dog / catowner's property:

o  Please note that excrement on public access areas, such as a front yard, should be cleanedforthwithwhile enclosed yards should be completely cleaned of all excrementevery 3 days.

o  Address of where the animal lives.

Off dog / cat owner's property:

o  Please note that excrement on all public and/or private property should be cleanedforthwith.

o  Date, time and locationof the violation.

o  Description of the animal including breed, colour, sex, distinguishing markings, etc.

o  Address of where theanimal lives. (if known)

o  A description of the person in control of the animal.

o  The more information that can be provided, such as licence plate numbers,the easier staff can investigate your complaint.

Deceased animalon the road:

·  Location of theanimal (be as specific as possible including whether or not the animal is blocking roadways).

·  Type of animal.

Wildlife concerns:

·  Ajax Animal Services does not handle nuisance wildlife concerns unless they are located on Town property. Please contact a private wildlife company or a pest removal company. Please review our Wildlife Page for more information.

Injured wildlife:

·  Location of the animal. (be as specific as possible)

·  Type of animal.

·  Type of injury. (if known)