Dogs in Ottawa: registration, leash rules, vets and dog services

Registering your dog

Ottawa’s Animal Care and Control By-law 2003-77 requires every dog owner to register the dog with the City and renew every year. The City tag must stay on the dog’s collar or harness.

Register online through My ServiceOttawa, or in person at a Client Service Centre (Laurier, Nepean or Orléans, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm; or a rural centre one day a week: Metcalfe on Tuesdays, West Carleton on Wednesdays, North Gower on Thursdays). Not registering is an offence under the by-law.

Leash and off-leash rules

• On City land your dog must be on a leash and under control. The leash can be no longer than 3 m.
• Off-leash is allowed only in parks designated for it. Parks are signed “Dogs Allowed” (off-leash), “Dogs on Leash”, “No Dogs” or “Mixed”. Follow the sign at the park.
• Even in an off-leash park, keep your dog under control and at least 5 m from children’s play areas and pools.
• Pick up after your dog right away and take the waste with you.

The City’s dog parks page has a map of parks whose designation is finished. Read our guide to leash laws and off-leash parks in Canadian cities for how other cities compare.

How many dogs, barking and rabies

• No more than 3 dogs over 20 weeks old per home. Where dogs and cats live together, the limit is 5 animals, with no more than 3 dogs. Licensed kennels are exempt.
• Constant barking can breach the City’s noise rules. Neighbours can report it online, and a by-law officer follows up.
• Every dog 3 months or older must be vaccinated against rabies and kept up to date. See the puppy vaccination schedule.

Ontario rules that apply to buyers

• Pit bulls are banned in Ontario. Section 6 of the Dog Owners’ Liability Act still says no person shall own, breed or transfer a pit bull. Announcements over the years have not changed the law.
• The PUPS Act is only partly in force. The Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act, 2024 received Royal Assent on June 6 2024. The part now in force makes running a “puppy mill” an offence under the PAWS Act, with minimum fines of $10,000, or $25,000 if a dog dies or is euthanized.
• Not yet in force: the limits on breeding young females and close relatives, the rule against separating a puppy from its mother before 56 days, the sale and transfer rules and the record-keeping rules. Each starts on a date the province has not yet set. Asking for a puppy of at least 8 weeks is still good practice.
• Rabies vaccination is required for every dog 3 months or older under Ontario Regulation 567. Your vet issues a certificate and a tag.

Before you pay a breeder anything

• Meet the puppy and its mother where the puppy was raised. A breeder who only meets in a parking lot is a warning sign.
• Ask for the vet records: vaccines given, deworming, and the clinic that did them. Then call that clinic to confirm.
• Ask which health tests the parents had for their breed, and for the result documents, not a description of them.
• Get the sale agreement in writing before any deposit, and read what it says about refunds and health problems.
• Search the breeder’s name and phone number. Scam sites reuse photos and phone numbers across many names.

You can look up any breeder name on PawTrace Verify and read how to avoid puppy scams in Canada. Breeders in the list below were compiled from public sources. An unclaimed listing has not been checked by PawTrace.

Emergency vets in Ottawa

These clinics are listed on PawTrace as emergency hospitals. Hours and services change, so call before you go.

• VCA Canada Alta Vista Specialty and Emergency Veterinary Centre — Walkley Rd
• Capital City Specialty & Emergency Animal Hospital — Silver Seven Rd
• Ottawa Animal Emergency & Specialty Hospital

Not sure if it is an emergency? Read when to go to a 24-hour emergency hospital and what it costs.

Adoption and reporting a problem

• Ottawa Humane Society: 245 West Hunt Club Rd., Ottawa. Adoption, surrender and lost-and-found. ottawahumane.ca
• By-law complaints (dog at large, waste, barking): call 3-1-1 in Ottawa, TTY 613-580-2401.

Vet clinics, dog services and breeders in Ottawa

Search all listings on Find a vet, Dog services and the Breeder directory.

Run one of these businesses? Claim your listing free to correct it and add your hours: for vet clinics or for dog services.

Sources

• City of Ottawa — Animal Care and Control By-law 2003-77
• City of Ottawa — Cat and dog registration
• City of Ottawa — Dog parks
• City of Ottawa — Barking dogs
• Ontario — Dog Owners’ Liability Act
• Ontario — PUPS Act, 2024
• Ontario — PAWS Act
• Ontario Regulation 567 (rabies)
• Ottawa Humane Society

Checked October 12 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Fees and by-laws change; the City’s own page is the final word.