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City guide · Winnipeg, Manitoba

Dogs in Winnipeg: licence, breed rules, vets and dog services

What the City of Winnipeg requires of dog owners, including its breed prohibition, and where to find a vet, a groomer or a daycare.

The short answer

Dogs over 6 months need a City licence: $41.50 a year if spayed or neutered, $138 if not (2026). Winnipeg prohibits pit bull-type dogs. Keep your dog leashed outside off-leash areas. One person can keep up to 4 dogs, and no more than 6 dogs and cats combined, without an excess animal permit.

Licensing your dog

Winnipeg’s Responsible Pet Ownership By-law No. 92/2013 requires a licence for every dog over 6 months old. The owner must be at least 18.

Licence (from January 1 2026)Fee per year
Spayed or neutered$41.50
Not spayed or neutered$138
Dangerous dog$110

A licence for a dog that is not spayed or neutered is granted only if the owner meets the City’s conditions; otherwise the dog must be spayed or neutered. Two-year licences are also available. Buy online at petlicensing.winnipeg.ca, by phone through 311, in person at the Animal Services Agency (1057 Logan Ave.) or the 311 counters at 510 Main St. and 170 Goulet St., or by mail. Not licensing can lead to legal proceedings.

Prohibited dogs

The City lists as prohibited dogs that mostly look like an American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier, and says most American Bully dogs are prohibited too. A vet’s written opinion can show a dog does not meet the criteria. Keeping a prohibited dog is an offence under the by-law. Check with 311 before you buy or move with a bully-type dog. Read more on breed-specific laws in Canada.

Leash and off-leash rules

  • Dogs must be leashed outside off-leash areas. The leash can be up to 20 ft, but no more than 6 ft on streets and paths or when people or animals are within 20 ft.
  • The City publishes a list of off-leash dog areas, including seasonal community-centre sites open April to November.
  • A dog running at large can bring a fine under the by-law.

How many dogs

One person can keep no more than 4 dogs over 6 months old, and no more than 6 dogs and cats combined. More needs an excess animal permit.

Manitoba rules that apply to buyers

  • The Animal Care Act sets duties for every owner and provides for licences for kennels, breeding premises and pet stores.
  • Manitoba passed changes in 2026 (Bill 19, S.M. 2026, c. 16), with Royal Assent on June 1 2026. Once proclaimed, they will require a licence to sell, give away or advertise designated pets, and will repeal the current licences for kennels, breeding premises and pet stores. As of October 15 2026, Manitoba Laws lists them as not yet proclaimed.

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 Winnipeg

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

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

  • Animal Services Agency: 1057 Logan Ave., through 311.
  • Winnipeg Humane Society: 45 Hurst Way, 204-982-2021. Adoption, surrender, spay and neuter clinic, cruelty reports and lost-and-found. winnipeghumanesociety.ca
  • Report a dog at large, barking or waste left behind through 311 or the “Report animal concern” form at forms.winnipeg.ca.

Vet clinics, dog services and breeders in Winnipeg

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

Vet clinics in Winnipeg (15)

Dog services in Winnipeg (55)

Breeders in Winnipeg (1)

  • Tybo · unclaimed · not checked

Listings are compiled from public sources unless a business has claimed them. Unclaimed listings have not been checked by PawTrace.

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

Sources

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.

PawTrace reports verified data points it has checked. It does not guarantee a breeder, a dog, or an outcome. How we verify →