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City guide · Toronto, Ontario

Dogs in Toronto: licence, leash rules, vets and dog services

What the City of Toronto requires of dog owners, the rules for pet shops and dog walkers, and where to find a vet, a groomer or a daycare.

The short answer

License your dog every year: $25 if it is spayed or neutered, $60 if not, with 50% off for owners 65 and over. Keep it on a leash no longer than 2 m except in a designated off-leash area. A home can keep up to 3 dogs. Pet shops in Toronto may only sell dogs that come from shelters or rescues.

Licensing your dog

Under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals, every dog must be licensed, the licence renewed every year, and the tag worn.

LicenceFee per year
Spayed or neutered$25
Not spayed or neutered$60
Service dogNo charge
Replacement tag$5.65
  • Owners 65 and over get 50% off (not on replacement tags).
  • Households earning under $50,000 can ask for a reduced or waived fee: 416-338-7297 or petlicensing@toronto.ca.
  • Buy online through DocuPet, in person, by phone or by mail.
  • The City says failing to license a dog every year may result in a $240 ticket. On conviction, Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349 allows a fine of up to $100,000.

Leash and off-leash rules

  • In public, your dog must be on a leash no longer than 2 m unless it is inside a designated off-leash area. The off-leash fine is $500 plus surcharges.
  • The City keeps an official list and map of dog off-leash areas. Some have separate small-dog areas for dogs up to 20 lbs and 12 in. at the shoulder.
  • Dogs may enter swimming beach areas only from November 1 to March 31.
  • Not picking up after your dog carries a $400 fine.

Dog walkers and how many dogs

  • No more than 3 dogs per dwelling unit, with exceptions for service animals and rescue-group members.
  • Nobody may walk more than 3 dogs at once without a commercial dog walker permit. The permit allows 4 to 6 dogs, requires $2,000,000 liability insurance naming the City, and costs $305.99 a year before tax (2026).
  • If you hire a walker for more than 3 dogs at a time, ask to see the permit.

Where pet shops get their dogs

Toronto’s licensing code (Chapter 545) allows pet shops to offer cats and dogs only from municipal shelters, registered humane societies, registered shelters or rescue groups. A shop advertising puppies from a breeder is a reason to ask questions.

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 Toronto

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

  • Toronto Animal Services runs three shelters, by appointment (416-338-PAWS): West, 146 The East Mall; North, 1300 Sheppard Ave. W.; East, 821 Progress Ave.
  • Toronto Humane Society: 11 River St., (416) 392-2273. torontohumanesociety.com
  • Report an off-leash, aggressive or unlicensed dog, too many dogs, or waste left behind through 311, open 24 hours in more than 180 languages.

Vet clinics, dog services and breeders in Toronto

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

Vet clinics in Toronto (36)

Dog services in Toronto (90)

See all in the directory →

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 →