HSLM Animal Services FAQs

Services Contract(s) Summary

Full Animal Services: Animals and Bylaw

Southwest Middlesex:
Services include impoundment and sheltering services for stray and lost companion animals., Humane education and enforcement of Animal Control BY-LAW NO. 2023/064, to regulate the keeping, registration, licensing , control and welfare of certain classes of animals in the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex.

Village of Newbury:
Services include impoundment and sheltering services for stray and lost companion animals., Humane education and enforcement of Animal Control By-law Number 131-15, including the licensing of Dogs, prohibiting the Running at Large of Dogs, and prohibiting and regulating noise and public nuisance within the Village of Newbury.

Adelaide- Metcalfe:
Services include impoundment and sheltering services for stray and lost companion animals, humane education and enforcement of Animal Control BY-LAW #36-2009, and prohibiting or regulating the running at large of dogs in the Township of Adelaide Metcalfe.

Pound Keeper Services (Holding ONLY/ no pickups)

West Elgin:

Dutton Dunwich:

HSLM is contracted to provide Pound Keeping Services under Animal Control By-Law No. 2020-40 including the sheltering and caring for of injured, lost and homeless companion animals that are brought to HSLM by municipal bylaw officers and the general public. HSLM is NOT contracted to perform animal pickups in Dutton Dunwich.

Animal Services Officer Hours

Weekdays 9-5pm– Full Animal Services and Bylaw Officer Available

Found a Dog?

To report a stray dog at large or request a pickup of a stray dog that you have found, please contact HSLM Animal Care and Control Reporting Service at 1-877-909-0519 to connect with an Animal Control Officer and discuss further details.

Tips when finding a lost dog:

Remember to keep safety top of mind! Lost dogs may be scared and could be prone to unwanted reactions.

Check out these Body Language Resources to learn more:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vym5wmCiNltwiIiKcxNKKSTRYYwhgo_8/view?usp=sharing

  1. Contain the dog if it is safe to do so!  The first course of action, if it is safe to do so, is to catch the dog and ensure it is securely contained (on leash, garage, kennel, fenced yard etc). 
  2. Look for identification: If safe, look for any identification tags on the dog. These tags usually contain the animal’s name, phone number and sometimes an address. If the dog has a Municipal Dog License, this may have a number which is linked to the owner.
  3. Check for a microchip: The dog may also be microchipped. To find out if they are, you can bring them to your local municipal office or veterinarian’s office to have them scanned.
  4. Ask around the neighbourhood: Take a photo of the dog and create a simple poster to distribute throughout your neighbourhood or use word of mouth to ask neighbours if they know the dog or who they may belong to, make sure to provide a way for the owner to contact you.
  5. Go social: Social media channels such as Facebook (k9 Groundsearch) can be very effective tools to share information about lost and found animals. Check local lost/found community pages where someone may be looking for an animal fitting the description of the dog you found. It’s also worth creating your own post about the lost animal and asking friends and family to share it.

Call HSLM Animal Care and Control: Call our reporting number to report a stray dog or to request a pickup!  If necessary, HSLM Care and Control has pound facilities where stray dogs can be cared for while the search is underway for their family.

Found a Lost/Stray Cat?

There are no by-laws prohibiting cats from roaming outdoors, therefore HSLM Animal Care & Control is not authorized to perform pickups for Stray Cats. A safe, healthy cat likely has a home and will return on their own. 

Please note: HSLM Animal Care & Control accepts stray cats and kittens if contained and brought to the shelter. We kindly ask that you call our reporting service ahead and arrange for a time to bring them in.

Lost your Pet?

If you have lost an animal, we recommend contacting HSLM Animal Care & Control to report the missing animal’s details and owner contact information. This can be done by calling 1-877-909-0519 or emailing animalservicesmobile@hslm.ca 

We recommend posting your lost pets information around your neighborhood and online, including community pages and K9 Groundsearch (whose mentions section can be used by community members to share their lost pets, even if they are not dogs- the mentions page is a visitor section where K9 Groundsearch followers will see the posts and be able to share to their from there). To access the K9 Groundsearch Mentions section: Go to the main page and hit “mentions,” which will be the section you can create a post from ).

Helpful Hints

  • Be specific when describing your lost pet.
    Cat Example: A large two-year-old domestic short-haired cat, all white with black patch on left eye. Neutered male. Friendly with people but may be timid in the outdoors. Goes by the name BOB and was wearing his grey snap collar with name tag when lost.
  • Dog Example: A three-year-old small size dog, ~10lbs, black and tan, Yorkie mix. Male (intact/not neutered). Wearing a blue harness. Answers to the name JOJO.
  • Provide a photo.
  • Provide contact information in case your pet is found.

You can also submit a Lost Pet Report here: https://24petconnect.com/BreedRequest/Lost

If the description of an animal matches your lost pet,  please contact HSLM Animal Care and Control Reporting at 1-877-909-0519 to move forward with the process of reclaiming your lost pet!

Wildlife

HSLM Animal Care and Control does not provide Animal Services for Wildlife. We recommend contacting your Municipal Office to report nuisance or injured wildlife on Municipal Public Property. 

For Private Property we recommend visiting the resources below and/or reaching out to a private Humane Wildlife Trapper.

Tips to prevent wildlife from damaging your property

Before removing a wild animal, you should take the following steps to make your property less attractive to wildlife:

  • remove food attractants such as unsecure garbage bins, bird feed/seed or fallen fruit
  • eliminate access to sites that wildlife might use to build dens (homes), such as openings under decks
  • eliminate sources of drinking water

See more: https://www.ontario.ca/page/harass-capture-or-kill-wild-animal-damaging-private-property

Support for Community Members 24/7

HSLM provides limited 24/7 emergency services for sick or injured companion animals in our Animal Services areas.

Our TOLL- FREE reporting service is available to receive community member calls 24/7 (including after hours). If the call is determined to be an emergency, involving companion animals,  HSLM on- call officers are made available to respond even after hours. If you find an injured dog or cat, please call our reporting service 1-877-909-0519 to make a report and connect with an on-call officer.

If you find a loose dog with no identification after hours  we would ask that if you are able (and it is safe to do so) that you provide shelter for the dog overnight and connect with our reporting service in the morning to arrange for the dog to be picked up by an Animal Control Officer and come to HSLM.

If you find a stray cat after hours, please be aware that we do not pick up stray cats. We would ask that if you are able (and it is safe to do so) that you provide shelter for the cat overnight and connect with our reporting service in the morning to arrange for the contained stray cat to be brought into HSLM during regular business hours.

How Long Does an Animal Stay at the Municipal Animal Shelter?

In accordance with the specific Municipal Animal Control Bylaw, stray animals are held in the Municipal Animal Shelter for a minimum period of three business days (not counting day of entry, weekends or statutory holidays) to allow their owners time to claim them.

After the stray reclaim period, HSLM becomes the legal owner of the animal.

How do I Claim My Pet?

To claim your lost pet from the Municipal Animal Shelter, HSLM requires that you provide the following:

  • Valid photo ID and proof of current address (for example, a hydro or phone bill, lease, pay stub with address, bank statement or government document).
  • Proof of ownership (for example, a registered microchip, an adoption certificate, veterinary records,  purchase or rehoming bill or a recent Rabies tag number or City license).
  • Funds to pay the impound fees (cash, credit or debit card – no cheques or e-transfer). Impound fees vary depending on the length of time the animal has been in the Municipal Animal Shelter. The animal cannot be released without release fees being paid.
  • Funds to pay for any required Veterinary Care if provided (cash, credit or debit card — no cheques) 

Please contact HSLM Animal Services Dispatch Centre at 1-877-909-0519 prior to your arrival to connect with an Animal Services Officer and confirm your fees.

What if I do Not Claim My Pet Before the Stray Period Expires?

If an animal is not claimed after being held for the mandatory stray period of minimum three full days, the animal is then transferred to our Animal Health Department to be medically and behaviourally assessed to determine his/her suitability for adoption.

HSLM verifies that the animal is in good health and not demonstrating aggressive behaviour before being made available for adoption. All adoptable animals must be spayed/neutered, microchipped, and must receive updated age appropriate core vaccinations, parasite prevention and deworming. Dogs also receive a HW4DX Test which checks for Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) antigen and antibodies to five tick borne diseases (Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma platys, Ehrlichia canis, and Ehrlichia ewingii).

Animal Stray Reclaim Hours:

Day of the WeekHours
Monday – Friday9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
HSLM Animal Services Department accepts cash, Visa, Mastercard and Debit for all transactions. We do NOT accept cheques or e-transfers.

Dog Bites

Follow these steps if you have been bitten or scratched by any animal:

  1. Wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water.
  2. Seek medical attention (see a doctor) as soon as possible.
  3. Call and report the animal bite/scratch incident to your local health unit.

To report animal bites on people for animal inspection and rabies quarantine, please call your Public Health Office and/or visit a medical professional .

To report a dog biting incident for Animal Control follow up for By-Law Violations and Enforcement please contact HSLM Animal Services Dispatch Centre at 1-877-909-0519 to connect with an Animal Services Officer and submit a report.

Dog Barking

In our growing communities, where noises such as barking dogs may be common, community members are encouraged to exercise a reasonable degree of tolerance before submitting an animal-related noise complaint.

Dogs may bark for good reason. Sometimes they get a response of some kind and continue the behavior. Keep in mind that often owners may not realize that their dog(s) are causing a disturbance to their neighbors.

Prohibiting the persistent or excessive noise from any animal may be enforced in your Municipal Bylaw . This includes persistent barking, calling or whining.

Submitting a Complaint

If you have a problem with a noisy animal, consider speaking with the owner first to discuss the issue.

Contact HSLM Animal Services Dispatch Centre at 1-877-909-0519 to connect with an Animal Services Officer and submit a report.

Please note that you will need to know the owner’s address to submit the complaint.

Animal Welfare, Neglect and Abuse Concerns

Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) within the Ministry of the Solicitor General is responsible for enforcing the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act.

If you believe there is an immediate Animal welfare, abuse or neglect concern, please contact PAWS to make a report. You can do so anonymously if you wish. They can be contacted at 1-833-926-4625.

Starting a Kennel/Kennel Inspections

In most Municipalities there are By-laws regulating NEW and EXISTING Dog Kennel Facilities (Example: No kennel shall be erected, maintained or operated unless a kennel permit has been issued) and there may be processes or costs associated. Please contact your Municipal Office, Review your Municipal Animal Control Bylaw or contact HSLM Animal Services Dispatch Centre at 1-877-909-0519 to connect with an Animal Services Officer.

Surrendering your Pet

Humane Society London & Middlesex is also an OWNER SURRENDER FACILITY for companion animals and does our best to support our community by facilitating as many owner surrenders appointments as possible. Humane Society London & Middlesex is currently receiving surrender requests at an overwhelmingly increased rate and therefore, we are operating on a waitlist basis, but exceptions may be available in URGENT situations. 

Appointments are required to surrender your pet to ensure we have adequate staff and space to accommodate intake. Please contact our Adoptions/Surrender team to inquire about an appointment at adoptions@hslm.ca

Please note: HSLM requires proof of ownership in the form of vet records, proof of sale/rehome, or license paperwork to surrender an animal.

Community members facing financial hardship and unable to provide food for their pets are encouraged to access our pet food pantry, No Empty Bowls (https://www.hslm.ca/noemptybowls/).

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