Animal Care & Control FAQ

Effective November 4, the ACCC will resume the intake of all stray animals which now includes feral cats and cats brought into ACCC in a trap. ACCC continues to suspend all walk-in services. An admittance appointment is required for all services including if you need to claim your pet or want an animal scanned for a microchip. Appointments can be made by calling 311 or visiting edmonton.ca/pets.

Priority will be given to those animals that are:

• In distress
• Injured (wounds, limping, bleeding)
• Visibly ill (thin, weak, not mobile, any discharge from eyes or nose)
• Very pregnant (imminent birth) 
• Kittens under two months who appear to have no mother
• Outside when the temperatures have dropped below -20 degrees Celsius with the windchill and where the finder is unable to bring the animal inside

All ACCC services listed above are by appointment only. Appointments can now be made by calling 311 or using the online form.

If You Have Lost Your Pet

If you have lost your pet, please look for it on our Lost Pets page and make an appointment online via edmonton.ca/pets or by calling 311.

Priority appointments will be given to those animals that are:

• in distress

• injured (wounds, limping, bleeding)

• visibly ill (thin, weak, not mobile, any discharge from eyes or nose)

• very pregnant (imminent birth)

• kittens under two months of age who appear to have no mother

• outside when the temperatures have dropped below -20 degrees Celsius with the windchill and where the finder is unable to bring the animal inside

We encourage citizens to make attempts to find the owner of any healthy, lost or stray animal. If the animal has a tag with a licence number on it, 311 may provide the owner’s contact information if the owner has given us permission to release it. It is important to note that owned lost cats are 10 times more likely to find their way home if left in their neighbourhood than if they are brought to a shelter. Outdoor cats and feral cats are accustomed to being outside. 

For a list of more tips on what you can do to reunite pets with their owners and templates to make your own Lost Cat Poster or Paper Collar, visit edmonton.ca/scheduledintake.

Citizens can purchase or renew their pet licence online. Payments can also be sent by cheque or money order and mailed to: the City of Edmonton, P.O. Box 2670, Edmonton, AB. T5J 2G4.  We encourage pet owners to keep their contact information associated with your pet’s licence up-to-date online in the event your pet gets lost.

Payment can be made at any financial institution or via Online Banking payable to City of Edmonton Pet/Business Licences or Edmonton Pet & Business Licences.  

Please visit Animal Protection.

Please visit Owning a Pet in Edmonton.

Animal Control Peace Officers typically investigate complaints of:

• Excessive barking
• Dog bites or attacks
• Pets without a licence
• Dogs or cats at large
• Failure to clean up pet defecation (poop)
• Problem wildlife
• Dead animals on public property
• Abuse or neglect

The City of Edmonton Animal Control Peace Officers also now enforce the Provincial Animal Protection Act (APA) which enables the officers to respond to animals in distress or animals that have been abandoned. The Act was previously enforced by the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS).

Animal Control Peace Officers investigate complaints by interviewing witnesses, neighbours, complainants and pet owners. When possible, the officer also collects other evidence.

Any investigation can result in a simple warning, a fine or a mandatory court appearance.

Animal Control Peace Officers can issue a ticket that requires a pet owner to appear in Provincial Court.

This option is used in cases where owners have received multiple fines for repeat offences, such as a barking dog or dog at-large, and for extreme instances such as serious dog attacks. The Provincial Court can issue higher fines and can even order the City to seize an animal from an owner.

Animal Control Peace Officers can also now enforce the Animal Protection Act (APA) which deals with concerns of animal abuse, neglect and abandonment. In severe cases, animals may be seized and/or criminal charges laid.

Animal Control Peace Officers can seize animals that are found at-large (for example, stray) within Edmonton city limits or animals that the Provincial Court has ordered them to seize. They can also seize animals under the Provincial Animal Protection Act (APA).

Animals seized for being at-large can be picked up by their owner from the Animal Care & Control Centre at 13550 163 Street.

No. Under the City’s Free Ride Home program, at-large pets with a valid pet licence can be taken directly home by an officer free of charge once every 12 months.

Please refer to the Animal Protection Act page to see who to call if you see any animal in distress, abused or neglected. 

Common fines under the Animal Licensing and Control Bylaw are:

• Excessive barking - $100
• Owning an unlicensed pet - $250
• Animal at-large - $100
• Failure to remove defecation - $100
• Failure to control or leash a dog - $100
• Dog attack causing no injury - $100
• Dog attack causing injury - $500 to $2,500

The penalties for non-compliance with the Animal Protection Act may include monetary penalties up to a maximum of $20,000, prohibition of animal ownership for a period determined by the courts and any other terms and conditions a court deems appropriate

Please visit Pet Licences.

Please visit Restricted Dogs.

Please visit Lost Pets.

Animal Care & Control Officers do not capture at-large cats because they are generally not a danger to humans. However, stray and at-large cats can be brought to the Animal Care & Control Centre if you trap them humanely.

For information, visit Unwanted Cats on Private Property.

Animals with no identification are kept up to three business days and animals with identification are kept up to 10 business days.

After that, adoptable animals are transferred to the
Edmonton Humane Society and other rescue groups.

Every animal that enters our Animal Care & Control Centre is searched for tags, a tattoo or a microchip.

When an animal has a valid pet licence and is wearing tags, we can immediately contact the owner. A tattoo or microchip with up-to-date information on file also helps us to contact the owner.

Every animal that enters our facility also has its picture posted on our Found Pets search tool.

On average, the Animal Service Facility sees more than 6,000 animals per year.

In 2015, we reunited 1,797 dogs with their owners and sent 528 to the Edmonton Humane Society and other rescue groups for adoption.

We also reunited 515 cats with their owners and sent 2,080 to the Edmonton Humane Society and other rescue groups for adoption.

The Animal Care & Control Centre is located at 13550 -163 Street, and shares its entrance with the Chappelle Centre for Animal Care, home of the Edmonton Humane Society.

When travelling westbound on 137 Avenue, turn left onto 163 Street. Proceed south along 163 Street until you see the monument signs for the Chappelle Centre for Animal Care and the Animal Care & Control Centre.

When travelling eastbound on 137 Avenue, turn right onto 163 Street. Proceed south along 163 Street until you see the monument signs for the Chappelle Centre for Animal Care and the Animal Care & Control Centre.