Item - 2025.EC19.5

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals to amend section 349-15.1A(4) so it reads:

(4) That a warning sign is posted in the form and location required by the Executive Director, with such locations potentially including, but not being limited to, the following:

(a) on the owners' private property in a location where it is visible to any person passing or entering the property;

(b) on the outside of the unit door for the apartment unit or condominium unit where the dog owner resides.

2. City Council direct that the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to amend public webpages and/or develop a public document or bulletin that outlines in more detail the elements used by staff to determine the severity of a dangerous dog act, including but not limited to, the following:

a. The bite scale posted on the City’s website;

b. The nature of the person and/or domestic animal’s injuries, including if they required medical attention such as wounds requiring sutures or other wound repair or surgery, broken bones, severe sprains, or any other similar serious injury; 

c. Whether the dog behaved in a manner that may pose a menace to the safety of persons or domestic animals.

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to issue letters to the following groups to notify them of the by-law change and requirements to post signage where applicable: 

a. Issue a letter to Dangerous Dog owners residing in condominiums.

b. Issue a letter to all Condominium Boards and property management groups where the property has a Dangerous Dog.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to implement a plan for by-law officers to deliver warning signs and complete compliance checks to ensure that owners of dangerous dogs have the signage posted and to complete annual compliance checks.

5. City Council amend section 349-15D(1) of Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals, to require the following information be added to the City's public record listing of information from dangerous dog orders to comply in order to ensure public awareness of where dangerous dog orders have been served and to protect the health and safety of residents as part of the City's dangerous dog enforcement program:

(a) all six digits of the owner’s postal code where the Executive Director finds the dangerous act was severe; or

(b) the first three digits of the owner’s postal code for all other dangerous acts.

The City is committed to continuous improvement of dangerous dog investigation processes, prevention of dangerous acts, and enforcement of Dangerous Dog Orders.

In November 2024, staff reported to City Council on the recent steps taken to address dangerous dogs, including the standardization of the dangerous dog warning sign, development and launch of the Dangerous Dog Orders map, and a comprehensive public education campaign (2024.EC16.3).

City Council requested additional information from the City Solicitor and Municipal Licensing and Standards as part of 2024.EC16.3, including information on the number of children bitten by dogs, dangerous dog signage in condos, information on the dangerous dog map, and the quantification of severity. The City Solicitor is providing a separate report to provide comments on the directives.  

This report recommends an amendment to Chapter 349, Animals to support compliance with the dangerous dog order signage and the issuance of clear guidelines to the public about how staff assess the severity of dangerous dog acts.

At its meeting on November 13 and 14, 2024, City Council requested Legal Services to report back on the following:

a. how condos can be required to be brought into compliance with City requirements to post dangerous dog signage; 

b. options to include the entire postal code related to a dangerous dog order on the City’s website; and 

c. what steps could be taken to publicly quantify the severity chart.

This report responds to these requests and contains action Council could take in relation to these items.