Public Notice

City of Toronto Act, 2006 Public Notice

Response to 2024.EC16.3 – Addressing Dangerous Dogs

Toronto City Council will be considering recommendations to adopt amendments to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals as part of an update report that summarizes actions the City has taken to address dangerous dogs and responds to related outstanding directives from City Council.

It is proposed that the amendments be adopted at the City Council meeting to be held on April 23, 24 and 25, 2025, or at a subsequent meeting. If adopted by City Council, the recommendations will:

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:

1. on the owners' private property in a location where it is visible to any person passing or entering the property;
2. on the outside of the unit door for the apartment unit or condominium unit where the dog owner resides.

Direct that the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing & 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:

1. The bite scale posted on the City’s website
2. 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
3. Whether the dog behaved in a manner that may pose a menace to the safety or persons or domestic animals. 

The proposed amendments are outlined in the report titled "Response to 2024.EC16.3 - Addressing Dangerous Dogs”. To view or obtain a copy of the report, visit the City's website at:

https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2025.EC19.5 

At its meeting to be held via video conference and in-person at City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, on April 8, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., or as soon as possible thereafter, the Economic and Community Development Committee of Toronto City Council will hear from any person or by his or her counsel, agent, or solicitor, who wishes to speak to the matter.

The proposed amendments are subject to the decisions of the Economic and Community Development Committee and City Council. Consequently, the proposed amendments may be modified. Additional or other amendments to the above-noted By-law, including amendments not contemplated or considered in the proposal by Municipal Licensing and Standards staff, may occur as a result of the decisions of the Committee and City Council.

To submit comments or make a presentation to the Economic and Community Development Committee on April 8, 2025, please contact the Committee no later than 12:00 p.m. on April 7, 2025:

Economic and Community Development Committee

Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West

10th Floor, West Tower, Toronto, ON, M5H 2N2

Telephone: 416-392-4666; Fax: 416-392-1879

Email: ecdc@toronto.ca 

To ask questions regarding the content of the report, please contact:

Joanna Hazelden, Manager, Policy and Planning Services

Municipal Licensing and Standards

Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West

16th Floor, West Tower, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2

Telephone: 416-338-5576

Email: Joanna.Hazelden@toronto.ca 

Any comments received after the Committee meeting will be forwarded to City Council.

While the staff report sets out proposed changes, the Committee and/or City Council may change these proposals and adopt additional or other amendments that differ from the recommendations set out in the report. The proposed amendments are subject to the decision of the Committee and the decision of City Council.  

If this matter is postponed at the Committee meeting or City Council meeting or considered at a subsequent Committee or City Council meeting, no additional notice will be provided other than the information on the subsequent Committee or City Council agenda. Please contact the above City officials if you require notice in these cases.

The Economic and Community Development Committee will make its final recommendations on April 8, 2025, which will be forwarded to City Council for its meeting on April 23, 24 and 25, 2025.

Notice to people writing or making presentations to the Economic and Community Development Committee: The City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the City of Toronto Municipal Code authorize the City of Toronto to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its Committees.

The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations, or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City’s website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it - such as your postal address, telephone number, or e-mail address - available to the public, unless you expressly request the City to remove it.

Many Committee, Board, and Advisory Body meetings are broadcast live over the internet for the public to view. If you speak at the meeting you will appear in the video broadcast. Video broadcasts are archived and continue to be publicly available.

If you want to learn more about why and how the City collects your information, write to the

City Clerk’s Office, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto ON, M5H 2N2 or by calling 416-397-4592.