
HALDIMAND—Animal control is an important municipal service, but one that might not be top of mind for most residents.
Haldimand County’s animal control service is currently contracted to the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society; it’s a five-year contract that was awarded in July 2024, with the option of renewing for five additional years, pending a satisfactory performance. The annual budget for the service is approximately $310,000.
Kyra Hayes, Supervisor of Customer Experience and Communication for the County, explained, “Once the contract expires or if it is not renewed, the county will put out a Request For Proposals (RFPs) and the bid/award process for an animal control services contractor will begin again.”
She noted that the determination of whether the Niagara and District SPCA’s performance has been satisfactory is based on a combination of hard data (including the number of calls, the number of lost pets reunited, and the number of adoptions) and public feedback.
Nina Turmel, Animal Services Manager with the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society, shared some insight on how animal control works in the county.
For starters, “The animal control officer assigned to Haldimand is most often in Haldimand, either investigating bylaw complaints, picking up stray cats or dogs or sick/injured wildlife.”
If a call comes in for a stray domestic animal, such as a dog, cat, or domestic rabbit, the animal will be picked up and impounded.
“If the animal is not claimed within the ‘redemption period’ set out by the Animals for Research Act, they may be adopted out by the SPCA,” Turmel said.
Calls regarding wildlife are different, primarily because Niagara SPCA and Humane Society doesn’t hold or rehabilitate wild animals, Hayes noted.
“In Haldimand County, residents who come across a sick or injured animal are encouraged to contact Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge – a local wildlife rehabilitator authorized by the Ministry of Environment and Energy,” Hayes said.
It is important to note that while Hobbitstee is licensed by the government, it is a not-for-profit charitable organization run by volunteers and does not receive government funding.
Turmel explained that when an animal control officer arrives on the scene for a call involving wildlife, they’ll do an assessment and determine “whether that animal may be a candidate for rehabilitation. Where there is doubt, the officer can reach out to a local wildlife rehabilitator for advice.”
If the wild animal has suffered an extreme injury or has a communicable disease like distemper, which Turmel said “would likely spread to other animals in the rehab facility,” then the animal would be humanely euthanized at the SPCA facility.
Calls for sick or injured animals – wildlife and domestic – are considered to be a priority, which may mean a response delay if multiple animal control calls come in at once.
“An officer could be diverted to an emergency call from a non-emergency call,” Turmel said. “For example, a limping cat would take priority over a friendly dog someone has found and brought into their backyard.”
Geography may also be a factor, as the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society shelter is located in Welland.
Going back to her example of a limping cat and a friendly dog on the loose, Turmel said, “If the friendly stray dog is located between the injured cat and the shelter, the officer could stop briefly and retrieve the dog and continue to the shelter with both. If, however, the injured cat was in Lowbanks and the friendly dog in Caledonia, getting the cat to medical care at the shelter would take priority and the dog would need to wait.”
For more information on how to access animal control services in Haldimand, including submitting an animal control complaint online, visit haldimandcounty.ca/bylaw-enforcement/animal-control/.