WAWA – During Wawa’s regular council meeting on Tuesday, the council was made aware of the revisions involving the Provincial Animal Welfare Service Act. The updated standards replace the previous rules involving the care for dogs that live outdoors under the PAWS Act to reflect more comprehensive requirements to ensure the health and safety of our loyal companions.
The general care of outdoor dogs includes access to shade, food and water, grooming and nail care, and health and welfare maintenance. Notable revisions to the general supervision of outside dogs include keeping the dog inside if it has an illness or injury that affects the dog’s ability to regulate its temperature or restricts its mobility unless a veterinarian advises, in writing, that it may be kept outdoors.
Outdoor dogs must have adequate shelter, except livestock guardian dogs and dogs with access to a structure housing livestock. Design features and size-related specifications for an outdoor dog shelter must be waterproof, have an insulated roof, and provide adequate ventilation. Dogs must also have enough room to turn around, lie down with their leg extended to their full extend and stand with their heads held at standard height.
The size of a housing pen must meet a set of requirements based on the dog’s size. For example, smaller dogs that are 20 centimetres in height must have a pen of at least four square metres, while larger dogs that are 70 cm in height must have a pen of at least 15 square metres. The enclosure must also be cleaned as frequently as necessary to prevent an accumulation of excrement, urine or other waste that would risk the dog’s health and minimize the presence of parasites.
A dog tethered outdoors for 23 consecutive hours needs to be untethered for 60 continuous minutes to allow for exercise; however, scorching and cold temperatures would make it unsafe for the dog to exercise in extreme weather conditions. In addition, if the dog has participated in a racing event, hunting event, field trial event or similar events, dogs can still be tethered to allow them to rest.
A choke collar, pinch collar, prong collar, slip collar, head halter collar or martingale collar must not be used with a tether on a dog kept outdoors. These types of tethers can risk the dog’s safety as they can become tangled in the object around the yard, causing severe bodily harm to the animal.
A dog kept outdoors must not be tethered if the dog is under six months of age, whelping nursing, or in heat.
For more information on the updated Standards of Care and Administrative Requirement under the Provincial Animal Service Act, go to Wawa FAQ and Fact sheet by clicking the link.
