Ajax : Règlement no 40-2025, art. 2.1(a) — Dog and Cat By-law

"aggressive behavior" means the conduct of an animal whereby the animal bites or attacks a person or domestic animal or poses a menace to the safety of persons or domestic animals;

• (b) "altered" means a male or female animal that has been sterilized by a licensed veterinarian. In the case of a female animal, where the animal has been spayed or otherwise operated on to prevent conception, and in the case of a male animal, where the animal has been neutered or castrated;
• (c) "animal" means any member of the animal kingdom, other than a human;
• (d) "Animal Services Officer" shall include any person employed by the Town to enforce the provisions of this By-law and also includes a Municipal Law Enforcement Officer;
• (e) "blind person" means a person to whom an identification card has been issued by the Attorney General or an Officer of his or her Ministry, pursuant to the provisions of the Blind Persons’ Rights Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.7;
• (f) “boulevard” means that portion of a highway between the travelled portion of the highway and the limit of the highway line;
• (g) "cat" means a feline of the species felis catus;
• (h) "Committee" means a committee as approved by Council for the purpose of hearing appeals to any Order to Restrain that may be issued by the Town;
• (i) "dog" means a canine of the species canis familiaris;
• (j) "dwelling unit" means a room or suite of two or more rooms designed or intended for residential use by a person or persons in which culinary and sanitary conveniences are provided for the exclusive use of such person or persons and having a private entrance from outside or from a common hallway or stairway inside and which is located in a residentially zoned part of the Town;
• (k) enclosure " means a pen or other enclosure that prevents the animal from leaving the property and prevents contact with people and other animals outside the pen or enclosure;
• (l) "excessively" means, with respect to barking, any barking or howling exceeding a cumulative fifteen (15) minute period within any one (1) hour timeframe.
• (m) "expense" means the cost of carrying out the work to be done by the Work Order pursuant to Section 8 and an administrative charge as outlined in the Town of Ajax Fees and Charges By-law;
• (n) "leash" means a strap, cord, chain or other device which is designed to restrain the breed of animal it is controlling. A leash shall not include an electronic wireless leash, electronic collar, shock collar or any other similar wireless device used for the control of an animal;
• (o) "leash free area" means an area designated by the Town where dogs are not required to be on a leash but must be under verbal control of an owner;
• (p) "minor" means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years or a person who has not attained the age of majority as defined in the Age of Majority and Accountability Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.7;
• (q) “multi-use pathway” means a path located on the boulevard that is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic, designated for use by cyclists, pedestrians and people using other vehicles driven by muscular power, but does not include a sidewalk;
• (r) muzzle" means a humane device that fits over the mouth of a dog and prevents the dog from biting, regardless of brand/commercial name of the product. A muzzled dog means a dog wearing a muzzle in the manner anticipated by the manufacturer of the muzzle;
• (s) "obnoxious dog" means a dog that engages in a practice or behaviour that is offensive or annoying to the community and includes any dog that poses a risk and/or endangers the life, health, property or comfort of the public;
• (t) “official service” is established when an Order to Restrain, Interim Order to Restrain, Obnoxious Order to Restrain or Work Order is posted in a conspicuous place at the property of the owner or sent by registered mail or personally delivered to the owner;
• (u) "owner" includes a person in possession of or harbouring a dog or cat within the Town and, where the owner is a minor, the person responsible for the custody of the minor, and includes the person or persons identified as the

owner of the property harbouring the dog or cat:

• i) in the most recent municipal tax records; or
• ii) on the deed in accordance with the records of the land registry office, and includes the person or persons licensed as the owner of a dog or cat;
• (v) “off-road trail” means a paved off-road trail with a minimum width of 2 metres;
• (w) "park or parkland" includes any land or premises within the Town used for park or recreational purposes including but not limited to green spaces, trails, walkways, sports fields, water features, swimming pools, water retention ponds, wooded areas and land covered by water and all portions thereof owned by, under the control of, or made available by lease, agreement, or otherwise to the Town, that is or hereafter may be established, dedicated, set apart or made available for use by the public including any park buildings, buildings, structures, facilities, erections and improvements located in or on such lands;
• (x) "permanent identification" means an electronic microchip encoded with identification information which has been implanted in an animal;
• (y) "person" includes an individual, a sole proprietorship, a partnership, an unincorporated association, a trust, a body corporate and a natural person. "persons" shall have a corresponding meaning;
• (z) “pit bull” includes a pit bull terrier, a Staffordshire bull terrier, an American Staffordshire terrier, an American pit bull terrier or a dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to those dog breeds referred to in this definition;
• (aa) "property" means a building or structure or part of a building or structure and includes the lands and premises appurtenant thereto and all mobile structures, outbuildings, fences and erections thereon, whether heretofore or hereafter erected and includes vacant property;
• (bb) “protective care” means the temporary, time-limited keeping of an animal by the Town as a result of an eviction, incarceration, fire or medical emergency, or any other similar incident deemed necessary by the Town;
• (cc) "service animal" means an animal trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability including, but not limited to, those with visual or hearing impairment and having the qualifications prescribed by the regulations made under the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990c. H.19, the Blind Persons’ Rights Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.7. and/or the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, S.O. 2005, c. 11;
• (dd) "shelter" means the Durham Region Humane Society Shelter located in the Town of Whitby for the safe-keeping of impounded dogs or cats;
• (ee) “sidewalk” means those parts of a highway set aside by the Region or the Town of Ajax for the use of pedestrians;
• (ff) "tag" means a disc or other shape of metal or plastic furnished by the Town as hereinafter provided and suitable to be securely fixed on a dog or cat for the purpose of identification;
• (gg) "Town" means The Corporation of the Town of Ajax;
• (hh) "unaltered" means either a male or female animal that has not been altered;
• (ii) "under the control" means a dog that is at all times on a leash held by a person that is physically capable of restraining the dog to prevent the dog from lunging, attacking, biting or interfering with a person or another domestic animal, or a dog that is otherwise physically restrained to prevent the dog from lunging, attacking, biting or interfering with a person or another domestic animal;
• (jj) "under verbal control" means a dog in a leash free area that is adhering to the verbal commands of an owner or person that is verbally capable of controlling the dog to prevent the dog from lunging, attacking, biting or interfering with a person or another domestic animal;
• (kk) "veterinarian" means a person registered to practice veterinary science under the Veterinarians Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. V.3, as amended;
• (ll) "working animal" means an animal that is kept by humans and individually trained to do work. This may include, but is not limited to, enforcement dogs, trained specifically to assist police and similar law enforcement personnel with their work, and shall not include hunting dogs or farm dogs; and
• (mm) "Work Order" means an order issued pursuant to Section 8 of this By-law.