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Animal Control

The Town of Drayton Valley’s Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw provides for the safety, health, welfare and protection of people and domesticated animals, and hens, in the Town of Drayton Valley.

Responsible pet owners not only look after their pet’s health and wellness, they also make sure their pet is a positive addition to the community.

The full Bylaw can be found here.

RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP

Owner Responsibilities

HENS

Any person that keeps live hens on a residential property must obtain and maintain a valid PID (Premises Identification Program) number through the Government of Alberta.

  • Owners are required to maintain up-to-date photos of the hens to prove ownership if the hen gets off the property
  • A Peace Officer shall not impound a hen that is located at large
  • Owners must have a chicken coop 
    • Coops must be fully enclosed,  weather proof, and have an attached outdoor enclosure used for keeping the hens, 
    • Coops cannot be larger than 10 m2 in floor area, and no more than 2.4m in height
    • Provide each hen with at least 0.37 m2  of interior floor area, and at least 0.92 m2  of outdoor enclosure, within the coop;
    • Provide and maintain, in the coop, at least one nest box per hen, and one perch per hen, that is at least 15 cm long;
    • Keep each hen in the coop or enclosure area at all times;
    • Maintain the coop in good repair and sanitary condition, and free from vermin and noxious or offensive smells and substances;
    • prevent any rodent from harbouring underneath or within it or the walls, and to prevent entrance by any other animal
    • Keep the coop secured from sunset to sunrise
    • Keep a food container and water container in the coop
    • Ensure the coop and enclosure remains in the back yard area of a residential property and is secured by a fence that complies with the municipalities Land Use Bylaw
  • Provide each hen with food, water, shelter, light, ventilation, care, and opportunities for essential behaviours such as scratching, dust-bathing, and roosting, all sufficient to maintain the hen in good health
  • Store feed within a fully enclosed container
  • Do not keep hens in a cage, kennel, or any shelter other than a coop
  • Notify the municipality immediately of any disease or welfare issues that arise and take any steps the municipality requires to rectify the situation

View our Caring for Hens infographic.

  • Three (3) hens are allowed on residential properties
  • Roosters are not allowed
  • Commercial properties are not permitted to keep hens or roosters
  • A Subsisting Harbouring Permit is required to have more than three hens
  • Any person that keeps hens must:
    • Keep hens for personal use only
    • Not sell or offer for sale any by-product of the hens
    • Not slaughter any hen in the Municipality
    • Dispose of a hen by delivering it to a farm, abattoir, veterinarian, or other operation that is lawfully permitted to dispose of hens
  • Store manure within a fully enclosed container, and store no more than three cubic feet of manure at a time
  • Remove all other manure not used for composting or fertilizing and dispose of same in accordance with municipal bylaws
  • Follow biosecurity procedures recommended by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to reduce potential disease outbreak
  • Remove leftover feed, trash, and manure in a timely manner
  • Ensure hens do not cause excessive noise
  • Ensure hens do not run at large

DOGS

  • All dogs in the Town of Drayton Valley must have proper identification such as a micro-chip, tattoo or collar/tag
  • Ensure that information (address/phone number) is kept current

Dog owners are to ensure their animals have adequate food, water, veterinary care and shelter.

  • No more than three (3) dogs are permitted on any premises
  • A Subsisting Harbouring Permit is required to have more than three dogs
  • Owners must pick up any defecation from their dog on public property, or property that is not theirs, and must have an instrument with them to collect and dispose of defecation, such as a bag
  • Owners must not let defecation accumulate on their own property to an extent that could reasonably annoy or pose a health risk to others
  • Owners will not permit their dog to bark or howl in a manner that is reasonably likely to annoy or disturb the peace, quiet, or repose of others
  • Owners will ensure that their dog does not chase, attack, threaten or bite any person or animal
  • Owners are to have dogs on a leash at all times when on public property, with the exception of off-leash dog parks

CATS

  • All cats in the Town of Drayton Valley must have proper identification such as a micro-chip, tattoo or collar/tag
  • Ensure that information (address/phone number) is kept current

Cat owners are to ensure their animals have adequate food, water, veterinary care and shelter.

  • No more than three (3) cats are permitted on any premises
  • A Subsisting Harbouring Permit is required to have more than three cats
  • Owners must pick up any defecation from their cat on public property, or property that is not theirs, and must have an instrument with them to collect and dispose of defecation, such as a bag
  • Owners must not let defecation accumulate on their own property to an extent that could reasonably annoy or pose a health risk to others
  • Owners will not permit their cat to meow in a manner that is reasonably likely to annoy or disturb the peace, quiet, or repose of others
  • Owners will ensure that their cat does not chase, attack, threaten or bite any person or animal

Lost and Found Animals

Dogs and cats that have been picked up by Drayton Valley Enforcement Services will be housed at the Animal Control building located at 5517-53 Avenue, Drayton Valley.

When possible, attempts will be made to contact the owner of the captured dog or cat to reunite them with their owners. We will check for a town licence tag, a microchip, or a tattoo. However, if we are not able to locate the animals through these means, we will attempt to post photos of the dog or cat on our Facebook Page to try to reunite the animal with its owner.

Prior to being able to claim an animal in the custody of Enforcement Services, the owner must be able to prove ownership of the animal.

Fees and fines may be imposed at the discretion of the Bylaw Officer or Peace Officer.

Did you Know? In 2021, Drayton Valley Enforcement Services impounded 73 dogs and 167 cats that were found to be at large in the community. Of the 240 impounded animals, only 98 were able to be reunited with their owners. Please ensure that your pets have proper identification to ensure they can be reunited with you, the owner, should they become at large.

 

What should you do if you find a lost animal?

  • Not every animal you find is lost, especially cats. Generally, if you have found a healthy cat , it is almost always best to leave it where it was found – cats are 10 times more likely to return home if they were left where they are found.*
  • If safe to do so, attempt to take a photograph of the animal. If successful, you may wish to post it on social media pages to attempt to locate the owner(s) that way.
  • Consider your surroundings – see if there is an owner out looking for the animal.
  • If owners are not known, or cannot be located, contact Enforcement Services to arrange for pickup of the animal so we can attempt to reunite them with their owner(s).
*Alley Cat Allies. Chu, K. and W. M. Anderson (2007)

 

What Should You Do If You Find Wild Animals?

Drayton Valley Enforcement Services only deals with found cats and dogs. If you find a wild animal that appears to be injured, you may wish to contact the following organizations for further information or direction:

Some animals do not need to be moved – please ensure you do your research when deciding to help a wild animal.

 

Cat Trapping

Cats are not permitted to be at large. Enforcement Services offers cat traps, free of charge. If you would like to request a trap, please contact Enforcement Services.

It will be the responsibility of the individual that captures a cat in a town trap to care for the cat until Enforcement Services is able to pick it up. This includes ensuring it has adequate food, water, shelter, and protection from the elements.

Please note that we may refuse to provide a trap if we currently do not have any, or if our animal control facility is at capacity.

The Town will only be responsible for Town traps. Peace Officers or Bylaw Officers will not assume custody of any animals trapped in any trap other than a trap owned by the Town.

 

MAKING YOUR PROPERTY LESS INVITING TO CATS

It is recommended that if you have an unwanted cat on your property, if you know who the owners are, politely ask the owner to keep their cat on their own property.

If you are unsure who the owners are, are uncomfortable speaking with your neighbour, or if speaking with them did not solve the problem, you may wish to take steps to make your property less inviting to the cat.

Making your property unpleasant for animals can include doing things such as:

  • Spread repellents around your property, such as vinegar or orange peels
  • Spray the cat with water whenever it enters your property
  • Place chicken wire, or similar, just below the surface of your flower beds to discourage digging and cover the flower bed with bark chips, gravel, or other material so it is rough
  • Place mesh netting, angled outwards, or PVC pipe at the top of your fence to prevent cats from climbing on and over your fence

 

CONTACT ENFORCEMENT SERVICES

To contact Drayton Valley Enforcement Services, please call 780-514-2386, or email enforcement@draytonvalley.ca. To learn more about Enforcement Services, please visit our Enforcement Services page.

Please note that we only provide animal control for the Town of Drayton Valley – should you have an animal concern in Brazeau County, please contact Brazeau County Animal Control at 780-514-0372.

 

RESOURCES

For a full list of Animal Control resources in our area, click the link below!

Animal Rescue Contacts
New Pet Checklist

Drayton Valley