Lost and Found Pets

If you've lost your dog or found a stray dog, report it to the Municipal Law Enforcement Office right away by calling 705-324-9411 extension 1212 during regular business hours. If you need assistance outside of regular business hours, call 705-928-3054 and leave a message with your name, address and phone number as well as a brief description of the issue.

We currently use numerous facilities for municipal pound/kennel services. If you have lost your dog or are in possession of a found dog, please contact Municipal Law Enforcement directly to assist. Stray dogs are held for as long as three days, giving owners time to come forward before the dog is adopted out to a new home or sent to a rescue service.

To help reunite lost dogs with their owners, we share information about all dogs found by our Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing division on the City of Kawartha Lakes Facebook page. Lost pets shared by residents through the municipality's Facebook page will not be shared on our page.

For more information about the process, view our Lost and Found Animal section.

Please note, Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing Officers will not investigate anonymous complaints.

Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing:

• Regular Business Hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm): 705-324-9411 extension 1212
• After 4:30pm, or on weekends/holidays: 705-928-3054

Please note that phone calls may require the caller to leave a message. Messages will be returned as soon as staff time permits.

Lost and Found Animals

The Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing (MLEL) division is responsible for Animal Services at the City of Kawartha Lakes. The MLEL team consists of animal lovers that do everything in their power to return found domestic dogs to their owners.

What should I do if I've lost or found a domestic dog?  

If you've lost or found a domestic dog, please report it to the Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing office:

During regular business hours Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, call:

• 705-324-9411 extension 1212

Outside of regular business hours, call the after-hours line and leave a message:

• 705-928-3054

Please include the following information in your message:

• Your name
• Your phone number
• Your address
• A brief description of the animal and/or situation

What happens when the found dog is in MLEL's possession?

When lost or found dogs are brought to or picked up by the Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing division, they are housed at the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes for as long as three days to give owners time to come forward to claim the dog.

If the dog isn't claimed by its owner during the holding period, it may be surrendered to the HSKL or similar adoption/rescue agency where they will work to get the animal adopted out to a new home.

What happens to domestic dogs that don’t get surrendered to a pound/adoption agency/foster/rescue?

The municipality does not have the capacity or funds to provide long-term ownership and/or care to lost or found dogs. In some instances, a dog will be held for an extended period of time beyond the mandated three days. If residents become aware of a dog that is being cared for in the municipal pound and have interest in adoption, they may contact MLEL to indicate their interest. On rare occasions, and always at the discretion of a veterinarian, an animal may be euthanized if long-term care and accommodations are not possible.

Can residents adopt directly from MLEL?

Adoptions are generally completed using a third party organization. If residents become aware of a dog that is being cared for in the municipal pound and they have interest in adoption, they may contact MLEL to indicate their interest.

What do we do to help reunite found dogs with their owners?

To help reunite lost domestic dogs with their owners, Kawartha Lakes shares information about the found dog on the Kawartha Lakes Facebook page.

The information shared on the Facebook post is meant to alert the public of the missing dog and give them the opportunity to like and share the post to help spread the word around the community. Our goal is to alert the dog owner of where their pet is and how they can recover it.

After the holding period, Found Dog Facebook Posts are updated in one of two ways:

• For dogs that have been reunited with their owner’s, the original post will be updated to say:
  •  “UPDATE: This dog has been claimed by its owner, thank you for sharing!”

• For dogs that have not been claimed by an owner, the original post will be updated to say:
  • “UPDATE: This dog has been surrendered to the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes” (or similar organization).

Please note that the municipality’s Facebook page is monitored during regular business hours only, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, by the Communications division.

The MLEL does not actively monitor the Facebook posts. Residents with questions or feedback relating to a found dog post are encouraged to contact MLEL directly via the contact information in the Facebook post (listed in the “What should I do” section above).

What happens once a dog is surrendered to a rescue or adoption agency?

Once the animal has been surrendered to a rescue or adoption agency, it is no longer in the City of Kawartha Lakes’ care. Residents are asked to reach out to MLEL directly for additional information or to express their interest in adopting or fostering the dog:

Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing:

• Regular Business Hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm): 705-324-9411 extension 1212
• After 4:30pm, or on weekends/holidays: 705-928-3054

Please note that phone calls may require the caller to leave a message. Messages will be returned as soon as staff time permits.