Chapter 349-5 of the Toronto Municipal Code sets limits on how many cats or dogs a person in the city can have in their home. The bylaw sets a limit of three (3) dogs per household. But many households in Toronto can humanely care for more than 3 dogs at the same time. That said, it is important for limits to be set on the number of animals that can be kept in one household to prevent incidences of animal hoarding. 

This petition requests that the Mayor and Councillors of Toronto’s City Council amend Chapter 349-5 to raise the maximum number of dogs that can be kept in one household from the current 3 to 4. 

One of Toronto’s neighbours, the City of Richmond Hill, currently has a limit of 4 dogs per household, and there is no evidence to suggest that this higher limit has led to significantly more animal hoarding than jurisdictions like Toronto that have a 3 dog limit. It should also be noted that landlords and condo boards in the city have the right the set their own limits on the number of dogs that can be kept in a dwelling unit, so a change to the limit set by the city would have no effect on them. 

Therefore, we the undersigned believe that raising the current limit on dogs per household in Toronto from 3 to 4 is reasonable and may even encourage more households to adopt dogs that are in need of homes.