Sturgeon County Animal Control is here to respond to animal-related complaints and ensure bylaws are followed.
This includes the following:
- regulating the keeping of poultry or fowl, including urban hens
- identifying the number of animals allowed and where they can be kept
- enforcing Sturgeon County’s Animal Control Bylaw and Dog Control Bylaw
Submitting an animal-related concern or complaint
Bylaw officers are available to discuss your concerns. Call Animal Control at 780-939-8419 during business hours (Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). After-hours calls can be directed to 780-939-4321 and will be handled through an answering service. Animals in distress or animal welfare issues should be directed to the Alberta SPCA at 1-800-455-9003. For emergencies, call 911.
Responsible Pet Ownership
Many Sturgeon County residents have a furry family member. Sturgeon County encourages all pet owners to be responsible and familiarize themselves with the: Animal Control Bylaw and Dog Control Bylaw.
As a general guideline, being a responsible pet owner includes:
- Having a valid dog licence
- Providing proper identification for your dog
- Ensure your dog is microchipped and that contact information is kept up-to-date
- Ensure your dog wears a collar/harness with their dog licence attached and/or a tag with your contact information
- Spaying and neutering companion pets
- Keeping your pet safe in all weather
- Knowing how to report a lost animal
- Ensuring your pet is on a leash in public spaces
- Picking up after your animal
Dogs
Found Dogs
Sturgeon County’s animal control officer makes every effort to identify dogs using tags on their collar, microchip, or tattoos. If the dog cannot be identified, it is brought to the Edmonton Humane Society.
Edmonton Humane Society
Phone: 780-471-1774
13620 163 St. NW, Edmonton, Alberta
Dog Ownership
Our Dog Control Bylaw details important rules about dog ownership.
- Sturgeon County dog owners in all multi-lot subdivisions, hamlets and Canadian Forces Base Edmonton must purchase a dog licence and renew that licence each year.
- Licence tags must be worn by the licenced dog whenever it is off the owner’s property.
- Generally, no person should have more than three dogs.
- Owners must pick up after their dogs.
- This must be done immediately if a dog defecates on public property or on someone else’s private property.
- On the owner’s property, the waste must be removed promptly so it does not cause an excessive odour.
- Dogs must not cause damage to public or private property.
Vicious Dogs
Our Dog Control Bylaw sets strict guidelines for owners of dogs that are deemed vicious. These guidelines include mandatory confinement, control, signage, and licensing.
Under the bylaw, vicious dogs are defined as any dog that has:
- without provocation, chased, injured, or bitten any human, domestic animal, or livestock
- without provocation, damaged or destroyed any public or private property
- without provocation, threatened or created the reasonable apprehension of threat to another human, domestic animal, or livestock
Owners of a vicious dog are required to pay a $1,000 annual licensing fee and could face fines ranging from $500 to $2,500 for various offences.
Nuisance Dogs
Dog owners can be fined for allowing their dog to be a nuisance. Under the Dog Control Bylaw, a nuisance dog:
- howls or barks excessively
- bites, attempts to bite, barks at, or chases any person, domestic animal, or livestock
- does any other act that causes harm, damage, or injury to a person, animal, or livestock
Fines under this section range from $300 to $1,000.
Keeping Other Animals
Our Animal Control Bylaw details important rules about animal ownership.
Chickens (Hens & Roosters)
- Hen keepers must keep at least three hens and not more than six hens per site.
- Residents are not allowed to keep a rooster.
- Hen keepers must register their flocks into the provincial database and report the PID number to Sturgeon County.
- Each urban hen must be kept in the coop; hens cannot be at large.
- Coops must be built to provincial standards and meet all requirements for accessory buildings under the Land Use Bylaw.
- Coops must be maintained in good repair and sanitary condition, free from vermin and noxious or offensive smells and substance.
- Egg production is for self-consumption; you cannot sell the eggs.
