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Township of
... __ / BILLINGS
EXOTIC ANIMAL BY-LAW
By-Law No. 2021-31
OFFICE CONSOLIDATION
The amending by-laws have been combined with the original by-law for convenience only. This
consolidation is not a legal document. Certified copies of the original by-laws should be consulted for
interpretations and applications of the by-laws on this subject. The by-law numbers referenced in this
consolidation refer to the by-laws that amended the principal by-law number 2021-31
April, 2023
0
By-Law No
Date
Details
2023-25
April 4, 2023
Section 1 Definition "Backyard
Chicken Permit"
Section 4.0 Exceptions for a
property within the residential and
shoreline residential zone with a
Backyard Chicken permit
"Schedule A" be amended to
conform with the Backyard Chicken
By-Law.
"Schedule C" be removed and
replaced with the current Zoning
Map for the Township of Billings
1
THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF BILLINGS
BY-LAW 2021-31
Being a By-Law to Regulate the Keeping and Feeding of Domestic Animals and Exotic Animals
or Wildlife Other Than Cats or Dogs
WHEREAS The Ontario Municipal Act 2001, c. 25 section 8 provides that a municipality interpret this Act
broadly so as to confer broad authority on the municipality to enable the municipality to govern its own
affairs as it considers appropriate and to enhance the municipality's ability to respond to municipal
issues; and
WHEREAS The Ontario Municipal Act 2001, c. 25 section 10 (2) (9) provides that a municipality may pass
By-Laws respecting matters including animals: and
WHEREAS The Ontario Municipal Act, 2001, c. 25 section 10 (2) (6) provides that a municipality may pass
By-Laws respecting the health, safety and well being of persons;
WHEREAS The Ontario Municipal Act 2001, c. 25 section 425 (1) provides that a municipality may pass
By-Laws providing that a person who contravenes a By-Law of the municipality passed under the Act is
guilty of an offence; and
WHEREAS The Ontario Municipal Act, 2001, c. 25 section 8 (3) provides that a municipality may pass By-
Laws providing for a system of licensing respecting matters.
WHEREAS The Council of the Township of Billings deems it desirable, for the health, safety and well
being of the public, to enact a By-Law to regulate the keeping of exotic animals and other domestic
animals, other than dogs, within the Township of Billings;
NOW THEREFORE THE COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF BILLINGS ENACTS AS
FOLLOWS:
1.0 Definitions
1.1''Animal'' means any non-human vertebrate or invertebrate, and includes but is not limited to
reptiles, arachnids, domestic animal including but not limited to canines and felines, domestic fowl, an
animal raised for commercial purposes, an animal kept for working purposes or for hobby purposes such
as breeding, showing or sporting, a household pet, an exotic animal, livestock, pigeons, wild animals and
birds, but excludes duck, geese, swans or other animals that naturally inhabit park areas, protected land
or open space.
1.2 ''Apiary' means a place where bees and bee keeping equipment are kept.
1.3 ''At Large'' means to be found in any place other than the premises of the owner of the animal and
not under the control of a person in such a manner as to prevent escape; except where the owner
permits the animal to be on his or her property.
1.4 '' Bee Keeping Equipment'' means hives, parts of hives and the utensils for keeping bees.
1.5 ''Bees'' means insects known as Apis Mellifera.
1.6 ''Cat'' means a male or female feline of any breed of domesticated cat or crossbreed of
domesticated cat.
1.7 ''Control'' means care and custody of an animal.
1.8 ''Council'' means the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Billings.
1.9 ''Coop'' means a fully enclosed weatherproof building where hens are kept and which includes nest
boxes, perches and food and water containers.
1.10 "Domestic Animal" means an animal that has been tamed to live with humans that are kept for
economic purposes such as meats, dairy products, wool, leather, or for working and sporting purposes.
Domestic Animals would include, but not be limited to horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, llamas or
alpacas.
2
1.11 ''Domestic Fowl'' means any feathered vertebrate animal living in or near the habitation of
humans and not being wild; shall include but not be limited to chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons
but shall not include, song birds or vertebrates commonly kept as domestic pets including domestic
cardinals, finches, budgies, bulbuls, canaries, tanagers, amazons, cockatoos, onures, macaws, lorikeets,
touracos, toucans, orioles, mynahs, magpies, barbets, ascaris, pied homebills or cock of the rocks.
1.12 ''Domestic Pet'' means a domestic animal, such as a dog or cat kept for pleasure rather than utility
purposes.
1.13 "Dwelling" "means a Building or structure or part of a Building or structure, occupied or capable of
being occupied in whole or in part for the purpose of human habitation.
1.14 ''Endangered Species'' means an animal or plant existing in such small numbers that they are in
danger of becoming extinct from either natural or human causes.
1.15 ''Escape Proof Enclosure''
1.16 "Feed or Feeding" means the intentional act of giving, exposing, depositing, distributing or
scattering any edible material with the intention of feeding, attracting or enticing any animal but does
not include baiting during in any legal activities or in any attempt to confine any dog, cat or animal for
the purpose of causing it to be impounded.
1.17 ''Feral Cat'' means a cat found in the township that has no owner, is not socialized and is extremely
fearful or resistant to humans.
1.18 ''Hen'' means a domesticated female chicken that is at least 4 months old.
1.19 ''Hen Run'' means an enclosure that allows hens to access the outdoors.
1.20 ''Keeps' means to own, keep, harbour, maintain or feed an animal.
1.21 ''License'' means a license issued by the Township, for a fee, to own, harbour or possess an exotic
animal identified in schedule ''A''.
1.22 ''Officer'' means on officer of the OPP or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal or an
Animal Control Officer or By-Law Enforcement Officer appointed by the Council to enforce By-Laws.
1.23 ''Owner'' means any person who keeps, possesses, harbours an animal or allows the animal to
remain on their premises, and for the purpose of this By-Law shall include any person who fosters an
animal from a recognized animal shelter or rescue; and where the owner is a minor, the person
responsible for the custody of the minor and ''owns'' has a corresponding meaning.
1.24 ''Pet'' means a domestic animal kept for pleasure rather than utility purposes.
1.25 ''Physically Disabled Person'' means a person with any degree of any mental disability or physical
disability, infirmity, malformation, or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness
and, without limiting the generality of the forgoing, includes brain injury, paralysis, amputation, lack of
physical coordination, blindness, visual impediment or any other condition that is medically diagnosed
by a physician.
1.26 ''Premises'' means the entire lot on which a single dwelling unit building or multi-dwelling unit
building is situated.
1.27 ''Public Property'' means all lands owned by the Township, any local boards, any corporations
owned or controlled by the Township and includes all Crown lands.
1.28 ''Recognized Animal Shelter or Rescue'' means a not-for-profit or charitable organization, whose
mandate and practices are predominantly the rescue and placement of animals and facilitating the
spaying or neutering of animals or for animal welfare purposes.
1.29 ''Therapy Animal'' means an animal that is recognized by a physician, that provides a therapeutic
or comfort value, or emotional support to the physically disabled owner of the animal.
1.30 ''Township'' means the Corporation of the Township of Billings.
1.31 ''Wildlife'' means any animal which is wild by nature and not normally domesticated.
1.32 "Backyard Chicken Permit" means a permit that is issued by the Township that allows the permit
holder to raise Backyard Chickens at the address identified on the Permit. (By-Law No. 2023-25)
3
2.0 Prohibitions
2.1 No person shall own, harbour, possess, Keep, sell or offer to sell any Animal listed in Schedule ''A'',
as a Pet or for any other purpose or for any period of time:
2.1.1 Unless the identified type of animal that is being kept (as per Schedule 1) is kept at a permanent
residence of the Pet Owner that is located in an area that is zoned as Rural or Agricultural as identified in
the Township of Billings Township Zoning By-Law.
2.2 No person shall intentionally feed, cause to be fed or provide or make available food, attractants or
other similar substances for the consumption by wildlife on Township property.
3.0 Additional Conditions
3.1Any Owner who keeps, harbours, owns or possesses the following Animals shall comply by the
following conditions:
3.1.1 Bees
a) Any Owner Keeping Bees within in the Township shall register with the Provincial Apiarist and abide
by the Ontario Bees Act R.R.O 1990, Regulation 57 and R.S.O 1990, Chapter B.6.
3.1.2 Household Birds
a) Any Owner shall keep household birds housed and in Escape-proof Enclosures.
3.1.3 Horses, Domestic Fowl, Cattle, Goats, Swine, Mink, Sheep and Mules.
a) No owner shall keep horses, Domestic Fowl, cattle, bison, goats, swine, mink, sheep, mules or similar
livestock within the Township, unless the property is designated as Rural or Agricultural by the Township
of Billings Zoning By-Law.
3.1.4 Rabbits
a) Any Owner of rabbit(s) will be allowed to keep a maximum of 2 rabbits in a Dwelling.
b) Any Owner of rabbit(s) shall ensure that rabbit(s) are kept in escape-proof enclosures when outside.
4.0 Exceptions
4.1 Section 2.1 shall not apply to the following:
4.1.1Premises operated by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
4.1.2 A veterinary hospital under the control of a licensed veterinarian.
4.1.3 Any person holding a license under any statute of the Legislature of Ontario or the Government of
Canada, which permits the keeping of animals, identified in Schedule ''A'', under stated conditions.
4.1.4 Any Animal being displayed or exhibited for a set period of time in a Township sanctioned event
which is operated in accordance with all of the Township By-Laws.
4.1.5 Any professional film production company producing a film in the Township.
4.1.6. A person holding a backyard chicken permit for a property within the residential and shoreline
residential zone as identified in the Township of Billings Zoning By-Law.
5.0 Enforcement
5.1Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of this By-Law is guilty of an
offence and upon conviction is liable to a set fine as provided by the Provincial Offences Act R.S.O. 1990,
chapter P. 33. As amended. (See Schedule ''B'')
5.2 No person shall hinder or obstruct or attempt to hinder or obstruct an Officer who is exercising a
power or performing a duty under this By-Law.
4
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6.0 Severability
6.1 If any provision of this By-Law is declared by any court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be
illegal or inoperative, in whole or in part in particular circumstances, the balance of the BY-Law or its
application in other circumstances, shall not be affected and shall continue in full force and effect.
7.0 Administration
7.1This By-Law will come into effect upon the date that the By-Law is passed and enacted.
7.2 This By-Law shall be referred to as the Domestic Animal and Exotic Animal By-Law.
7.3 This By-Law shall repeal Billings Township By-Law 2015-03
READ FOR THE FIRST This 19th day of July, 2021
SECOND AND THIRD TIME AND ENACTED THIS 3rd DAY OF AUGUST, 2021
Original Signed by Ian Anderson
Original Signed by Kathy McDonald
MAYOR
CLERK
5
SCHEDULE ''A''
CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF BILLINGS
BY-LAW 2021-31
BEING A BY-LAW TO REGULATE THE KEEPING OF EXOTIC ANIMALS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS
OTHER THAN DOGS OR CATS
No person shall Own, Keep, harbour possess, sell or offer for sale any Animal listed below as a pet or
for any other purpose or for any period of time.
a) All non human primates i.e., gorillas, monkeys, gibbons etc.;
b) All felids, except the domestic cat;
c) All canids, except the domestic dog;
d) All artiodactylous including goats, sheep, cattle, bison, llamas and alpaca except in areas
identified in the Township of Billings Zoning By-Law as being Rural or as Agriculture.
e) All Domestic Fowl means any feathered vertebrate animal living in or near the habitation of
humans and not being wild; shall include but not be limited to chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys,
pigeons except in areas identified in the Township of Billings Zoning By-Law as being Rural or
Agricultural or an owner or occupant of a property within the residential and shoreline
residential zones with a current backyard chicken permit.
f) All mustelids, including but not limited to skunks, weasels, otters, badgers etc., but not
including the domestic ferret;
g) All marsupials including but not limited kangaroos and opossums;
h) All bats;
i)
All ursids i.e., bears;
j)
All hyenas
k) All snapping turtles;
l)
All elephants;
m) All snakes of the families of Pythonidae or boaidae;
n) All poisonous or venomous snakes;
o) All poisonous or venomous arachnids including but not limited to spiders;
p) All crocodilians including but not limited alligators or crocodiles;
q) All poisonous or venomous lizards; or
r) Any endangered species as defined by the Canadian Wildlife Service.
6
SCHEDULE ''B''
CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF BILLINGS
BY-LAW 2021-31
BEING A BY-LAW TO REGULATE THE KEEPING OF EXOTIC ANIMALS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS
OTHER THAN DOGS OR CATS
SET FINES SCHEDULE
PROVINCIAL OFFENCES ACT
PART 1
ITEM
SHORT FORM WORDING
PROVISION CREATING OR DEFINING OFFENCE
SET FINE
1
Did keep a prohibited exotic pet
2.1
$500.00
Did feed wildlife on Township
Property.
2.2
$250.00
2
Failure to follow identified set
conditions
3.1
$500.00
3
Hinder or obstruct an officer
5.2
$500.00
4
Attempt to hinder or obstruct an
officer
5.2
$500.00
Note: The penalty provision for the offences indicated above is section 5.1 of this By-Law 2021-31 of which a
certified copy has been filed.
7
Townsh ip of Billings
Zon ing By-law
No. 2022~7
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SCHEDULE "C"
CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF BILLINGS
BY-LAW 2021-31
BEING A BY-LAW TO REGULATE THE KEEPING OF EXOTIC ANIMALS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS
OTHER THAN DOGS OR CATS
ZONING MAP '
8