Lost pet help in Windsor, Ontario

Who to call first in Windsor

Pickup and bylaw enforcement
City of Windsor By-law Enforcement on 311 for dogs at large, or the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society for a stray dog found in the community, 519-966-5751
Where a picked-up animal is held
Windsor/Essex County Humane Society — a stray dog from Windsor is held here for its stray hold, 519-966-5751

A hybrid the City spells out on its own "Who to Call and When" page: by-law enforcement is the City’s, while animal care, sheltering and stray-dog response are contracted to the Humane Society, which states plainly that it is not a government organisation.

Dogs and cats are not always the same answer. The sharpest split in Ontario. Dogs: animal control is offered 24 hours a day; a stray dog can be dropped at the Humane Society or collected by an officer, and is held there for its stray hold. Cats: there is NO by-law against a cat roaming at large in Windsor, so healthy stray cats that do not appear lost or abandoned are not picked up — you may bring one in free of charge, and the City contracts the Humane Society to collect only sick or injured cats, 24 hours a day in life-threatening situations. Rabbits follow the cat rule.

Out of hours. Dog animal control runs 24 hours a day, and sick or injured cat, rabbit and wildlife pickup is contracted 24 hours a day in life-threatening situations. The Humane Society is open daily 8am–6pm.

Checked against the City of Windsor’s own "Who to Call and When" page on 4 October 2026 — read it yourself. Services and contracts change — confirm before you travel.

One organisation in this directory names Windsor in the area it covers: Windsor/Essex County Humane Society.

That is shelters and humane societies.

Further down the page, two organisations cover Ontario as a whole and five work Canada-wide.

Opening hours, intake practices and how each organisation wants to hear from you are set by that organisation, not by this directory — check its own page or call before you travel.

In Windsor 1

These organisations name Windsor in the area they cover.

Covering all of Ontario 2

Canada-wide 5

Registries and national bodies that work anywhere in the country.

Emergency vets in Windsor 1

Veterinary hospitals and clinics in Windsor that run their own emergency service.

Emergency capacity and availability change — phone before travelling.

All emergency vets in Canada

Your next step

Phoning round is one part of a search. The checklist puts every step in order, from the first hour through to week two.

Work the lost pet checklist Make a lost pet poster Read the step-by-step guides

Back to the whole directory

If your pet is missing right now

Skip the background reading. The checklist puts every step in order, from the first hour through to week two, and saves your place as you tick items off.

Open the checklistAll guides