Animal Protection Services and Cruelty Investigations

Animal Protection Services investigates public complaints of animals abuse, cruelty and any concerns regarding the care of any animal within the City of Hamilton and the City of Burlington.

The Hamilton\Burlington SPCA is an affiliate of the Ontario SPCA, which is governed by the Ontario SPCA Act. Our Inspectors and Agents are appointed under the Ontario SPCA Act and have the authority of a police officer while enforcing the laws of Ontario which pertain to animal cruelty.

Inspectors and Agents relieve animals from distress by making recommendations to the owner of the animal. The inspectors and agents may also issue OSPCA Orders for the owner to take action to relieve distress and, if necessary, they have the power to remove an animal from the owner in order to relieve distress, under certain circumstances.

In cases of cruelty or neglect, our officers can and do lay criminal charges against the accused person(s). There are several forms of abuse we investigate on a daily basis:

Lack of Food, Water and Shelter
By law, an owner must provide his animal with adequate food, water and shelter.

Failure to Provide Care
If an animal needs veterinary attention, it must be provided.

Neglected Animals

• Abandonment
• Dirty conditions: An animal should not be forced to stand or lie in its own excrement.
• Short lead length: If a dog is kept tied it should have enough room to move freely. We investigate any report of animals left unattended in vehicles.

Abused Animals

• We investigate all reports of people physically abusing their animals.
• If you have a complaint of animal cruelty, please contact us at 905-574-7722 ext. 401 or email animalprotection@hamiltonspca