Minden Hills council, at its Oct. 30 meeting, was asked to work with Paws at Killara Station and Snowflake Meadows for dog control services in the township.
Owner of Paws at Killara Station, Susan Peel, made the pitch. She noted they provide a similar service to the Township of Algonquin Highlands.
“Minden Hills faces a growing challenge in managing stray, lost, and abandoned dogs. With the township’s population increasing, so too are reports of animals found wandering, neglected, or surrendered,” Peel said.
She added that now the burden of care falls almost entirely on volunteers and rescues without formal municipal support. In 2024, Snowflake Meadows spent more than $107,000 on veterinary care for more than 200 animals across Ontario, including about 60 from Minden Hills, she added.
Peel said their proposal would provide the township with “a clear, low-cost, and sustainable solution.”
Essentially, Paws would serve as the official pound intake, working to reunite lost dogs with owners through social media and microchip scanning. Snowflake Meadows would provide spay and neuter, veterinary care, and adoption services for unclaimed or surrendered dogs. Peel said both are insured, reducing the township’s liability and administration would be minimized, as the rescues would operate a lost and found dog portal which the township could link to.
She asked council to approve service agreements, educate the community about the process for reporting and handling lost and stray dogs, and provide bylaw support when needed.
Peel said at the moment, there is no clear reporting process for residents or staff; the OPP and vets redirect cases inconsistently; volunteers and rescues are covering the costs; and the township carries risk and responsibility without a structured solution.
Peel estimated a maximum annual budget of $25,000, basing that on $300 per month to Paws, and $380 per unclaimed dog for Snowflake.
“Many Ontario municipalities already rely on pound–rescue partnerships rather than operating their own facilities,” she said.
Deputy mayor Lisa Schell said it’s been 10 years since Peel came to council with a similar pitch in 2015 and the problem has only gotten worse. Coun. Pam Sayne said she and Coun. Shirley Johannessen met with Paws and Snowflake Meadows as it was an “ongoing and growing problem. We need to get something going.”
Coun. Ivan Ingram said it was a great idea, but felt the township needed to reintroduce dog tags. Peel said that could work with lifetime licensing and mandatory microchipping in the township’s dog bylaw.
Mayor Bob Carter said he’d like to know the status of the township’s existing bylaw before proceeding. He wanted clarity on the nature of the role between the municipality and Paws and Snowflake and how that looks in other townships.
Council has asked for a staff report and will discuss the pitch further then.
