By-Law Enforcement & Animal Control

All bylaw enforcement within the Township of Stone Mills is conducted on a complaint-driven basis.  Complaints must be submitted in writing and the person submitting the complaint must be readily identifiable by the Township of Stone Mills.

A family laying in a field with their dog

Complaints 

All by-law enforcement within the Township of Stone Mills is conducted on a complaint driven basis.  Complaints must be submitted in writing and the person submitting the complaint must be readily identifiable by the Township of Stone Mills.  The names of persons submitting a complaint will be held in confidence, except in those instances where enforcement requires the complainant to make a statement or appear in court in respect to the said complaint.  Anonymous  submissions do not constitute a written complaint. Download the By-Law Complaint Form and submit to contact@stonemills.com 

Administrative Monetary Penalties

On July 17, 2023, Council approved the use of Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) to more effectively address nuisance behaviours across the municipality. The use of AMPs was introduced in an attempt to reduce staffing resource requirements and yield improved compliance given the ability to issue monetary penalty to long-standing neglect.    

Authorized under Section 434.1 of the Municipal Act, the AMP process means that fines to a variety of Township By-laws can be issued and resolved in a timely manner, reducing the number of minor violations processed through the Provincial Offences Court system.

To view the Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) By-law and By-laws designated with AMPs please view below: 

Contracted Services

By-law enforcement within the Township of Stone Mills is contracted to Frontenac Municipal Law Enforcement Inc.  This is a privately owned and operated corporation that has been providing Eastern Ontario with animal control and bylaw enforcement services for over 25 years. This contractor provides extensive experience with a high rate of successful prosecutions under both Provincial Offences Court as well as Superior Court.  All senior officers are highly trained and possess valid Firearms Acquisition Certificates (FAC), (PAL). Other uniformed officers are trained in bylaw enforcement and animal control enforcement under the strict supervision of senior officers. With 7 officers available and a 24 hour telephone answering service to pagers and cellular phones and by providing regular patrols the contractor guarantees prompt attention to all calls and concerns.  All contractor vehicles are equipped with the necessary gear to tackle all situations that could arise in the course of providing this service to the Township of Stone Mills.

Bylaws

Those bylaws that are commonly requested can be found in the Document Centre of the Civic Web Portal.  These bylaws are listed in accordance with their primary function.  If you encounter difficulties in locating a specific by-law, or if the bylaw is not listed, please contact the Stone Mills Municipal Office.

Property Standards

As of July 1, 2018, municipalities have been delegated responsibility for property standards issues as they relate to residential tenancy situations.  This delegation, however, is limited to matters relating to the care and maintenance of a property that is the subject of a residential tenancy.  This delegation does not include any responsibility as it might relate to payments or non-payments of rents or orders to vacate a property.  For these issues, tenants must contact the Landlord and Tenant Board at  1-888-332-3234.

Firearms

What you need to know before hunting in Ontario. The Township of Stone Mills does not have a specific By-law to regulate the use of firearms. Please refer to the Government of Ontario website for general rules and regulations for firearm use.

Responsible Pet Ownership

A position paper has been developed in consultation with local residents who expressed concerns to Council respecting responsible pet ownership and particularly in respect to the keeping of dogs tethered outside within the Township.  This complex issue involves multiple parties and most often with very different points of view.  The position identified on the page, "Responsible Pet Ownership" attempts to address some of the concerns that were raised, while recognizing the long-standing tradition of the keeping of working dogs.

Backyard Hen By-law

On August 10th, 2020, Council adopted a By-law 2020-1021 being a By-law for the Licensing and Control of Backyard Hens. Contained within this By-law are the provisions and regulations pertaining to the keeping of hens and coop regulations. To view By-Law 2020-1021 please click here.

Animal Control Infractions

Persons wishing to submit a dog or other domestic animal complaint, are recommended to contact Frontenac Law Enforcement directly.  Often these situations are for a brief period of time and if an animal is causing a nuisance to neighbours, direct contact with Frontenac Law Enforcement provides the most timely response and remedy to the situation.  Additionally, domestic animals at large are at risk of being hurt should they wander onto a well-traveled road and can impose a risk to motorists.

Frontenac Municipal Law Enforcement can be reached by calling their 24-7 answering service at 613 541 3213.  

Dog Licensing

Bylaw 2010-532 restricts dogs from running at large, that dogs shall be under the control of the owner at all times when in a public location, and requires dogs to be licensed and affixed with dog tags.   Persons who have a complaint respecting dogs should call the answering service for Frontenac Municipal Law Enforcement to ensure a prompt response to your complaint.

Licenses are available from the Township commencing the first day of operation in each new year.  Additionally, for the convenience of residents, a dog license may be acquired from the following businesses located across the Township. 

  • Fast Freddy's, 2068 County Road 1 & Main St., Newburgh
  • Kingston Humane Society, 1 Binnington Court, Kingston
  • McCormick’s Country Store, 2561 County Road 1, Camden East
  • Stone Mills Municipal Office, 4504 County Road 4 Centreville
  • Tamworth Hardware, 2 Concession Street, Tamworth
  • Yarker Lucky Dollar, 4255 County Road 6, Yarker

Additional information respecting dog licensing is available at the following links:

Dog Retrieval

Dogs found running at large or for any reason that requires the impounding of the dog, will be taken to the Kingston Humane Society located at 1 Binnington Court, Kingston Ontario, K7M 8M9.  The Kingston Humane Society can be reached by calling 613 546 1291 or by fax at 613 546 3398. 

Fees will be applied for impounding, boarding, and such other costs applicable to the specific situation.  These fees must be paid at the time the dog is retrieved from the Kingston Humane Society.  For additional information, please see the Kingston Humane Society Website.

Kennels

The development of a dog kennel is subject to the regulatory controls of Bylaw 2010-532 as well as zoning restrictions found in Zoning Bylaw 2014-744.

The Zoning Bylaw defines a "Kennel" as a place or confine where five (5) or more dogs are kept, bred or raised for any reason. Bylaw 2014-744 restricts the development of a dog kennel to lands that are zoned either Rural (RU) or Prime Agriculture (PA).  Other dog kennel restrictions include:

  1. No kennel or kennel structure shall be located within 150 m of any lot line on which the kennel or kennel structure is located.
  2. The measurement in paragraph (i) shall be taken as the shortest horizontal distance between the kennel or kennel structure and the nearest lot line.
  3. All zone requirements of this By-law shall apply to the establishment of kennels and kennel structures.
  4. Kennels and kennel structures shall be restricted to locations in a side yard or rear yard.
  5. A kennel or kennel structure shall not be located in the same building as a dwelling unit nor shall be classified as a home occupation or a home industry.
  6. A dog run shall be fully enclosed on the top and sides unless the height of the enclosure exceeds 1.5 m

The operation of a kennel is subject to the issuance of an annual kennel license.  To obtain a license, the premises must be inspected by Frontenac Municipal Law Enforcement under authority of the Township.  This inspection ensures continued compliance with the applicable bylaws of the Township for the operation of a kennel. Kennel License Application Form

Between January 1 and March 31, the kennel license fee is $125.00.  After March 31 the kennel license fee is $250.00.

Drainage Issues

The flow of surface water or natural watercourses is not a matter that is regulated by Municipal Bylaw.  Issues arising from the flow of water must be resolved by the Courts as the decisions are based upon Common Law.  The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has published a Fact Sheet on this matter and persons experiencing this issue should consult this fact sheet or seek advice from their legal counsel.