Found a pet: can you keep it?
The short answer is no, not right away. Pets are property in Canadian law, so a found animal is never “finders keepers”. Here is what a finder has to do, how long shelters hold strays in each province and major city, and when a found pet can legally become yours.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Hold periods and reporting rules are set by municipal bylaws that change; the figures below were checked against the statutes, bylaws, and official pages linked at the end, in September 2026. When in doubt, call your city.
The rule everywhere: a lost pet still belongs to its owner
Across Canada a dog or cat is legally property (Quebec adds that animals are sentient beings, but keeps the property rules). Losing a pet does not end ownership. The Criminal Code (section 322) says a person commits theft who, without a “colour of right”, converts anyone else’s property to their own use, animate or not, and that it is theft even when done openly. In plain terms:
- A finder who makes a genuine effort to find the owner (reports the animal, posts it, has it scanned for a microchip, hands it to the pound or a shelter) is acting in good faith and has nothing to fear.
- A finder who quietly keeps a pet they know has an owner has no colour of right. That exposes them to a theft complaint and to a civil claim for the animal’s return.
- There is no federal “found property” law for pets. What you must actually do is set by your municipal animal-control bylaw, and in Quebec by the Civil Code.
What a finder must do
- Report it to your municipality (311 in most cities) or to the organisation that runs animal control for it. Every city page on Lost.ca lists who that is, for example Toronto, Calgary, or Montreal. Reporting starts the clock on the hold period and is your proof of good faith.
- Have the animal scanned for a microchip at any vet clinic or shelter, free of charge.
- Post a sighting with a photo and location. Post it on Lost.ca in thirty seconds; it reaches owners searching their city and shelters comparing intakes.
- Decide where the animal waits. Some municipalities let a finder hold the animal at home while the report is on file; others require it to go to the pound so the owner has one place to look. Ask when you call. In Vancouver, for instance, a finder who keeps a found animal for 30 days must licence it as a newly acquired pet.
Our guide on what to do when you find a stray covers the practical side: approaching a scared animal, and whether to take it home at all.
How long shelters and pounds hold a stray
The “stray hold” or redemption period is the window in which the owner can reclaim the animal by paying impound and boarding fees. After it ends, the animal becomes the pound’s or shelter’s property and can be adopted out. It runs at the pound, not in your living room.
| Place | Hold period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario (provincial minimum) | 3 days, not counting the day of impounding or holidays | Animals for Research Act, s. 20 |
| Toronto | Dogs 5 days, cats 3 days | Municipal Code ch. 349 |
| Ottawa | Dogs 3 days | By-law 2003-77 |
| Montreal | 24 hours if the owner is unknown; 72 hours after a known owner is notified | Montreal SPCA, city by-law 21-012 |
| Calgary | 10 days with ID, 4 days without | City of Calgary |
| Edmonton | 10 business days with ID, 3 without | City of Edmonton |
| Winnipeg | Licensed dogs 10 days, all other dogs 3 days | City of Winnipeg |
| Saskatoon | At least 72 hours, not counting the day of impounding | Bylaw 7860, s. 18 |
| Regina | At least 72 hours from intake | Regina Humane Society |
| Halifax | Dogs without ID 3 business days, then to the SPCA redemption centre | By-law A-700 |
| St. John’s | At least 5 days | Animal Control Regulations, s. 6 |
| Charlottetown | 120 hours (5 days) | Dog Control Bylaw, s. 5.5 |
| Yellowknife | 5 days | City of Yellowknife |
Cities not listed set their own periods by bylaw, typically three to five days. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Atlantic provinces leave it entirely to municipalities.
Province by province
Ontario
The Animals for Research Act sets the floor for every pound in the province: a redemption period of at least three days, not counting the day of impounding or holidays, during which the pound must take reasonable steps to find the owner. Municipalities may set longer periods, and Toronto does for dogs (five days). After the period the pound may return, adopt out, or otherwise dispose of the animal. Animal welfare is covered by the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019. There is no provincial duty on a private finder to report, but city bylaws and the theft rule above apply, and Toronto asks finders to call 311 right away.
Quebec
Quebec is the one province with a finder’s duty written into provincial law. Under articles 939 to 946 of the Civil Code, a lost thing (animals included) continues to belong to its owner; the finder must try to find the owner and return it; and a finder who wants to eventually own it must declare the find to a peace officer, the municipality, or the person in charge of the place where it was found. The finder may then keep the animal as its holder, but the owner can reclaim it, on paying the costs of its care, for as long as ownership is not prescribed, which for movables is three years. In Montreal, Proanima handles lost and found animals for every borough; the Montreal SPCA notes a stray is held 24 hours if the owner is unknown and 72 hours after a known owner is notified. Animal welfare is governed by the Animal Welfare and Safety Act.
British Columbia
No provincial statute governs found pets; the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act covers welfare, and animal control is municipal. Hold periods therefore vary by city, so check your municipality. Vancouver’s Animal Control By-law requires a finder who keeps a found animal for 30 days to licence it as a newly acquired animal, and the city shelter does not take cats, which go to the BC SPCA.
Alberta
Welfare falls under the Animal Protection Act; found pets fall under city bylaws. Calgary holds impounded cats and dogs ten days with identification (tag, tattoo, or microchip) and four without; Edmonton holds ten business days with identification and three without, then transfers animals to the Edmonton Humane Society or rescues. In both cities, animals found inside city limits go to the municipal centre, not the humane society.
Saskatchewan
Saskatoon’s Animal Control Bylaw holds impounded cats and dogs at least 72 hours, not counting the day of impounding or holidays, and requires the owner of a licensed animal to be notified at once. Regina’s bylaw sets a minimum of 72 hours from intake at the Regina Humane Society, which acts as the city pound. Animals seized under the provincial Animal Protection Act, 2018 are held at least five business days.
Manitoba
Winnipeg’s Animal Services holds dogs wearing a valid licence for ten days and all other dogs for three, after which they become the property of the city. Found cats go to the Winnipeg Humane Society. Welfare is governed by the Animal Care Act.
Atlantic provinces
Nova Scotia: Halifax holds a dog without identification for three business days before it passes to the SPCA-run redemption centre for rehoming. Newfoundland and Labrador: St. John’s animal control regulations keep impounded animals at least five days, after which they become city property. Prince Edward Island: Charlottetown’s bylaw lets an unclaimed dog be sold after 120 hours. New Brunswick: in rural areas covered by the provincial dog control regulation the hold can be as short as 48 to 72 hours; cities such as Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John set their own.
The territories
Yukon replaced its Dog Act and Pounds Act with the Animal Protection and Control Act in 2024; Whitehorse has its own animal control bylaw. In the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife’s impound contractor holds dogs five days before transfer to the SPCA. Iqaluit shortened its hold on loose dogs to as little as 24 hours (72 on weekends and holidays), so in Nunavut report a found dog the same day.
So when can you keep it?
- In the common-law provinces and territories: by going through the pound or shelter. Once the hold period ends, the animal is the shelter’s to adopt out, and the person who found it is usually welcome to apply. Many shelters will note your interest when you bring the animal in.
- In Quebec: by declaring the find as the Civil Code requires and keeping the animal as its holder, knowing the owner can still reclaim it for up to three years.
- Never: by simply not telling anyone. That is the one path that can turn a kind act into a theft complaint.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to keep a dog or cat I found?
It can be. Animals are legal property in Canada, and the Criminal Code makes it theft to convert someone else’s property to your own use without a colour of right. A finder who makes a genuine effort to find the owner (reporting the animal to the municipality or shelter, posting it, having it scanned for a microchip) is acting in good faith. A finder who quietly keeps a pet they know has an owner is not.
How long do pounds and shelters hold a stray before it can be adopted?
Usually three to ten days, set by your municipality. Ontario law sets a minimum of three days for pounds; Toronto holds dogs five days and cats three. Calgary holds ten days with ID and four without; Edmonton ten business days with ID and three without; Winnipeg ten days for licensed dogs and three for the rest; Saskatoon and Regina at least 72 hours; St. John’s and Charlottetown five days. Montreal is the shortest at 24 hours when the owner is unknown.
Do I have to report a cat I found?
In Quebec, yes: the Civil Code requires anyone who finds lost property, animals included, to try to find the owner, and to declare the find to the municipality or police if they ever want to keep it. Elsewhere the duty comes from municipal bylaws and from the criminal law on theft, and many cities do not pick up healthy roaming cats at all. Either way, report it: it is the only thing that protects you if the owner turns up later.
When does a found pet legally become mine?
In the common-law provinces, only by going through the pound or shelter: once the hold period ends the animal becomes the shelter’s property and can be adopted, including by the person who found it. In Quebec, a finder who has declared the find may keep the animal, but the owner can reclaim it for up to three years.
Can the owner take the pet back months later?
In Quebec, yes, for up to three years, on paying the finder’s reasonable costs. In the rest of Canada, once a shelter has held the animal for the legal period and adopted it out, the adoption is generally final; before that point the owner can always reclaim by paying the impound and boarding fees.
Sources
- Criminal Code, s. 322 (theft)
- Ontario Animals for Research Act, s. 20; Toronto Municipal Code ch. 349; Ottawa By-law 2003-77
- Civil Code of Québec, arts. 898.1, 939 to 946, 2919; Montreal SPCA on legal hold periods
- Vancouver Animal Control By-law, s. 8.24.200; BC SPCA on animal-control laws
- City of Calgary, impounded cats and dogs; City of Edmonton, animal control services
- Saskatoon Animal Control Bylaw 7860; Regina Humane Society, impounded animals
- City of Winnipeg, lost and found
- Halifax Animal Services, found pets; City of St. John’s, animal impounding; Charlottetown Dog Control Bylaw; New Brunswick Regulation 2022-36
- Yukon Animal Protection and Control Act; City of Yellowknife, dog impound services