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TOY 71 - Feeding Wild Animals Bylaw
Town of Yarmouth
FEEDING WILD ANIMALS BYLAW
Effective: January 13th, 2022 Amended: October 9th, 2025
TOY 71
1.0
This Bylaw shall be known as the "Feeding Wild Animals Bylaw".
2.0
Definitions
a. "Public Place" means streets, public parks and trails, property owned by the Town, and
recreation facilities funded or partially funded by the Town;
b. "Wild Animal" means any animal which is not domesticated.
c. "Songbird" means any bird belonging to the oscine division in ornithology; but does not
include crows, pigeons or seagulls.
d. "Hummingbird" means any bird of the family Trochilidae in ornithology.
3.0
No person shall feed one or more deer, raccoons, or any other wild animals in any place in such a
manner or to such an extent that doing so causes or may cause an unreasonable interference with
another persons' use and enjoyment of his or her property, or of a public place.
3.1
No person shall feed any wildlife or wild animal on private or public property.
3.2
No person shall place any food, pet food or feeding device on any property in a manner that
attracts wildlife or a wild animal.
3.3
No person shall feed any bird other than a Songbird or Hummingbird.
3.4
No person shall feed a Songbird unless the following feeding requirements are met by the
person:
a. The person has the permission of the owner or occupant of the property where the
feeding takes place; and
b. The food intended for the Songbird is placed in a bird feeding device that is sufficiently
above grade as to not attract or be accessible by wildlife or wild animals; and
c. Bird feeding practices do not attract large flocks of homing birds such as wild, feral or
domestic pigeons; and
d. Spillage of food upon the ground is removed by the person or property owner or occupier
forthwith and disposed of in such a manner that it does not attract wildlife, wild animals,
feral or stray domestic animals; and
e. The process of feeding does not interfere with the normal use or enjoyment of any other
property.
3.5
Every property shall be kept free of rodents, vermin, insects and other pests. No owner or
occupier of property shall permit an accumulation of dog feces or allow offensive odours coming
from compost, or food to be emitted or escape from the property that could attract wildlife,
wild animals, rodents, vermin, insects or other pests to the property.
TOY 71 - Feeding Wild Animals Bylaw
4.0
Exemptions
The following circumstances are to be exempt and allow the following:
a. Feeding of Songbirds and bird feeders on private property, where the property owner
has given permission to do so and in accordance with this by-law.
b. Leaving food as bait to trap a nuisance animal
c. Feeding of a managed colony of stray or feral cats
d. Feeding as part of a research program undertaken by a university, college or similarly
provincially or federally recognized research institution
5.0
Any person who contravenes any provision of this Bylaw is punishable on summary conviction
by a fine of not less than $50.00 and not more than $1000.00.
Clerk's Annotation for Official Bylaw Book
Date of Adoption: January 13th, 2022
Date of Approval of Amended Bylaw: October 9th, 2025
I certify that this 'Feeding Wild Animals Bylaw' was adopted by Council as indicated above.
Town Clerk:
Date:
Adopted
Date of First Reading
August 13th, 2020
Notice of Intent to Consider
August 27th, 2020 - December 22nd, 2021
Date of Second Reading
January 13th, 2022
Date of Publication
January 26th, 2022
Amended:
Date of First Reading
August 14th, 2025
Notice of Intent to Consider
September 22nd, 2025
Date of Second Reading
October 9th, 2025
Date of Publication
October 23rd, 2025