Commercial Dog Walker

Commercial Dog Walker permits are available for individuals walking five to eight dogs as part of a commercial business. Commercial dog walkers who hold a valid Commercial Dog Walker Permit may bring up to eight dogs to the following off-leash areas:

• Chief Whitecap
• Hampton
• Southwest 
• Sutherland Beach

All dogs must have a valid City of Saskatoon issued pet licence.

Commercial Dog Walker Permit Eligibility

To be eligible for a Commercial Dog Walker Permit, a commercial dog walker must satisfy the City’s eligibility criteria, including:

• passing any safety and Bylaw compliance evaluation as may be required by the City;
• providing proof that the commercial dog walker is covered by liability insurance in the minimum amount of $2,000,000.00 that names the City as an additional insured;
• providing proof that the commercial dog walker or the employer of the commercial dog walker has a valid business license from the City of Saskatoon pertaining to the business of walking dogs; and
• paying the required annual application fee 

Obtain a Commercial Dog Walker Permit

Commercial dog walker permits can be obtained by completing the following documentation and mailing to: Animal Services, Cosmo Civic Centre, 3130 Laurier Drive, Saskatoon SK, S7L 5J7

• Completed Commercial Dog Walker Permit Application
• Copy of valid City of Saskatoon Business License
• Copy of Commercial General Liability insurance coverage for the full term of the permit including the City as an additional insured

Once all documentation is received an approval letter will be sent to the applicant. The letter will need to be taken to City Hall with the non-refundable fee of $225/year (including taxes).

The Commercial Dog Walker will then be responsible for contacting Saskatoon Animal Control Agency to book their Safety and Bylaw Compliance Test. Please bring your payment receipt to the test as proof of payment. 

Upon completion of the test, the Commercial Dog Walker will receive a letter from the City of Saskatoon stating their permit is valid. Permits are valid for one year from the date of this letter.

Safety and Bylaw Compliance Test

A Safety and Bylaw Compliance Test will be administered by the Saskatoon Animal Control Agency (SACA) following the successful application and payment of your Commercial Dog Walker Permit. The test will take 30 minutes to one hour to complete. During this test the applicant will demonstrate ability to walk 5-8 dogs while adhering to the Animal Control and Dangerous Animals Bylaws as it relates to safety and bylaw compliance. Please retain your receipt as proof of payment and bring a Government Issued Photo ID to confirm name, address and date of birth on file. 

Safety and Bylaw Compliance Test criteria includes:

• All dogs have a valid City of Saskatoon pet licence (0-10 points)
• All dogs have a valid City of Saskatoon pet licence attached to their collar or valid microchip in the database (0-10 points)
• All dogs remain leashed from the vehicle to the park and back again (0-4 points each way)
• Leashes for each dog are carried in the park (0-4 points)
• Dogs remain under control and respond to voice and sight commands (0-6 points)
• Dogs do not engage in nuisance behaviour as defined in the Animal Control Bylaw (0-6 points)
• Feces of dogs is picked up immediately and properly disposed (0-6 points)

Maximum points available is 50. Successful applicants are those who achieve 32 or more points.

To book your Safety and Bylaw Compliance Test contact SACA at (306)385-7387. 

Upon completion of the Safety and Bylaw Compliance Test, SACA will sign off on documents noting successful completion or advise if an additional walk will need to be booked. SACA will forward verification of successful test completion to Animal Services to support the completion of your approved Commercial Dog Walker Permit.

Enforcement, Suspension and Appeal Process

Violations of the Animal Control Bylaw as it relates to the Commercial Dog Walker Permit will be recorded and tracked by Saskatoon Animal Control Agency and Animal Services for further action if necessary, including potential permit suspension. 

A permit holder whose commercial dog walker permit has been suspended may appeal the decision of Animal Services, and request to be heard by the appropriate Permit Appeal Committee.

Notice of Violation Fees

Offense	First	Second	Third
Exceeding the Maximum Number of Dogs Permitted in Off-leash Area	$100	$200	$300