Pet vaccination rules for boarding & grooming in Ontario

Ontario rules we’ve verified

Vaccination mandate. Ontario requires the owner of every dog, cat or ferret three months of age or older to keep it immunized against rabies by a veterinarian, using a vaccine licensed in Canada (since July 1, 2023, a vaccination given by a veterinarian licensed in Canada or the United States with a vaccine licensed there also qualifies), and to hold a current certificate of vaccination — or a veterinarian's statement of exemption — that names the animal, the vaccine and serial number, the date given and the date by which it must be re-immunized. The rule applies province-wide. [R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 567 (Rabies Immunization) under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, as amended July 1, 2023; College of Veterinarians of Ontario rabies standard — verified September 2, 2026]

The certificate itself is the compliance document. For a groomer, daycare or kennel, that means the thing to ask for is the veterinarian-signed certificate showing the re-immunization date — which is exactly the date VaxCheck records and reminds on. Veterinarians must keep a copy for three years.

We found no provincial licence for grooming, daycare or boarding businesses in Ontario; what applies is municipal business licensing and animal by-laws — check with your municipality.

Toronto. The City reminds owners that Reg. 567 requires dogs and cats over three months of age to be vaccinated and that owners must keep a copy of the veterinarian-issued certificate at all times; Toronto Public Health enforces the regulation locally. Dogs and cats must also be licensed with the City. [City of Toronto, Rabies Prevention and Treatment; Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 349 (Animals)]

Citations checked against primary sources on September 2, 2026. Laws change — verify anything you rely on with the authority itself.

What facilities in Ontario commonly require

Separately from any law, most grooming salons, daycares and boarding kennels set their own admission policy — usually stricter than any legal minimum, because one sick dog can close a playroom for a week. Typical policies ask for:

Dogs: current rabies, DA2PP/DHPP (distemper–parvo combination), and bordetella (kennel cough) — with bordetella most strictly enforced by boarding and daycare, where dogs share air. Some ask for leptospirosis or canine influenza after local outbreaks. Cats: current rabies and FVRCP.

Bring the certificate your veterinarian issued — the facility needs the re-immunization dateprinted on it, not just proof a shot happened. Whether a facility accepts a titer (antibody test) instead of a booster is that facility’s call, and many don’t for rabies.

Running a pet-care business in Ontario?

Whatever your policy is, the hard part is keeping proof of it current for every pet without chasing paper.VaxCheck gives you a QR code for the counter: owners type their own dates and photograph the certificate, your staff checks once, owners get automatic reminders before anything expires, and check-in becomes a red / amber / green list. Set the exact vaccines and intervals your policy requires and it flags any pet missing one. Canadian shops get the Canada edition: Canadian terms and privacy notice, prices in Canadian dollars where offered, taxes at checkout.

Pet owner in Ontario?

Keep every certificate in one place, get told before anything expires, and hand a copy to any groomer, daycare, kennel or sitter who asks — including one that has never heard of VaxCheck. They open a link, print what they need, and create nothing. Free, and there is no password to lose.

What a shop will ask you for, and how to have it ready · See your pet’s records