This blog post answers some of the questions about animal control in Hamilton, Toronto and the same would apply to animal control in Toronto and most areas of southern Ontario.
Question #1 — Do you guarantee that you will capture the wild animal?
Fact: When we set out traps for wild animals, they are exactly that — wild. What does this mean exactly? It means that wild animals come and go and we cannot guarantee that they are always going to hit a trap unless the animal in question is a possum playing dead. Most pest control companies do a very good job of following tracks or trails of where these animals go.
If you’re in a suburban environment, you may not be the only person trying to trap this exact animal as they tend to wander through a pretty good section of your neighbourhood. This doesn’t even take into account the fact that at times you may see a dead raccoon or a dead possum on the side of the road that may be the one you’re trying to trap.
So to answer question one is no I cannot guarantee that I will be able to capture the animal. We will try our best, however, no one can or should guarantee you that they will capture the animal using traps.
See Also: City of Toronto Raccoon Removal
Question #2 — If the pest control company does not capture the animal, do we get our money back?
Fact: Based on the answers above, the answer is no. Why? Aside from the various reasons above that we cannot return money to a customer for failure to capture an animal in a trap, the customer must also realize the fact that it takes time (our time) to come and set up the traps, leave the traps, and check the traps. This all costs money in terms of labour, fuel, and time.
Question #3 — Why are city animal control people referring us to you?
Fact: As all cities and towns such as Hamilton and Toronto are looking at reducing overall costs, that pressure is only going to rise. Animal control is a relatively low-hanging fruit for politicians and managers to cut back on as there is a private industry to take over.
Very few times when people call me asking if I’m animal control do they realize that we are a pay-for-service. I’ve been asked if the city pays me for this type of work and the answer is no. As I don’t have a contract with any city, and most pest control companies do not, I always remind the customer that we are a pay-for-service company. If you think you’re calling the city for animal control, I strongly recommend to everybody that they ask if we are city-funded animal control and if you have to pay to have an animal removed. It’s not fair to either you as a customer or to us as a company to show up to remove an animal and then get the inevitable answer “Oh I thought you were part of the city.” That part should be done over the phone, as I always remind people that we are pay-for-service.
Question #4 – If animals are roaming around outside my home can you come get it?
Fact: Yes we can, however if an animal is roaming around outside, you as a customer need to be aware of the fact that between the time you call and we show up, that animal could be gone. Depending upon location, a pest control company may still ask you to pay for the visit.
Again this is something that should be discussed over the phone when the appointment is being made. The pest control company or animal services in Hamilton should make you aware that there can be a minimum charge to show up to your home whether or not the animal is still there. Now they should not charge you full price as they would if you decided to set wild animal traps or if the animal was still there, however, good pest control companies will tell you that there is a minimum charge for them to show up.
Bottom line — as a customer do not be afraid to ask questions when you’re on the phone with your pest control company about animal removal and the costs that are associated with it. Also, discuss which guarantees should and should not be included. The ethical ones will tell you upfront that there are no guarantees when you are dealing with wild animals. The best customer is an informed customer!
We would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding wild animal control in Hamilton, Toronto.
