Brockville Pets

Dogs have been registered in Brockville since as early as the late 19th century. We have records dating as early as 1890 which note the Number, Name, Ward, Description of Dog, Gender, Date and Fee collected for each registration. According to these records, Spaniel, Collie, and Terrier dogs were the most popular varieties in Brockville at the turn of the 20th century.

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Members of the Haley Family are shown posing with their dog in front of their home.
Standing (Left to Right): Aunt Eliza, Aunt Florence, Aunt Maggie.
Sitting Middle: Grandfather and Grandmother Haley.
Front: Kenneth.

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Daniel Derbyshire was the Member of Parliament for Brockville from 1904-1907 and then senator for Brockville from 1907 until his death. Here he is shown posing next to a dog specifically trained for photography, explaining its ability to sit perfectly still.

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Emma Forie (centre) is shown surrounded by her children: Hugh, Jean, Jamie and Gordon Forie. Their dog stands in front of them in the photo.

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Jessie Davis was the granddaughter of Ralph Davis, who ran the R. Davis & Sons dry goods store. She is shown here on a dock with her terrier.

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Animals were such an integral part of Brockville life that they were used as model for toys and art. Although not every family could afford a pet, children were sometimes given toy animals as a replacement.

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Jack Wylie is shown with King, his pet and saviour after falling off of the drilling boat where they worked. In February 1930, King dived into the St. Lawrence River to pull his master out of the water. King was later awarded the Spatt’s Dog Hero Medal for his bravery.

The Fulford family was known for its extravagance and grandeur. On the Fulford Estate, they were even known to have a deer caged on the grounds. It had plentiful food and a place to sleep during the cold nights.

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Philip (left) and Edwin (right) Smart were great nephews of James Smart, who was the founder of James Smart Manufacturing Company, Ltd. They are both shown with their pet dachshund at 95 King Street East, Brockville.

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Donald Buell was the great-grandson of William Buell. He is shown here with Betty Binch, who is holding her dog Buddy.

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Animal tags continued to evolve in shape and size, but largely they still had similar information: the name of the city, registration number, and year. This tag in particular is shaped like a clover.

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Marjorie Roberts was a British expatriate born in Jamaica and the niece of James McArthur, proprietor of McArthur Beltings Co., Ltd. She is shown here with one of her cats (Duffy) at her home on Hartley Street.

Brockville also produced non-metallic dog tags in the 1940s. Just like all other tags, they note the city, registration number, and year, but instead it is made from a hard, leathery material.

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The Officer’s Training Centre (OTC) was active in Brockville during WWII. Officers trained here in preparation for commanding soldiers in the war. Dogs were also a common sight on the grounds. One is seen here helping test some machinery.

Just like other families with dogs, the Cossitt family was required to register their pets with the city. These were not the only tags required, however. The Cossitts also had tags printed with their name, phone number, and address in the case that their dog (Susie Cossitt) ever was lost.

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Harvey Pyke was a Smith’s Dairy delivery man who used to bring milk to customers using a wagon towed by his horse Polly. This painting of the two was painted by a Brockville artist and gifted to Mr. Pyke on the day of his retirement.

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George and Josephine Fulford are shown posing with their three dogs for their 1959 Christmas card at Fulford Place. They had two pugs and a terrier.

Conrad Darling was a clown and performer in Brockville who could always be seen in the Brockville Santa Clause Parade driving his trained chicken (Myrtle) in a three-wheeled baby carriage. He and Myrtle’s likeness can still be seen today on Blockhouse Island, where a bronze statue was erected for “Brockville’s Ambassador of Smiles.”

The Woodland Park Zoo was opened by John Vanderschuit in 1966. The grounds were 8 miles west of Brockville and home to a variety of animals, including llamas, buffalo, lions, and monkeys. The zoo also had a famous hippo which tended to escape and wander the nearby forest, garnering him the name “The Happy Wanderer.” In one such case, the hippo remained escaped for a week in 1968. Two years later, he escaped again and was never found.

Although different shaped animal tags were developed overtime, the tried and true metal circle continues to be a very popular form of registration tag.

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In 2016, the City of Brockville began a partnership with DocuPet Inc. in Kingston. Pet registration and identification moved into an internet-based registry, which could be accessed using the alphanumeric code on the back of each tag. Now, pet owners in Brockville are not required to visit City Hall to register their pet.

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Ketchum Manufacturing Inc. moved its factory to Brockville in 2005. Since then, the printing and die cutting of animal tags has become a Brockville business. This red, metal animal tag was produced in Brockville for retail sale.

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