What is the structure of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society?
How are the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Provincial Office and its communities funded?
What is the difference between the Ontario SPCA and Ontario Humane Society (OHS)?
What is the Ontario SPCA’s Purpose, Priorities and Values?
Purpose:
We provide care, comfort and compassion to animals in need; we value all animals and engage our communities to treat them with respect and kindness.
Priorities:
Ensure the best possible support for animals in our care.
Inspire healthy bonds between pets and people through accessible care, education, and community collaboration.
Partner to influence and advocate for the welfare of animals in Ontario & beyond
Values:
- Compassion
- Transparency
- Excellence
- Collaboration
- Accountability
Does the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society accept owner-surrendered animals?
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is here to support individuals and families who need to re-home their companion animals.
Wherever possible, we try to keep animals with their families. The Ontario SPCA website has a number of resources, tools and tips related to animal care and positive behaviour modification; please visit our blog for more information. We also recommend you contact your veterinarian for advice on animal care and well-being.
If you are struggling to care for your animal, you are invited to reach out to the closest SPCA, Humane Society or Ontario SPCA Animal Centre near you. See the community directory.
Animal welfare and animal rights – what’s the difference?
“Animal welfare,” as defined by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, nutrition, disease prevention, responsible care, humane handling, and, where necessary, humane euthanasia. As an animal welfare organization, we believe that humans can interact with animals in entertainment, industry, sport and recreation, but that the interaction should include provisions for the proper care and humane management of all animals involved.
We use scientific and legal arguments to promote and advocate for the protection of animals from cruelty. “Animal rights” is a philosophical view that seeks to end the exploitation of animals and animal use industries, including the slaughter of animals for consumption, animal research, animals used in entertainment or education, service animals, working animals and companion animals. Animal rights groups typically avoid working with organizations involved in these practices and may employ confrontational methods to promote change.
We work cooperatively and collaboratively with pet owners, farmers, landowners, producers, veterinarians, and breeders on issues that affect animals, and we actively work with municipal and provincial governments to ensure animals are provided with every possible protection under the law.
The Ontario SPCA is proud to be Ontario’s largest animal welfare organization, and one of the most responsive animal welfare organizations in Canada. Partnerships, based on professionalism, openness and understanding foster a spirit of goodwill and trust that helps us achieve changes that may otherwise not be possible.
How is the Ontario SPCA different from other SPCAs and humane societies?
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity, established in 1873. Administered by the Ontario SPCA provincial office in Stouffville, the Society operates 12 animal centres across the province and one satellite adoption location. As a provincial organization, the Ontario SPCA’s programs and services extend to communities across Ontario.
While other animal organizations may have “humane society” or “SPCA” in their name, they operate independently from the Ontario SPCA and are administered at the local level by their own individual Board of Directors. Although they do similar work, these organizations typically focus their efforts within the communities in which they are located.
What is the animal welfare philosophy of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society?
At the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society, we are dedicated to the compassionate care and welfare of all animals. Our philosophy is grounded in the Capacity for Care (C4C) approach, ensuring that each animal receives the individualized attention and resources they need to thrive. By focusing on maintaining an optimal balance between the number of animals in our care and our available resources, we can guarantee a high standard of care for every animal that enters our facilities.
We believe in the power of collaboration and leverage our network of centres across Ontario to maximize our impact. By working together, we can extend our reach and provide support to a greater number of animals, ensuring that no animal is left behind. Our collective efforts allow us to respond swiftly and effectively to the needs of our community.
In our interactions with pet owners and the public, we prioritize a trauma-informed, judgment-free approach. We recognize the profound emotional bond between humans and their animal companions and understand the trauma that can accompany the disruption of this bond. Our conversations are rooted in empathy, respect, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by both animals and their caregivers.
What is a “No Kill” facility?
The term “no kill” can be a contentious one in animal sheltering and the term is used differently by different groups. A true “no kill” facility is one where animals are kept alive at any cost, and no animal is euthanized, regardless of the state of health (including emotional health) or temperament. Unfortunately, many of these facilities do not recognize that emotional and behavioural suffering is just as damaging as physical suffering, and/or will adopt out animals with aggressive temperaments who are a danger to the community.
For example, if an animal is physically healthy, but is showing signs of emotional distress in the form of behaviours caused by living in a kennel or cage for years, a true “no kill” facility would keep the animal alive, without consideration for the emotional and behavioural suffering this animal is experiencing. Ideally, the animal would be provided with in-shelter enrichment and/or the opportunity to go to foster care to alleviate emotional distress, but this isn’t always an option for many facilities.
Unfortunately, many of these facilities are more like warehouses for animals, rather than safe havens. There are other groups who refer to themselves as “no kill”, who actually will euthanize animals, thereby negating the term “no-kill”. Often these groups euthanize only for health-related reasons and often only in the case where the animal could not live without on-going physical suffering. Again, these can be places that do not recognize or treat emotional or behavioural distress or suffering. There are also limited admission facilities that often also refer to themselves as “no kill”. These facilities pre-screen the animals admitted into their shelter, usually choosing not to admit animals who suffer from behavioural problems, aggression, or suffer from any illness. These groups often take only the easiest to adopt animals, thereby allowing them to say they are “no kill” simply because the animals they take in are easy animals to adopt back out again.
Other animals who do not meet the admission requirements are simply referred to other facilities. If a shelter has a “no kill” policy, it is important for the public to ask the shelter to define the “no kill” policy, so that the public may understand which definition the shelter is practicing. The ASPCA has a similar philosophy towards “no kill” facilities: “The ASPCA believes that unwanted pets deserve a dignified, painless death rather than suffer from such cruelties as malnutrition, disease or trauma, outcomes commonly associated with an unwanted and/or uncared-for existence. Similarly, long-term housing of individual dogs and cats in cages without access to exercise or social activities is not an acceptable alternative. Euthanasia must be understood for what it is: a last-step, end-of-the-road option to spare animals further hardship and suffering.” For more information on the ASPCA, please visit aspca.org.
Who should I contact if I witness or suspect animal abuse?
To report animal cruelty please contact the Government of Ontario’s Provincial Animal Welfare Services team at 1-833-9ANIMAL (1-833-926-4625) or your local police services.
Working Cat Program
One of the goals of the Ontario SPCA when rehoming animals is to find the right home for each animal in its care. Sometimes community cats, which some people refer to feral cats, end up in our centres and cannot be returned to their original colony site for various reasons. The cats require alternative homes due to their lack of socialization.
The Ontario SPCA believes in finding an alternative home for these feral cats by giving them “jobs” as working cats! These cats are healthy, spay/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and ear tipped to indicate they have been spayed/neutered. Working cats are not suited to be indoor pets and, as unsocialized animals, they have no desire to be lap cats. What they need is a new rural outdoor home, such as a barn, stable, garage, or warehouse.
As former street cats who are used to outdoor life, working cats are not typical indoor pets and have no desire to be lap cats. However, what they lack in social skills they make up for when it comes to keeping vermin problems under control. For the small cost of a bowl of cat food and water daily, veterinary care and shelter, they’re ready to go to work.
How much does it cost to adopt a working cat?
What do I do when I bring the cats home?
Are they all spayed or neutered?
Will I be responsible for future vaccinations and health concerns?
Do you have any friendly working cats?
What do working cats require?
How long will it take to get my working cat(s) after I submit my application?
Can I come to look at, or select, my working cats?
Do you adopt out working cats during the winter months?
What would happen if we brought our working cat home and it wasn’t the right fit?
Ready to adopt working cats?
For more information, you may also contact us at workingcats@ospca.on.ca
Accessibility at the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
In fulfilling our mission, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society strives at all times to provide its goods and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are also committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our goods and services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in a similar way as other customers.
For comments and feedback regarding the way the Ontario SPCA provides goods and services to people with disabilities, or to request a copy of our Customer Service Policy, email our Human Resources department at hr@ontariospca.ca or by phone at 905-898-7122. To learn about the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005) legislation and standards, visit the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario.
Ontario SPCA and Humane Society multi-year accessibility plan
Statement of commitment
Accessible emergency information
Training
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society will provide training to employees, volunteers, and other team members who deal with the public on our behalf on Ontario’s accessibility laws and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to people with disabilities. Training will be provided in a way that best suits the duties of employees, volunteers, and other staff members. We will take the following steps to make sure existing feedback processes are available to people with disabilities upon request by January 1, 2015.
• Presently, all employees and volunteers receive training and are required to sign off on the Ontario SPCA’s Customer Service Policy, AODA, Human Rights Code, a current requirement of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
• Training will be provided on any changes to the prescribed policies on an ongoing basis.
Information and communications
– Publicly available information will be available in at least 2 formats. For example, material provided in a written format can also be provided verbally.
– We will accommodate any requests for alternate formats of information in a timely manner with the maximum response time being 10 working days of the request.
Feedback
– All feedback and inquiries will be accepted through written (email or letter) or verbal (telephone) or other formats if this does not meet the needs of an individual.
– A response will be provided within 10 working days of the request using the requested format.
What are the 5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare?
The Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare were created by the Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1965 and are wildly used internationally.
1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst by ready access to fresh water and diet to maintain health and vigor.
2. Freedom from Discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering. The welfare of an animal includes its physical and mental state and we consider that good animal welfare implies both fitness and a sense of well-being. Any animal kept by man, must at least, be protected from unnecessary suffering.
Where can I find the position statements for the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society?
What is the Ontario SPCA’s DEIB Statement?
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society embodies a culture that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). We are committed to creating an environment where all employees, volunteers, donors, and members of the public feel respected and supported.
We recognize the uniqueness of every individual and embrace differences in race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, abilities, socioeconomic status, and all other groups protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code. Everyone brings a unique perspective to our team, and we celebrate our differences.
Our policies, practices, and decisions provide all employees and volunteers with fair and equal opportunities for growth and advancement. We aim to identify barriers and are committed to breaking them down to offer equal opportunities for all.
We understand that a sense of belonging is essential for our people to thrive. We encourage open dialogue, active listening, and continuous learning. We work to create an environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and supported.
By embracing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, we are building a great workplace for all employees and volunteers. We will continue to learn, grow, and create a workplace that reflects the diverse communities we support.