National Shelter Appreciation Week: Here for the animals
Nov. 3-9 is National Shelter Appreciation week, a time to acknowledge the effort and dedication of shelters, and the hard-working individuals dedicated to giving animals the second chance they deserve.
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity that has been changing the lives of animals for over 150 years. We strive to keep pets and families together through a variety of community support services, such as adoptions, animal transfers, food distribution, humane education, spay/neuter and wellness services.
In today’s blog, we wanted to highlight some of the Ontario SPCA’s staggering accomplishments from 2023.
Animals adopted
The forefront of the Ontario SPCA is its adoption program, where we strive to find loving homes for animals in need, no matter how long it takes. In 2023, we found homes for 4,041 animals! That includes 1,166 dogs, 2,617 cats, 250 small animals, and 8 birds.
Whether it’s a playful puppy or a calm senior cat, we carefully match pets with families to ensure a lifetime of happiness together. Animals adopted from the Ontario SPCA are spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and they go home with food from Royal Canin to help ensure a smooth transition into their new home.
View animals available for adoption!
Animals transferred
When a request for support comes in, the Ontario SPCA does what it can to change the lives of those animals. We work together with communities to transfer animals to areas of the province where there are families waiting to adopt.
A lack of access to basic animal wellness services, such as veterinarians and spay/neuter services, has contributed to an increase in animal populations across Northern Canada. In many Northern communities, there are more adoptable animals than there are families who can give them homes.
By working together with like-minded organizations and Indigenous communities, the Ontario SPCA is giving Northern animals the second chance they deserve. In 2023, we travelled 24,307 kilometers in 6 trips to help transfer 232 animals! We also support community led sustainable solutions to animal management and health to address the root causes of animal overpopulation.
VIP animal support
Dogs come into the Ontario SPCA’s animal centres for a variety of reasons. While the dogs stay with us, we provide them with the care and attention they need, including addressing any behavioural challenges. Our Provincial Dog Rehabilitation program provides individualized training strategies to help the animals in our care become comfortable with their surroundings, identify special care requirements, and to meet their needs. In 2023, the Provincial Dog Rehabilitation Centre supported 40 dogs with an average of 160 hours of TLC per dog!
Our rehabilitation program is available in all Ontario SPCA animal centres across the province. Learn more about the Rehabilitation Centre and VIP (Very Important Paws) at ontariospca.ca/dogrehab
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society provides care for animals 365 days a year, and our work does not end while animals are in need. As a registered charity that does not receive annual government funding, we depend on the generosity of donors to change the lives of animals in need. Please consider donating today.