January 29, 2026
More than 50 Northern animals arrive at Ontario SPCA animal centres in need of homes
Calls for support continue as Northern communities battle harsh winter conditions
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stouffville, ON (Jan. 29, 2026) – The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society has welcomed more than 50 animals from remote Northern communities into its care this January, responding to increased calls for support as extreme winter conditions, limited supplies, and hazardous travel continue to affect communities across the North.
On Tuesday, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society welcomed 23 cats, seven puppies, and three dogs from remote Northern communities, some travelling as far as 2,000 kilometres. Thanks to the help of the Northern Reach Network, the Bark Bus and many volunteers, staff and community members who put in long hours, these animals will soon find loving homes through Ontario SPCA animal centres in Barrie, Orillia, Midland, York Region, Napanee, and Sudbury.
Earlier this month, the Ontario SPCA took in 18 puppies who were transferred from Northern communities in urgent need of shelter. Not long after, a nursing dog and her three pups arrived. The Ontario SPCA has also sent more than 12,000 lbs of food North to help keep animals fed, and with the families who love them.
“There is an urgent and growing need in the North this winter,” says Arista Wogenstahl, Northern Regional Manager of Community Outreach Services with the Ontario SPCA. “Communities are reaching out earlier and more often for support as extreme weather and supply challenges make it harder for people to care for their animals.”
Limited access to veterinary care, including spay and neuter services, has contributed to rising animal populations in Northern Canada. Working alongside community partners, the Ontario SPCA delivers critical resources such as food and mobile wellness services while supporting long-term solutions through population management and adoption initiatives.
As a registered charity that is 100 per cent donor funded, the Ontario SPCA relies on the generosity of supporters to help animals and the people who care for them. To donate to support the Ontario SPCA’s work in the North, visit ontariospca.ca
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Media Contact
Media Relations
Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
905-898-7122 x 375
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity that has been changing the lives of animals for over 150 years. The Society provides care, comfort and compassion to animals in need in communities across Ontario. It values all animals and advocates to treat them with respect and kindness. The Society strives to keep pets and families together and does so through a variety of community support services, such as sheltering and adoptions, including emergency sheltering, feral cat management programs, animal transfers, food distribution, humane education, animal advocacy, and spay/neuter services.
The Ontario SPCA does not receive annual government funding and relies on donations to provide programs and services to help animals in need. To learn more, or to donate, visit ontariospca.ca. Charitable Business # 88969-1044-RR0002.
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Provincial Office sits on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississaugas of Scugog, Hiawatha and Alderville First Nations and the Métis Nation. This territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. The treaties that were signed for this particular parcel of land are collectively referred to as the Williams Treaties of 1923.