July 21, 2026

The Ontario SPCA expands support for pets displaced by Northern Ontario wildfires

Media Releases
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IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thunder Bay, ON (July 21, 2026) – As wildfires continue to force evacuations across Northern Ontario, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is helping keep families and their pets together by providing emergency support for animals displaced by the crisis.

Working alongside the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response, the Red Cross, municipalities, Airbnb, 211Ontario, and animal welfare partners across Ontario, the Ontario SPCA is providing a range of services to support evacuated families and their animals, including:

  • Pet-friendly housing: Working with Airbnb to help displaced families find temporary accommodations where they can stay with their pets.
  • 211Ontario support: Connecting people affected by the wildfires with pet-related resources.
  • Emergency boarding: Adoptable animals from the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Northwest Animal Centre in Thunder Bay have been moved south to provide temporary shelter at the centre for displaced animals while families get settled.
  • Emergency pet food and supplies: Approximately 75,000 lbs of emergency dog food is on its way to Northern Ontario to replenish supplies that have already been distributed to feed pets impacted by the wildfires. Families are also receiving crates, leashes, collars, harnesses, bowls, and other essential pet supplies.
  • Veterinary care: Offering wildfire telehealth support for pets, as well as free in-person veterinary services for animals impacted by the wildfires, including health checks, vaccinations, and spay/neuter services when needed.
  • Additional supports: Working with partners to identify temporary RV parking for families travelling with animals and coordinating support for livestock if required.

Anyone affected by the wildfires who needs support with their pets is encouraged to call 1-888-ONT-SPCA (668-7722) and follow the prompts to be connected with available services.

“The situation continues to evolve every day, and we know more families may need support in the days and weeks ahead,” says Shawna Beaulieu, Regional Director, Northwestern Ontario, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “When families arrive at evacuation centres, we want to make sure they have the pet food, supplies, veterinary care, and other support they need to stay together while they focus on getting through this emergency.”

To learn more or donate to the Ontario SPCA’s Emergency Response Fund, visit ontariospca.ca/emergency-response

A brown and white dog sits calmly inside a transport kennel with a water bowl and blanket, looking through the metal door.
Two small Chihuahuas stand together inside a transport kennel, looking out through the metal door.
The open trunk of an SUV is filled with bags of pet food and supplies ready for transport to support animal care efforts.
Two carts loaded with pet food, canned food, supplies and donations are parked inside a pet supply store near the entrance.
A German Shepherd sits inside a large transport kennel lined with blankets in the back of a transport van.
Volunteers wearing protective gowns unload animal transport kennels from a rescue trailer during an animal transfer operation.
A volunteer wearing protective gear kneels beside a German Shepherd outside an animal transport van, smiling while holding the dog's leash.
An Ontario SPCA volunteer stands inside a transport van beside covered animal kennels prepared for a rescue transport.
A volunteer wearing protective gear smiles beside a black dog resting inside a transport kennel in an Ontario SPCA rescue van.
Staff members gather inside the Ontario SPCA Northwest Animal Centre for a group photo.
A man stands with a German Shepherd inside the Ontario SPCA Northwest Animal Centre.
Ontario SPCA staff stand behind an information table outside.

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Media Contact:

Media Relations            
Ontario SPCA and Humane Society 
905-898-7122 x 375
[email protected]

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 Northwest Animal Centre, formerly the Thunder Bay & District Humane Society, is located on the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation, part of the Anishinabek Nation and signatory to the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850. We honour the long-standing stewardship of these lands and the connection Indigenous communities have with animals, and we are committed to nurturing respectful partnerships across the North.