February 24, 2026
The Ontario SPCA marks World Spay Day with more than 200 free spay/neuter surgeries
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stouffville, ON (Feb. 24, 2026) – The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is marking World Spay today by providing 227 free spay and neuter surgeries across the province, preventing more than an estimated 12,000 unplanned puppies and kittens who may have ended up in shelters.
At its five high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinics in Barrie, Stouffville, Durham, Thunder Bay and Sudbury, the Ontario SPCA was able to triple its daily spay/neuter capacity today by dedicating additional resources and extending clinic hours to mark World Spay Day. Ontario SPCA Neuter Scooters were also running in Durham, Napanee, and Orangeville, transporting animals to participating spay/neuter clinics and returning them to their families at the end of the day.
In addition to free spay/neuter services, which were supported by Royal Canin and other generous donors, the Ontario SPCA was also able to provide free microchips, courtesy of 24Petwatch, as well as free rabies vaccinations and canine distemper vaccinations, provided by Boehringer Ingelheim.
“The impact of World Spay Day extends well beyond a single day,” says Charmaine Brett, President and CEO of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “Our efforts helped more animals gain access to essential spay and neuter services, removing barriers for families in the community.”
World Spay Day is a global movement, with animal welfare organizations around the world joining the Ontario SPCA’s efforts to reduce pet overpopulation. Organizations in Ukraine, Nepal, India, Romania, Bahamas, Sri Lanka, Mexico and here in Canada took part, collectively performing 1,200 spay/neuter surgeries.
“Thanks to our generous sponsors, all procedures provided through the Ontario SPCA were offered at no cost to the community, enabling us to reach families and animals who might not have been able to access this care otherwise,” says Brett.
As a registered charity that is 100 per cent donor funded, the Ontario SPCA depends on the generosity of donors to make initiatives like World Spay Day possible. To support spay and neuter programs or help provide care for animals in need, visit ontariospca.ca/donate
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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.