FAQs

The  Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is managed by a voluntary provincial Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is responsible for the Society’s operations, policy decisions and budget control. Members bring with them a variety of expertise and experience and also serve on advisory committees that concentrate on specific aspects of the Society’s work, recommending courses of action to the full Board.

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society and its communities are charitable organizations that rely on the generosity of their supporters, including individuals, associations and corporations. The Ontario SPCA is not a government organization.

The Ontario SPCA (Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the Ontario Humane Society are the same entity. Humane Society is a common term and is used by some of the Ontario SPCA communities.

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

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, please contact your nearest Ontario SPCA animal centre.

“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.

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.

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.

At the heart of our philosophy is a commitment to creating a compassionate and supportive environment for all animals and the people who care for them.

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 cases where the animal could not live without ongoing 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.”

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.

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 as 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, spayed/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. Learn more about our working cat program here