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Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
Canadian animal shelters are known for their low euthanasia rates, especially when compared to statistics from American shelters. According to information provided by the ASPCA, over 900,000 animals are euthanized in U.S.-based shelters annually1. A 2011 study from The Canadian Veterinary Journal reviewed 67 shelters in Canada and found that 157,028 animals were taken in that year, and of those, 54,583 were euthanized2. This could be due to the strict spaying and neutering policies that Canadian shelters have in place and the fact that animals do not leave their care without first undergoing such procedures.
However, many animals are still waiting for their forever homes in Canadian shelters. Keep reading to learn 17 more fascinating Canadian animal shelter statistics.
The 17 Animal Shelters in Canada Statistics
- Community Animal Centers in British Columbia cared for over 16,800 animals in 2023.
- The Toronto Humane Society hosted 4,717 preventative wellness service appointments for the animals in their care in 2022.
- The Toronto Humane Society had 1,082 trap neuter return appointments in 2022.
- The Montreal SPCA sterilized 3,089 animals via two sterilization programs in 2023.
- The Regina SPCA adopted 2,085 pets in 2022.
- PetSmart Charities of Canada helped 18,242 pets in need find loving homes in 2022.
- The Winnipeg Humane Society received 6,481 total intakes and had 6,535 adoptions between April 2022 and March 2023.
- The Edmonton Humane Society adopted 3,091 animals in 2022.
- The Montreal SPCA adopted 4,018 animals in 2022.
- 197 treatable animals were euthanized by the BC SPCA in 2023.
- 229 animals were lost or died in shelter care in BC during 2023.
- The Nova Scotia SPCA had to pay $2,521,971 to operate their shelters in 2022.
- The Regina Humane Society had expenses totaling $4,458,392 in 2022.
- The Toronto Humane Society reported $14,913,699 in expenses in 2022.
- The Montreal received 14,214 animal admissions in 2023.
- The Saskatoon SPCA experienced a 300% increase in surrender requests in 2023.
- 60% of Canadian households have at least one cat or one dog.
Animal Shelters in Canada Success Story
1. Community Animal Centers in British Columbia cared for over 16,800 animals in 2023.
(BC SPCA)
The British Columbia SPCA is the largest animal welfare organization in North America, with 35 community animal centers spread throughout the province. In 2023, these centers provided care for over 16,800 animals, 56.5% of which were cats and kittens and 31% of which were dogs and puppies. The centers use evidence-based standards and programming to ensure the animals they care for stay in their care for the shortest time possible.
2. The Toronto Humane Society hosted 4,717 preventative wellness service appointments for the animals in their care in 2022.
(Toronto Humane Society)
These preventive wellness services included treatments such as vaccinations, flea and tick preventatives, microchipping, and euthanasia. They also performed 64 emergency dental services to ensure pets in need were taken care of.
3. The Toronto Humane Society had 1,082 trap-neuter-return appointments in 2022.
(Toronto Humane Society)
The Toronto Humane Society’s TNR program ensures that community cats are provided with the medical support they need to live outdoors. The society also performed 1,658 spay and neuter surgeries in 2023 to help control the community cat population in the city.
4. The Montreal SPCA sterilized 3,089 animals via two sterilization programs in 2023.
(Montreal SPCA)
The Montreal SPCA has two sterilization programs: the Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain (TNRM) and the Mittens-Montreal SPCA Targeted Permanent Sterilization Clinic. The Mittens-Montreal program is intended to target low-income clients and offers low-cost sterilization for Quebec pet owners. Between the two programs, they were able to sterilize 3,089 animals in 2023.
5. The Regina SPCA adopted 2,085 pets in 2022.
(Regina SPCA)
The Regina SPCA accepted 3,606 animals in 2022 and adopted 2,085 pets to loving homes. Of the 2,085 animals who found new homes, 1612 were cats and kittens, 453 were dogs and puppies, and 20 were small critters.
6. PetSmart Charities of Canada helped 18,242 pets in need find loving homes in 2022.
(PetSmart Charities of Canada)
PetSmart Charities of Canada partners with over 140 animal welfare organizations throughout the country to help find pets in need of loving homes. In 2022, the charity created 18,242 families through these adoptions.
7. The Winnipeg Humane Society received 6,481 total intakes and had 6,535 adoptions between April 2022 and March 2023.
(Winnipeg Humane Society)
The Winnipeg Humane Society brought in 4,981 kittens and cats, 1,311 puppies and dogs, and 189 rabbits and other critters. These animals came to the society in numerous ways, including as strays, surrenders, returns, and rescues.
8. The Edmonton Humane Society adopted 3,091 animals in 2022.
(Edmonton Humane Society)
In 2022, the Edmonton Humane Society admitted 3,625 animals. They were able to find new homes for 3,091 animals in their care that year. This was the highest number of adoptions the facility has seen since 2019.
9. The Montreal SPCA adopted 4,018 animals in 2022.
(Montreal SPCA)
Of these over 4,000 animals, 2,796 were cats, and 391 were dogs. The SPCA also found homes for 263 rabbits, 384 small animals, 147 birds and exotics, and 37 farm animals.
The Dark Side of Canadian Animal Shelters
10. 197 treatable animals were euthanized by the BC SPCA in 2023.
(BC SPCA)
According to reports released by the BC SPCA, the organization euthanized 1,697 animals in 2023. Of these 1,697 animals, 197 had treatable or “rehabilitatable” conditions. Fifty-nine of the 197 were dogs, 81 were cats, and 57 fell in the “other” category.
11. 229 animals were lost or died in shelter care in BC during 2023.
(BC SPCA)
The BC SPCA reported 229 animals either getting lost or dying while under shelter care in 2023. The majority (114) of these lost or dead animals were cats. Twenty-three were dogs, and 92 fell in the “other” category.
Canadian Animal Shelter Financial Statistics
12. The Nova Scotia SPCA had to pay $2,521,971 to operate their shelters in 2022.
(Nova Scotia SPCA)
The Nova Scotia SPCA’s shelter operations cost over $2.5 million in 2022. Their total expenses for the year, including investigations, veterinary services, and medication, totaled $8.3 million. The organization’s revenue for the year was $8.4 million, earning them a total of $153,656 in 2022.
13. The Regina Humane Society had expenses totaling $4,458,392 in 2022.
(Regina Humane Society)
The Regina Humane Society’s biggest expenses in 2022 were administration and fundraising—$285,205 and $262,330, respectively. The financial report also suggests the organization spent over $300,000 more in 2022 than the previous year.
14. The Toronto Humane Society reported $14,913,699 in expenses in 2022.
(Toronto Humane Society)
The bulk of the society’s expenses—$9,354,540—came from animal care and shelter services, though they spent $1.5 million and $1.3 million on public veterinary services and general administration, respectively. Their expenses for the year were up from the year prior when they spent $13,884,953.
Miscellaneous Canadian Animal Shelter Statistics
15. The Montreal SPCA received 14,214 animal admissions in 2023.
(Montreal SPCA)
The Montreal SPCA admitted 14,214 animals in 2023, slightly up from the reported 13,842 admissions in 2022. However, adoption rates increased by 14% in 2023.
16. The Saskatoon SPCA experienced a 300% increase in surrender requests in 2023.
(Global News)
The Saskatoon SPCA experienced growth far beyond its limits in 2023. According to the executive director, they had a 300% increase in surrender requests. However, the SPCA is required to take in any surrendered or stray animals even if the facility has no space for them.
17. 60% of Canadian households have at least one cat or one dog.
(Canadian Animal Health Institute)
Pet ownership levels in Canada continue to rise post-pandemic. Sixty percent of households now have at least one cat or dog. From 2020 until 2022, the cat and dog pet population increased in the country. Dog ownership went from 7.7 million to 7.9, and cat ownership rose from 8.1 million to 8.5.
Frequently Asked Questions About Animal Shelters in Canada
How many animal shelters are there in Canada?
Humane Canada is arguably the best resource for those interested in statistics on Canadian animal shelters. Unfortunately, they have not uploaded an annual report since 2021, so we are unable to provide an updated number of shelters in Canada. However, based on stats provided in Humane Canada’s 2021 report, there were 175 total humane societies and SPCA shelters throughout the country (Humane Canada).
The majority of the facilities operate from Ontario (47) and British Columbia (37), which shouldn’t be too surprising as these are two of the three largest provinces by population in the country. Quebec, which is actually the second-largest province by population, operates just 20 shelters.
Do Canadian animal shelters euthanize their animals?
Canadian shelters will sometimes euthanize the animals in their care. However, each humane society and SPCA will have their own euthanasia policies. The BC SPCA, for example, may euthanize any animal that is suffering from a mental or physical illness or a behavioral problem that cannot be treated in the animal center. The Montreal SPCA’s policies state that they do not believe euthanasia is a viable solution to companion animal overpopulation in Canada. However, as with the BC SPCA, they will euthanize an animal as a last resort if they have a serious ailment.
A 2011 study of 67 Canadian animal shelters found that just seven of the establishments examined stated they did not euthanize animals at all (Caffrey et al.). Of the 60 remaining, two said they did not euthanize dogs, four didn’t euthanize cats, and 19 reported not euthanizing any species other than dogs and cats.
What is the trap-neuter-return (TNR) program?
Many animal shelters and humane societies across the country facilitate trap-neuter-return programs. TNR is meant to be a humane and effective approach to addressing the homeless cat population; however, it doesn’t come without controversy.
TNR involves trapping feral cats via non-lethal baited traps with the intent to spay/neuter them and, in some cases, also vaccinate them. Once they are healed, they’ll be released back outdoors.
The effectiveness of TNR programs is hotly debated. For every scientific study that suggests it’s a humane way to reduce community cat populations, another study says it’s ineffective. The overall effectiveness of such programs may depend on how intense the TNR programming is. One study suggests that high-intensity TNR management offers significant advantages for controlling feral cat populations (Boone et al.).
Conclusion
Canadian animal shelters are known for adopting far more animals than they euthanize. Their strict policies for spaying and neutering animals before they leave their care ultimately result in fewer animals entering shelters and better adoption rates.
