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Humane society offering discounted adoption fees this weekend

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The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Northwest Animal Centre is hoping to find loving homes for animals in need during its Fall Adoption Days event this weekend.

Adoption fees for adult cats, dogs and rabbits will be reduced by 15% this Friday and Saturday.

Some of the furry friends available for adoption this weekend (Photos supplied by SPCA & taken by aprilmaephoto.ca)

The event comes as the Ontario SPCA reports a record number of animals in its care, with more than 650 animals currently housed across its 13 animal centres in the province.

That’s the highest number of animals in the last five years.

The organization says the increase is partly due to animals displaced by wildfires in Northern Ontario, along with a growing number of families seeking to re-home their pets.

“Things have changed in the last few years with lack of resources, lack of veterinary services within our community,” said SPCA Engagement Coordinator Stephanie Foligno. “We’re really hoping we can see a few people show up this weekend and get some animals into loving forever homes.”

Cats and dogs adopted through the Ontario SPCA are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

“We do encourage people to make appointments over the phone, but we’ll never turn away a walk-in,” Foligno said.

Animals adopted from the Northwest Animal Centre will also go home with Pet Valu coupons, including a voucher for a free bag of food.

“Every animal deserves the chance to find a loving home, and right now, there are more animals than usual waiting for that chance,” says Tina Kanellos, Manager, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Northwest Animal Centre. “Fall Adoption Days are an opportunity for people to open their hearts and homes to an animal in need, while helping us make space for other animals who may need our support.”

Those interested in adopting can view available animals on the Ontario SPCA website.

Anyone unable to adopt can still support the organization by making a donation to help provide care and shelter for animals in need.

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Donation allows SPCA’s trap, neuter, return program to come back

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A multi-year donation from Robbie’s Fund Foundation is allowing the Nova Scotia SPCA to bring its Trap, Neuter, Return program back sooner than originally planned.

The SPCA announced August 7 that the donation will fund a new mobile surgery unit and five years of operational costs, allowing the program to resume in a limited capacity in 2026.

“This wonderful donation from Robbie’s Fund Foundation will cover the cost of a new mobile surgery unit and five years of operational funding,” says Heather Woodin, Chief, Animal Operations with the Nova Scotia SPCA.

“We are grateful for this support, which will allow us to bring the program back in 2026, in a limited capacity, and then more fully in the next few years” added Woodin.

The program started in 2016. Unowned outdoor cats. Cats are humanely trapped, examined by veterinary professionals, spayed or neutered, ear-tipped for identification and then returned to their outdoor territory.

It was paused in May due to lack of funding.

For 2026, the SPCA plans to work with rescue and community organizations to fill six TNR sessions. The program will continue to be offered free of charge to participating organizations.

Support needed

While Robbie’s Fund Foundation will cover major program costs, including the mobile surgery vehicle, medical supplies and veterinary medical staff, the SPCA says community support will still be required.

Volunteers will be needed to help bring the program to communities across Nova Scotia. The organization is also seeking registered veterinary technicians and veterinarians.

The foundation says its multi-year commitment is intended not only to help bring the program back, but also to provide stability as the SPCA works to build its volunteer and donor base.

“Robbie’s Fund Foundation is thrilled to make this gift to ensure the Trap, Neuter, Return program comes back from hiatus in 2026, and continues for the next few years,” the foundation says.

The foundation says it hopes the donation will also raise awareness about the need for greater support for animal welfare, including programs and veterinary medicine.

The SPCA says working with local rescue groups across the province will be an important part of improving the welfare of feral and unowned outdoor cats through spay and neuter services.

With the new funding in place, the organization expects the program to expand beyond the six planned sessions in 2026 and operate more fully in the coming years.

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Funding issues forces SPCA to pause program to neuter stray cats

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The SPCA says funding struggles has forced them to suspend their program to trap, neuter, and then return stray cats to where they were found.

They no longer have a dedicated funding partner, so they cannot offer the service at no cost to the caretakers and rescuers involved, according to Heather Woodin, chief of animal operations with the SPCA.

“It’s important to note that we’re pausing the program, and it’s not because the work’s not important. We certainly recognize the value of the work, but it’s because the current model of operations, really, it’s not financially sustainable anymore,” says Woodin.

Volunteers and other groups who have worked with the SPCA on the program got an email last week notifying them of the pause.

Since the program began in 2016, they have helped thousands of cats. But the amount each year depends on funding and resources, like volunteers who are willing to go out and trap the animals.

Historically, they have had funding for half of the program, but now the cost to run it has ballooned beyond $180,000 a season, typically outside of the winter months, because it is dangerous to release cats into the snow when they have recently had surgery.

The majority of those expenses are now falling onto the SPCA, according to Woodin. She says the trap-neuter-return program does not get government funding, although other SPCA programs do, including their investigation services.

Prices rising across the board

With inflation, Woodin says it is just one thing after another.

“The costs of medications and providing veterinary care has gone high as well. So we’re experiencing cost increases from all aspects of our programs,” says Woodin.

They are exploring options, like whether they can get enough donations, ways to make the program more sustainable.

“Because the way we’re looking at it now and the efficiency now, it is not sustainable to help this number of cats with the funding, with the increased and expenses to offer this program.”

Vehicle a key challenge

They purchased the mobile clinic in 2016, which they use to neuter the cats in the program, and that was only possible because of a bequest, a type of donation, from Dr. Susan Roberts and Eleanor Dyke.

Woodin says most of the stray cats come from rural areas.

Now their goal is to get funding so that they do not have to take away from other programs to support the trap-neuter-return service.

“It requires strong community partnerships and support to help this program continue to operate to tackle cat population issues and to continue to maintain some of the successes we’ve been able to achieve with this program.”

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PetSmart Charities aims to expand access to vet care with $200K grant

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PetSmart Charities of Canada (PSCC) is providing $200,000 in funding to help the SPCA expand access to veterinary care across Nova Scotia.

According to a study by the charity, about 50% of pet owners report skipping vet visits, primarily due to cost. PSCC president Aimee Gilbreath says when that happens, “small medical issues can become serious and far more expensive.”

Half of the funding will be used to hire additional staff at SPCA clinics, increasing appointment availability and allowing more pets to be seen. The remaining funds will support education at the SPCA’s College of Animal Welfare in Dartmouth, helping train students with a focus on accessible and affordable care.

SPCA College vice-president Marni Tuttle says, “the grant funding will allow for the adaptation of both the Veterinary Technician and Veterinary Assistant curriculum to include access to care, embedding the principles into all courses.”

According to the charity, a portion of the money donated at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores is a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, adding customers have helped them grant more than $40 million since being established in 1999.

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Record for response, but fewer animals seized, NBSPCA

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The number of complaint calls to the New Brunswick SPCA rose in 2025.

They responded to 4795 complaints in 2025, which is four percent higher than the previous year. That’s the highest volume of calls in the history of the organization.

Executive Director Lesley Rogers says the continued increase is a result of the cost of living, particularly affordable housing and low incomes.

“Particularly with the continued rise in the cost of living, difficulty in a tight housing market for low-income pet families trying to find affordable housing that accepts pets continues to be a challenge,” said Rogers.

She says the aging population of pet owners also contributes to these statistics, as their circumstances can sometimes change without warning. Some of those animals are coming into the SPCA’s system because they need someone able to care for them.

“The public is more aware of animal protection issues and concerns. We applaud them for making calls for us to follow up on to make sure that the animals they have concerns about are safe,” Rogers said.

The number of domestic animals seized from unsafe situations totalled 1,111, roughly 100 fewer seizures than the year prior.

Rogers says the SPCA’s system cannot sustain a never-ending upward trend in complaints and animals being seized. However, she says her team is encouraged to see some positive impact resulting from the first full year of their Happy Tales prevention program.

Happy Tales is a program designed for low-income pet families to access support for events such as emergency veterinary care costs, vaccinations and spay/neuter. The program has been a huge success, according to Rogers.

“We are really keen to keep moving in that direction so that we can slowly bend the curve in terms of the growth in calls down because more people have other paths to get good resources for their pets.”

The program is funded entirely by donations and provided almost 1,300 pets from low-income families with essential care in 2025.

The NBSPCA enforces provincial animal protection laws under the SPCA Act. The organization’s involvement resulted in 23 convictions in 2025.

The number of agricultural animals such as horses, goats, pigs, and cows that were removed from unsafe conditions rose from 28 in 2024 to 50 in 2025, an increase of roughly 78 percent.

222 pet establishment inspections were performed in 2025, which are done to ensure that animal breeders, shelters, kennels, and pet stores that sell animals meet animal welfare standards.

“At any time, we will investigate a complaint against a breeder from the public if they have concerns about the environment the animals are raised in or the treatment of the animals,” said Rogers.

She noted one incident in the spring of 2025, where over 42 shih-tzus were seized from a breeder due to a public complaint, where someone had bought a puppy from the breeder. “Unfortunately, the puppy died within 7 or 8 months. [The complainant] was living in another province, but she was concerned about the well-being of animals at that facility. So, she made the complaint and that led to the charges that were made.”

Rogers says the owners of the operation pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing later in March. The owners were operating without a valid pet establishment license and were selling animals without an attached veterinary certificate of health.

“Our job is when we receive a complaint to investigate it and hold people accountable based on what we find. More important, we want to educate the public so that they know the signs to make sure they don’t inadvertently support those kinds of enterprises,” said Rogers.

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SPCA warns of winter danger for pets in vehicles

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The New Brunswick SPCA is asking pet owners to think carefully before leaving animals in parked vehicles during the winter.

The organization said freezing temperatures can put pets at risk of hypothermia and frostbite, even when the weather doesn’t feel extremely cold.

Chief Animal Protection Officer Tony Porter said cars lose heat quickly in winter, similar to how they heat up fast in the summer.

“People tend to underestimate how fast a vehicle can become uncomfortable for a dog,” he said.

Porter said some breeds tolerate cold better than others.

He said huskies are built for winter conditions, but thin‑coated dogs — including boxers, chihuahuas and Boston terriers — become cold much faster.

“They’re going to get colder a lot quicker,” he said.

He also noted that winter conditions can affect dogs during regular walks.

Porter said road salt can irritate a dog’s paws and that snow can build up between their pads, which can become painful.

He said owners may need to wipe their dog’s paws during a walk or use protective boots to prevent irritation.

Porter explained that dogs left outside in winter must have access to unfrozen water and a proper shelter, as required under New Brunswick’s SPCA Act.

The NBSPCA also has a code of practice outlining the standards for a suitable doghouse online.

Porter encouraged anyone who sees an animal left alone in a vehicle to contact the NBSPCA hotline at 1‑877‑722‑1522 or call local law enforcement if the animal appears to be in distress.

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Northwestern regions seeing surge of surrenders: SPCA

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According to the Ontario SPCA, the organization has transported nearly 230 animals from Northern regions to other centres in Ontario.

One of the reasons for the rise in surrenders is the economic hardship many are facing today.

“Things like inflation, cost of living, rising costs of veterinary care and even housing insecurity,” explains Bluhm. “We’re also seeing veterinary care shortages so people simply can’t find veterinarians (so) there’s unplanned litters as well.”