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Progress for renters with pets in Quebec

Quebec’s housing tribunal rules no-pet clause in rental lease violates Charter rights | CBC News

A recent ruling by Quebec’s housing tribunal has found the no-pet clause of a rental lease to be in violation of the province’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

Renters in Quebec have stronger grounds to challenge no-pet clauses in leases, marking important progress for those who are denied housing simply because they share their homes with companion animals.

“A recent ruling by Quebec’s housing tribunal has found a rental lease’s no-pet clause to be in violation of the province’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, marking a significant advancement in the protection of tenants’ rights when it comes to the issue of pets.”

“This is the first time the no-pet clause has been challenged based on Quebec Charter rights, specifically articles 1 and 5 that pertain to privacy and the right to personal freedom.”

Advocacy for renters with pets

The Montreal SPCA has been fighting to ban no-pet clauses in rental housing for more than a decade.

“More than half of Quebec families now include a pet, according to the SPCA, and challenges with finding housing that allows pets is one of the main reasons animals are surrendered to local shelters.”

By separating animals from the guardians who love them, no-pet clauses cause harm to both humans and animals. They also disproportionately impact individuals living on a lower income, who are far more likely to rent rather than own their homes. An end to these clauses would be a huge win for animal well-being and equity.

What does this mean for current clauses?

“The tribunal’s decision does not automatically invalidate all no-pet clauses across Quebec. However, … this case sets a precedent and means these clauses can now be challenged on these grounds.”

Where B.C. stands on no-pet clauses

Ontario is currently the only province in Canada where no-pet clauses are officially banned. The clauses are still allowed in British Columbia.

Last year, Vancouver City Council voted to push for more pet-friendly housing by asking the Province to eliminate no-pet clauses, and reviewing local housing policies to make sure renters aren’t punished for having a companion animal. The VHS’s Executive Director, Amy Morris, spoke in support of the motion before it was passed.

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The campaign to regulate exotic animals in B.C. explained!

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Many of us, or children in our lives, have passed snakes around classrooms, seen hedgehogs or tortoises sitting under bright lights at birthday parties, or seen lizards displayed in plastic containers at exotic pet expos. 

Across British Columbia, exotic animals are being transported to birthday parties, schools, fairs, and expo events through what are known as mobile live animal programs, or MLAPs. These programs are often marketed as educational and family friendly. But what do they really teach, and at what cost? 

There are growing calls, including from the VHS, other animal protection organizations, and the Union of B.C. Municipalities, for the B.C. government to regulate mobile live animal programs and update outdated exotic animal regulations using a science-based approach. 

Because these programs are often presented as educational or harmless, many people have questions about how they work and what impacts they may have on animals, public safety, and conservation.

Below are answers to some of the most common questions about mobile live animal programs and exotic animal regulations in B.C.

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What are mobile live animal programs?

MLAPs involve transporting animals to different locations for display, public entertainment, fundraising, or sale. This can include travelling petting zoos, classroom presentations, reptile expos, and events where exotic animals are sold. 

Many of the animals used in these programs are wild, exotic animals. By this, we mean that they are non-domesticated species native to countries outside Canada. Unlike dogs, cats, or horses, exotic animals have not been domesticated over thousands of years to live alongside people. Species like snakes, lizards, tortoises, sugar gliders, and spiders retain their wild instincts, even if bred in captivity.

Are these programs really educational?

MLAPs are often defended as hands-on learning experiences that help children develop care for conservation or empathy for animals. However, research does not support the claim that interacting with live animals in these settings increases conservation knowledge or action.

Some research actually suggests that these experiences can result in negative emotional or intellectual perceptions of animals. Seeing animals removed from their natural environments, confined in small enclosures, and handled repeatedly can normalize the idea that wild animals exist for human use. 

Hands-on interactions can also increase the desire to own exotic animals, particularly among children. Rather than discouraging impulse purchases, close contact may unintentionally fuel demand. 

Researchers note that seeing animals up close is not necessary to foster learning, care, or conservation. Many beloved species, such as humpback whales, are widely protected without ever being held or handled by the public. 

Why don’t many exotic animals make good pets?

Exotic animals, whether captive bred or wild caught, have complex social, behavioural, dietary, and environmental needs. These needs are difficult to meet in captivity and even more difficult in private homes. 

When their needs are not met, animals may suffer chronic stress, illness, and premature death. It can also be challenging and costly to access specialized veterinary care. This can result in painful death, abandonment or surrender to already overburdened rescues. 

Even well-intentioned guardians may not have the expertise or resources required to properly care for exotic species. That is why the VHS supports a science-based “positive list” framework. This framework would outline species allowed to be kept as pets and would be based on welfare, health, safety, and environmental criteria.   

B.C.’s current Controlled Alien Species Regulations (CASR) are based on a lengthy and reactive “negative listing” approach, which lists 1000+ restricted and prohibited species. The current regulations also do not include animal welfare or disease risk as considerations for which animals are prohibited.    

What happens to animals during these events?

Exotic animals used in MLAPs face significant welfare risks, including stress from: 

  • Frequent travel to and from events, sometimes long distances 
  • Repeated public handling 
  • Undersized or barren enclosures during transport and display 
  • Inability to escape from public view or the view of other animals 
  • Exposure to unnatural lighting, temperature, humidity, noise, and smells

Research shows that many reptiles and other exotic animals hide signs of stress as a survival tactic. An animal that appears calm may still be experiencing chronic stress, which can have serious physical and psychological impacts. 

The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries opposes public contact with wildlife, stating that pay-to-play activities are never in the best interest of the animal and can pose risks to both public safety and animal health. 

Why are animal enclosures at exotic animal events a concern?

Many exotic animals are sold across the province in barren, plastic take-out style containers with little to no enrichment, space, or opportunity to exhibit natural behaviours. It is often unclear how long animals remain in these containers throughout the duration of an event, which may last several hours or even multiple days. 

To justify this type of confinement, some organizations have referenced the International Air Transport Association’s Live Animals Regulations. These guidelines are designed to keep animals safe during air travel, where they may risk injury due to turbulence, and are intended to apply only during active transport. 

However, while travel to and from events may require temporary housing, displaying animals for sale or entertainment at an expo or event is not a period of active travel and does not pose the same safety risks as periods of active travel. Stress that animals experience in these housing environments far outweigh any potential benefits. 

Travel is often one of the most stressful events in any animal’s life, and all efforts should be made to minimize the need to transport animals, the duration of travel, and time spent in restrictive temporary housing.  

Unlike transportation guidelines, there are currently no consistent provincial standards in B.C. that regulate adequate animal handling or living spaces at mobile live animal events. Keeping animals in temporary, restrictive housing for entire days or weekends for the purpose of sale or public display can compromise animal welfare and increase stress and suffering. 

What about rescues?

Some MLAPs describe themselves as rescues that rely on events to raise funds for animal care. While funding challenges are real, reputable sanctuaries and rescues prioritize animal welfare above all else and successfully raise funds without putting animals at risk of stress and suffering. 

Grants, animal sponsorship programs, online peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate partnerships, and community events offer sustainable alternatives. Ethical rescues prioritize the long-term well-being of animals and do not use wild or exotic animals for public handling or entertainment. 

What changes are we calling for?

The VHS is urging the B.C. government to: 

  • Establish clear, enforceable regulations for mobile live animal programs that address animal welfare, environmental, public health and safety issues;  
  • Update and strengthen the CASR to prioritize animal welfare and public health considerations, alongside public safety, when determining which species can be kept, bred, and traded; 
  • Support a ban on keeping exotic species that cannot be humanely or safely kept. 

Peer-reviewed research, including recent analysis of reptile expos, supports stronger oversight and evidence-based regulations. A comprehensive approach must address both the sale of exotic animals and their use in public interaction programs. 

There are better ways to educate and inspire

We can foster compassion for animals without transporting them to and from parties and expos to be handled and put on display. Documentaries, virtual learning, sanctuary/rescue visits that prioritize animal well-being, and conservation programs all offer meaningful ways to engage the public. 

As public awareness grows, sentiment is shifting away from using live animals for entertainment and outreach. B.C. has an opportunity to lead with thoughtful, science-based policy that protects animals, public safety, and native ecosystems. 

If you believe wild, exotic animals deserve better protection, join us in calling on the provincial government to regulate mobile live animal programs and update B.C.’s exotic animal rules. 

Together, we can build a future where education and compassion never come at the expense of animal welfare. 

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Ask the provincial government to take meaningful action on this issue by implementing the UBCM’s recommendations. 

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More than 1,300 pets received life-saving care in 2025

CTV News story

Last year was incredibly challenging for many animal guardians across British Columbia. Rising costs left more people struggling to afford emergency veterinary care for the animals they love. At the same time, shelters and rescues were stretched beyond capacity.

For guardians with nowhere else to turn, the Vancouver Humane Society’s McVitie Fund was a vital lifeline.

In 2025, 1,372 animals received urgent, life-saving veterinary care through the McVitie Fund, nearly double the number helped the year before. Demand has grown dramatically, with more than eleven times as many applications compared to 2020.

Thanks to caring people like you, the program was able to remain open until mid-December and distribute a record-breaking $642,000 in emergency funds.

1,372

animals received life-saving veterinary care through the McVitie Fund in 2025

Your support makes stories like Rafiki’s possible.

After repeated attempts to treat painful urinary crystals, Rafiki needed emergency surgery. With help from the McVitie Fund, he received the care he needed and is now back home with his guardian, Sarah. “If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know what I would have done. Thank you so much!” Sarah told the VHS. “He’s my baby boy. He means everything to me.”

Rafiki at the vet
Rafiki back home safe

Every dollar makes a difference for families in need of urgent support. Can you donate today to help animals come home safe?

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George is home safe

When Hannah noticed that her beloved dog George had stopped eating and drinking and had developed a large, hard bump on his lip, she was terrified. Firm lumps that cause behaviour changes like this can be a sign of cancer.

George is a rescued dog from Mexico, found abandoned in a dumpster with his brothers as a puppy. Today, he is a 70-pound lap dog at heart who wants nothing more than to snuggle close to his mom. “He’s the most cuddly boy and always wanting to sleep with mom,” Hannah shared.

Living in a recovery house and doing her best to rebuild her life, Hannah was distraught when she realized she could not afford to have George examined. Hannah reached out to the McVitie Fund for help.  

Thanks to support from our wonderful community, George was able to see a veterinarian. He received an exam, medication for allergies, and antibiotics to treat the concerning bump. George is now on the road to recovery and back where he belongs, curled up beside Hannah. 

“Thank you so much for your help, I seriously appreciate it,” Hannah told the VHS’s McVitie team. She now looks forward to reaching a point in her life when she can give back to help other animals like George.

George’s recovery would not have been possible without the support of generous donors to the McVitie Fund. Could you make a small gift today to help us say yes to more beloved companion animals?

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Momentum builds to end unnecessary surgeries on companion animals

Across North America, we’re seeing meaningful progress to protect animals from medically unnecessary procedures. This is a great sign that awareness and compassion are driving real change.

More governments moving away from harmful procedures

Ontario could ban declawing cats, debarking dogs under new regulations | CBC News

Ontario appears set to push ahead with a ban on declawing cats and debarking and ear cropping dogs, a move animal welfare advocates say is years overdue and doesn’t go far enough.

The Province of Ontario is currently considering a ban on procedures such as declawing, debarking, and ear cropping when they are not medically necessary.

These surgeries, often performed for human convenience rather than animal health, can cause lasting physical and behavioural harm. For instance, debarking removes an important way that dogs communicate, while declawing can cause lasting pain, nerve damage, increased aggression, and difficulties walking normally.

The state of California also recently took action to protect companion animals. A statewide ban on medically unecessary declawing came into effect at the beginning of 2026, reinforcing the growing recognition that removing a cat’s claws—which involves amputating part of each toe—is not a humane solution to scratching.. The state joins others such as New York, Maryland, and Virginia, which have passed similar laws.

Where B.C. stands on medically unecessary procedures for pets

For more than a decade, the College of Veterinarians of B.C. (CVBC) has prohibited cosmetic procedures such as tail docking and ear cropping. In 2023, the CVBC strengthened its protections by also banning declawing and debarking when not medically necessary.

Ontario remains the only province without restrictions on cosmetic procedures for pets; but that could soon change. These developments reflect a broader shift away from practices rooted in convenience and toward policies grounded in the science of animal well-being.

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Urgent Care

Urgent care for Annie

Donate toward Annie’s care

Donate to help Annie this Valentine’s Day


Usually playful Annie is in pain after a bad fall at home. Annie jumped from the kitchen cabinets and fractured the bones in her paw. Without surgery, she risks ongoing pain and long-term mobility issues.

Annie’s guardian, Mackenna, loves her sweet cat dearly. She is living on a very low income and has been saving as best as she can, but cannot afford the unexpected cost of Annie’s surgery on her own.

Annie helps Mackenna manage her anxiety and brings stability and love to her everyday life. “She is the most gentle and kindest animal,” Mackenna shared. “She provides so much peace and security to my daily life and I could not live without her.”  

When you donate today to help Annie, you can choose to make a donation in honour of someone special and send a thoughtful e-card to their inbox.

Simply tick the “Yes, I want to dedicate my donation box in the “Want to dedicate your gift to someone special?” section of the online donation form. Then, select “In Honour Of”.

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Scrolling past suffering: Exotic pets and social media culture

Social media has become one of the most powerful places where people learn about animals. Every day, Canadians scroll past videos of sugar gliders, servals, turtles, snakes, and even native species of wild animals being kept in homes. 

But what do these posts actually tell us about public attitudes toward the exotic pet trade? 

2024 research study examined social media content to better understand how Canadians talk about exotic pets online. What the researchers found raises serious concerns for animal welfare, conservation, and the growing normalization of keeping exotic animals as companions. 

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What animals are being shared online?

The study found that a wide range of animals appeared in social media posts, including: 

  • Endangered or threatened species, such as the black-breasted leaf turtle and the Sakishima grass lizard 
  • Animals seen as “cute” or trendy, like sugar gliders and servals
  • Native Canadian wildlife, including raccoons, foxes, and lynxes kept in captivity  (Note: the keeping of wildlife is illegal in B.C. without a permit)

Many of the most popular posts showed exotic animals in ways that encouraged admiration, without explaining how difficult it is to meet their complex needs. 

Public opinion was often positive

One of the most troubling findings was that overall public opinion about the exotic pet trade in Canada was mostly positive. 

Reactions often depended on the type of animal being shown. Mammals received more positive responses than reptiles or spiders, for example. 

When people expressed concern, it was usually focused on one visible issue, such as an enclosure being too small. Much less attention was given to broader harms, including: 

  • long-term suffering
  • improper care  
  • illegal wildlife ownership
  • impacts on conservation  

In many cases, the deeper consequences of the exotic pet trade were missing from the conversation entirely. 

A growing “Collector” mindset

Researchers also noticed a strong “collector” mentality online. 

Some users expressed a desire to own more animals, more species, and rarer animals simply for the sake of having them. This mindset treats living beings as possessions rather than individuals with complex needs. 

At the same time, there was little awareness of how the exotic animal trade threatens wild populations and ecosystems. 

Exotic pets are often personified for entertainment

Another major trend was the way exotic animals are portrayed with human-like emotions or personalities. 

Many posts gave animals voices, assigned them roles like “best friend” or “baby,” or suggested they enjoy captivity the way humans might. 

This kind of content can be deeply misleading. Exotic animals are not domesticated and treating them like props or characters can hide serious welfare concerns. 

The study also found widespread misunderstanding about whether exotic pet ownership is legal. 

Many viewers assumed that if an animal is shown online, it must be permitted or ethical to keep. In reality, laws vary widely, enforcement is limited, and illegal ownership can easily go unnoticed on social media. 

When viral content drives demand: “Paris Hilton Syndrome”

The researchers highlighted a phenomenon sometimes called “Paris Hilton Syndrome.” 

This term comes from the surge in Chihuahua popularity after Paris Hilton’s dog frequently appeared in the media. Many people bought the breed impulsively, and countless dogs were later abandoned or surrendered to shelters. 

Similar trends have followed popular films and television shows, including: 

  • 101 Dalmatians 
  • Finding Nemo 
  • Lassie 

Today, influencers and celebrities sharing exotic pet videos can have the same effect. Viral content can make exotic animals seem trendy, accessible, and easy to care for, even when the reality is far more complex. 

The danger of “Folklore Husbandry”

The study also identified a troubling pattern of misinformation known as “folklore husbandry.” 

This refers to exotic animal care advice that spreads online without scientific evidence or best practices, often based on convenience or personal opinion. 

Examples included false claims such as: 

  • certain animals “do well in small spaces” 
  • keeping exotic pets helps conservation because the species is endangered 
  • captivity is harmless if the animal seems calm 

These myths can lead to suffering and neglect. 

What this means for animals

Positive reactions online can encourage people with little experience to purchase exotic pets or accumulate more animals over time. 

When exotic animals are presented as cute, funny, or emotionally relatable, viewers may accept the content without questioning whether the animal is stressed, improperly housed, or even being kept illegally. 

The result is increased demand, weak oversight, and growing risks for animals. 

What can we do?

Technology can worsen the exotic pet trade, but it can also help stop it. How we use social media matters. 

We can do better by: 

  • challenging myths about exotic pet care 
  • thinking critically about what we see online 
  • supporting stronger regulations 
  • promoting animal welfare and conservation 
  • sharing responsible, evidence-based content 

Social media can be part of the solution, not the problem.

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Have your say: Canada’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines

Update

The public feedback period for the Equine Code of Practice is now closed. Thank you to everyone who spoke up for animals. Please go to this page for current campaigns.

  • In 2024, we asked for your help in completing a national survey that gathered top equine welfare concerns. Your voice was heard, and responses from this survey were used to create a draft Equine Code of Practice.  
  • The public comment period for the National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Equine Code of Practice is now open until March 12, 2026  
  • The Equine Code of Practice provides a guideline for the on-farm care and handling of horses and donkeys raised in Canada.  
  • While this draft provides many much-needed updates to the Equine Code of Practice, there are still changes to be made to improve equine welfare. 
  • Note that the code does not include transport, such as the live export of horses for slaughter; it only includes on-farm practices and deciding if individual horses are fit for transport. 

TAKE ACTION: Join us in providing feedback on the draft code on the issues that are important to you; everyone can participate! 

Top welfare priorities
Tips for submitting
Submit your feedback 

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Top Welfare Priorities

We encourage you to read through the draft Equine Code of Practice and provide feedback on the issues that matter most to you if possible.

However, we have prepared the VHS’s top welfare priorities with section headers and tips for submitting your feedback if you are short on time and would like guidance. REMINDER: do not copy and paste the text below, as duplicate submissions will be ignored by NFACC.

Section 2: Facilities and Housing

Section 2.3.1 – Indoor space allowance

Comment on Requirements:

Tie-stalls should be banned, which keep animals tethered in one place and prevent them from moving freely, socializing, or behaving naturally, often leading to physical and mental health problems. (Popescu et al., 2019; Yngvesson et al., 2019).

Section 6: Loose Horse Management

Section 6.5.1 – Stocking density

Comment on Requirements

Currently, there are no requirements about how much space horses need or shelter access in feedlots or other similar environments. Clear minimum standards should be set, based on research, to give horses enough room, reduce stress, fighting, and injuries, and protect them from harsh weather.

Section 7: Husbandry

Section 7.1 – Turnout, social opportunities, and enrichment 

Comment on Requirements

Currently, there are no minimum requirements for turnout (giving equines free access to pasture or paddock), social opportunities, and enrichment in the draft code.

Turnout and enrichment allow horses to express natural behaviours and provide mental stimulation, including grazing, freedom of movement and social interaction.

Minimum requirements should include: 

Turnout: Horses should be allowed outside for at least 12 hours each day (Bell et al., 2001). They need enough space to move freely at their own pace and to get away from other horses if there is aggression.

Enrichment: Horses should have regular contact with other compatible horses, a variety of toys and feeding options, and opportunities to do natural things like rolling in pasture or using scent and scratching stations.

Section 7.2 – General behaviour and handling of horses

Comment on Recommended Best Practices

Horses are easily frightened and may react by bolting or becoming aggressive. To keep both people and horses safe, it should be a requirement to avoid loud noises, sudden movements, or other actions that could scare them.

Section 7.3 – Methods of identification

Comment on Requirements

Hot and freeze branding are painful and stressful for horses and can have lasting effects on their behaviour. Since there are safer ways to identify horses, like microchipping, branding should no longer be allowed. Instead, clear visual identification methods, such as coat markings, hair patterns, colour differences, scars, or properly fitted leg bands, should be used.

Section 8: Exercise & Training

Section 8.2 – Guidelines for training horses

Comment on Recommended Best Practices

It should be required to use the First Training Principles when training and handling horses (refer to Appendix L – Handling Horses and How Horses Learn).

Equestrians often use training methods that compromise equine welfare to achieve competition-related goals. Training horses should never harm their well-being and should match what they are physically and mentally able to do.

Using proven, humane training methods helps keep both horses and trainers safe and reduces problem behaviours.

Section 9: Reproductive Management

Section 9.5.4 – Weaning

Comment on Recommended Best Practices

It should be a requirement that foals are not weaned before 6 months of age, and when possible, weaning should wait until after 9 months. Gradual weaning helps reduce stress and supports healthy growth and development in young horses (Henry et al., 2020).

Section 10: Transport

Section 10.1 – Fitness for transport

Comment on Requirements

People who assess an animal’s suitability for transport should receive proper training, and their assessments should be recorded and documented so there are clear, reliable records.

Section 10.4 – Loading and unloading

Comment on Recommended Best Practices

Recommendations (a.), (b.), (c.), (d.), (e.) should be requirements given the high stress of loading and unloading for equines.

Section 10.4.2 – Post-transport management

Comment on Recommended Best Practices:

Horses may hide signs of pain when people are watching (Torcivia & McDonnell, 2020), so recently transported horses should be closely monitored for dehydration, injuries, colic, fever, or breathing problems, especially after long trips or when horses from different places have been mixed.

Comment on Recommended Best Practices:

There should be a recommended practice of video monitoring recently transported horses.

Section 11: Change or End of Career

Section 11.1 – Change or end of career

Comment on Requirements:

Every equine industry should have a transition plan for what happens to horses at the end of their working careers, and having this plan should be required for operation.

Section 12: Euthanasia

Section 12.2 – Methods of euthanasia

Comment on Requirements:

Euthanasia must be carried out in a way that causes no pain or fear, and horses must be made unconscious immediately.

Submit your feedback now!

Tips for submitting

To make your submission impactful, and to ensure that it is reviewed by NFACC, consider these tips before submitting your feedback:  

  • IMPORTANT: Do not copy and paste wording, as duplicate responses and/or profanity or derogatory language will not be considered by NFACC. 
  • Keep responses relevant to the draft code. Issues involving transportation, such as live horse export, will not be considered by NFACC.  
  • Provide references and examples whenever possible. 
  • Reference exact wording in the draft code that you would like to see changed and how you would like it changed  
  • Make it personal, the committee members are interested in how this code impacts you  
  • Consider looking through the submission form for formatting style before you begin drafting your feedback 
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak up for equids in Canada.
Submit your feedback now!
References

Bell R.A., Nielsen B.D., Waite K., Rosenstein D. & Orth M. (2001) Daily access to pasture turnout prevents loss of mineral in the third metacarpus of Arabian weanlings. Journal of Animal Science 79:142-1150.  

Henry, S., Sigurjónsdóttir, H., Klapper, A., Joubert, J., Montier, G., & Hausberger, M. (2020). Domestic foal weaning: Need for re-thinking breeding practices? Animals 10(2): 361. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020361  

Popescu, S., Lazar, E. A., Borda, C., Niculae, M., Sandru, C. D., & Spinu, M. (2019). Welfare quality of breeding horses under different housing conditions. Animals 9(3): 81. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9030081  

Torcivia, C., & McDonnell, S. (2020). In-Person Caretaker Visits Disrupt Ongoing Discomfort Behavior in Hospitalized Equine Orthopedic Surgical Patients. Animals 10(2): 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020210  

Yngvesson, J., Rey Torres, J. C., Lindholm, J., Pättiniemi, A., Andersson, P., & Sassner, H. (2019). Health and body conditions of riding school horses housed in groups or kept in conventional tie-Stall/Box housing. Animals 9(3): 73. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9030073 

Stay Informed. Help Animals.

Learn about farmed animal welfare in Canada and what you can do to help! Sign up now to get clear explanations, action alerts, and practical steps you can take when it matters most.  Click here to learn more.

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Urgent Care

Molly needs urgent surgery

Could you donate to help Molly live pain-free?


Molly urgently needs surgery for a tumour

Magali’s Saint Bernard, Molly, also lovingly called Momo, is her best friend.

“Momo is the sweetest and most gentle Saint Bernard you could ever meet,” Magali shared. “She has a calm and affectionate personality and loves nothing more than snuggling and being close to her people.”

Molly is usually a happy, playful six-year-old. “When she gets the zoomies she runs sideways across the room like a little crab, which always makes me laugh,” Magali said. She carries her favourite stuffies with her to bed each night.

These days, Molly is living with constant pain.

A tumour inside Molly’s ear canal is causing inflammation and discomfort. Without urgent surgery, it will cause ongoing pain, chronic infections, and life-threatening complications. Brave Molly previously underwent this same surgery on her other ear, which brought her relief. With the condition now affecting her remaining ear, surgery will leave her permanently deaf, but free from pain.

“I have already started training her so we can continue to communicate,” Magali said. “She has been responding very well and adapting beautifully.” Molly is otherwise healthy and has so much life ahead of her to be lived by Magali’s side.

Magali is doing everything she can while living with chronic health conditions and a very limited income. After already taking on significant debt for Molly’s previous procedure, she has even been selling her belongings, but the cost of this surgery is still beyond what she can manage on her own.

Can you donate today to help Molly get the care she needs to live free from pain?

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Urgent Care

Orangy needs urgent veterinary care

Could you donate to help Orangy?


Orangy needs your help

When Marla heard her beloved cat, Orangy, crying for her in his tiny little whisper, she rushed over to find him in discomfort, straining to urinate.  
 
Marla took Orangy straight to the vet, where veterinary staff confirmed that five-year-old Orangy was suffering from a serious urinary blockage. He was unblocked once, but by the next morning, Orangy was blocked again. Without proper treatment and several days of hospitalization, his condition could quickly become life threatening.  
  
Orangy was born in a forest, where he survived the cold and illness, even losing his voice, before finding his way to Marla.  
 
Though his meow is faint, Orangy’s presence is huge. Marla describes him as the most loving and affectionate companion, a cat who flops onto his back to stretch, follows you from room to room to make sure you are okay, and never misses a chance to cuddle or paw at whatever sparks his curiousity.  

To continue life without Orangy would break Marla’s heart.  
  
“I love my cat and he’s been there for me through a lot. Orangy is such a special guy and he deserves to come home,” Marla told the VHS’s McVitie Fund team. 
  
Marla’s limited funds are exhausted from Orangy’s unexpected initial treatments. She has no funds left to cover the next critical step in his care. 

Orangy’s prognosis is very good with treatment. He has a real chance to recover and return home to the person who loves him, but time is critical.  

Your kindness can ease Orangy’s pain and ensure this special cat has many more years to come with Marla. Can you make a donation today?