Help Put an End to Puppy Mills in Canada

Project Report | Feb 20, 2023
Cost & Access To Veterinary Care A Growing Concern

By Melissa Devlin | Manager, Annual Donor Relations & Engagement

Hello,

Thank you for being a valued supporter of Humane Canada as we continue our work for companion animals in Canada.

Humane Societies & SPCA’s in our country continue to struggle with a rise in pet surrenders, most notably dogs. During the pandemic adoption of companion animals sky-rocketed, and now pet owners are struggling to find affordable veterinary care and pet-friendly housing, leading to some of those pandemic pets being returned to shelter. Our CEO Barbara Cartwright says that there are many contributing factors for this rise in pet surrenders, but a big reason is puppy mills. Because of the increased demand for dogs during the pandemic, this allowed for less reputable breeding facilities like puppy mills to benefit from the high number of people looking to add a new puppy to their home.

Dogs who come from puppy mills often suffer from a variety of health issues, or even behavioral problems due to inhumane breeding and poor conditions at these facilities. This can cause financial struggle for pet owners who cannot afford high veterinary costs, or they simply are not equipped to deal with behavioral issues. This leads to more dogs being surrendered to shelters who are left to deal with these concerns. Health and behavioral problems often mean a longer stay for the animal before they are ready for adoption, which creates a financial strain for shelters.

Not only is the cost of veterinary care a concern for many, but access to it at all is becoming more and more difficult. Four years ago, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association found that with the projected rise in pet ownership, the veterinary industry would need to increase the number of Veterinarians and other veterinary professionals by about 4% per year to keep up. That study was prior to the pandemic, as we know, the pandemic accelerated the rate of pet ownership since then.

Humane Canada will continue to consult our member SPCA’s & Humane Societies on these growing issues, as we work to provide solutions to both shelters and pet owners alike. We currently have a new website in development, that will be a hub of information and resources for our members and the public. In the meantime, access to information about puppy mills and responsible pet ownership are available on our current website.

Links:

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Oct 24, 2022
Puppy mill awareness amongst growing shelter surrender rates

By Melissa Devlin | Manager, Annual Donor Relations & Engagement

Hello,

Thank you for your continued support of Humane Canada as we work to improve dog welfare and end puppy mills in Canada. We continue to educate the public through digital campaigns to raise awareness on puppy mills in our country. In August 2022 we kicked off our Tails of Summer campaign to raise funds and recognize that Canada still has a long way to go to improve dog welfare, including our work toward ending puppy mills.

Puppy mills are inhumane high-volume breeding facilities that put profit above welfare. We estimate that there are thousands of active inhumane breeders across Canada and research shows there are 2000 known puppy mills in Quebec alone. Many of these are located in rural areas, which are difficult for humane society or SPCA inspectors to uncover. Life in a small, cramped cage with poor sanitation and no love or attention is no life at all for these dogs. Humane Canada continues to advocate to government to tackle this issue.

Humane Canada hosted a joint meeting with Humane Societies and SPCA’s to discuss the challenges that our member shelters are facing. We are working to provide solutions to pressing issues like the alarming post pandemic trend in pet surrenders which includes an unprecedented number of dogs. Our members are overwhelmed and facing challenges in rehabilitating dogs suffering from a lack of socialization, aggression, or costly medical conditions that are likely due to poor breeding and puppy mills. These dogs need skilled support and time to work through issues, before they are ready for adoption - which can be a big challenge for many shelters with limited resources.

Humane Canada offers a “What to Know Before Getting A Dog” toolkit on our website, which highlights ways to recognize and avoid puppy mills and choose legitimate, safe breeders or adoption facilities. By educating the public about puppy mills we can help put a halt to the demand for these inhumane breeding facilities. We also continue to work collaboratively with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to reduce the impact of puppy mills and the importation of puppies from overseas.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your continued support of Humane Canada, we truly value your generous contribution and effort to raise awareness of puppy mills in Canada.

Links:

What To Know Before Getting A Dog

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Jun 27, 2022
Final Results of Puppy Mill Awareness Campaign

By Melissa Devlin | Donor Engagement & Development Coordinator

Thank you so much for your support as we continue to work toward ending puppy mills and educating the public on issues dogs are facing in our country.

The final results are in from our recent public awareness campaign to educate the public on Puppy Mills. This partnership with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), was created to educate Canadians looking to add a new pet to their family, including the warning signs of a potential puppy mill, dog importation, and encouraging adoption.

We can proudly say that this campaign reached an audience of 1.6 Million on social media during January 24-March 31, 2022, greatly raising awareness about puppy mills & other issues affecting dogs in our country. Of those 1.6M, 77,720 people visited our web page link for more information. In addition to social media, we created Google ads targeted at those who are looking for a new pet and 39,599 people visited the webpage link through those ads. That is at least 117,319 Canadians who have gained new knowledge about puppy mills and dog importation, so they can make informed choices when chosing a pet.

By educating the public on other options and potential risks of acquiring a dog of unknown or imported origin, the hope is more people will chose to adopt from a reputable shelter and do their research before buying from a breeder. We are giving Canadian’s informed choices to consider when getting a new pet, including the ‘What to Know Before Getting a Dog” tool kit on our website, that includes important considerations when adding a new dog to your family.

The CFIA regulates humane transport and dog imports coming into Canada. In 2021, the CFIA made important changes to the laws regarding the importation of puppies under 8 months of age into Canada, including the breeding and re-sale of dogs. Those changes improved compliance with humane transport and animal health requirements.

We will continue to update you on the important work we are doing to educate the public about puppy mills and dog importation in our country. If you know someone looking to add a new furry member to their family, we encourage you to share our resources and tool kit with them. The more we spread awareness, the less demand there will be on these unethical sources of breeding and selling dogs.

Thank you for all your support!

Links:

What To Know Before Getting A Dog

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