Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and don’t characterize the opinions of this web site.
Ask any pet proprietor, they usually’ll inform you simply how a lot proudly owning a pet has reworked their lives. Our pets give us unconditional love and add a lot pleasure to our lives, so it’s not shocking to be taught what number of animal adoption companies there are in Canada. These organizations are scattered all through the nation and home hundreds of animals ready for his or her eternally properties.
If you’re questioning concerning the state of pet adoptions in Canada, we’ve put collectively a listing of fascinating statistics to quell that curiosity. Read on to be taught extra.
The 11 Pet Adoption Statistics in Canada
- The variety of pets surrendered to Toronto animal shelters rose 75% in 2022 compared to 2021.
- The Ottawa Humane Society noticed a 15% increase in animals arriving at their shelter.
- The BC SPCA discovered properties for 11,138 animals in 2023.
- The Regina Humane Society discovered properties for 2,085 animals in 2022.
- The Calgary Humane Society discovered properties for 2,371 animals in 2022.
- The Ontario SPCA had 3,918 animals adopted in 2022.
- The Montreal SPCA adopted out 4,018 animals in 2022.
- Twenty-eight percent of Canadian pet homeowners added a pet in the course of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
- Forty-seven percent of Canadian pet homeowners who adopted in the course of the pandemic have encountered challenges with their pets.
- More Canadians personal cats than dogs.
- Approximately 1.4 million wild animals are stored as pets in Canada.
The State of Animal Shelters in Canada
1. The variety of pets surrendered to Toronto animal shelters rose 75% in 2022 in comparison with 2021.
(CTV News)
The pandemic noticed an enormous improve in pet adoption charges all through Canada, however the return to the workplace, coupled with rising pet prices within the nation, meant many individuals needed to give up their pets. In Toronto, the variety of pets surrendered to shelters rose 75% in 2022 in comparison with the primary half of 2021. Between January 1 and June 23, 2022, 709 pets have been surrendered to metropolis shelters, in comparison with simply 404 the 12 months prior.
2. The Ottawa Humane Society noticed a 15% improve in animals arriving at their shelter.
(Ottawa Humane Society)
In January 2024, the Ottawa Humane Society reported a 15% improve in animals arriving at their shelters in comparison with the earlier January. This development continued into February, with greater than 100 animals being admitted in a single week alone. However, regardless of the rise in intakes, fewer animals are being adopted, because the organization noticed a 23% lower in adoptions in comparison with January 2023.
Pet Adoption Success Stories in Canada
3. The BC SPCA discovered properties for 11,138 animals in 2023.
(BC SPCA)
The BC SPCA had a busy 12 months in 2023, helping over 130,000 animals within the province. They discovered properties for 11,138 animals and reunited 2,165 misplaced animals with their households. These numbers are up from 2022, when the SPCA discovered properties for 9,773 animals and reunited 2,032 misplaced pets with their guardians.
4. The Regina Humane Society discovered properties for two,085 animals in 2022.
(Regina Humane Society)
The Regina Humane Society adopted 2,085 animals in 2022. The majority of those animals have been cats and kittens, accounting for 1,612 of the two,085 adoptions. Dogs and puppies accounted for 453, whereas simply 20 small critters have been adopted. The adoption charges in 2022 have been barely larger than in 2021, when the organization discovered properties for 1,965 pets. Hopefully, when the 2023 report will get compiled, we are going to see one other improve in adoptions.
5. The Calgary Humane Society discovered properties for two,371 animals in 2022.
(Calgary Humane Society)
The Calgary Humane Society discovered properties for two,371 animals in 2022 and returned 238 animals to their homeowners. The adoption charges are up barely from the earlier 12 months when the organization adopted 2,114 animals.
6. The Ontario SPCA had 3,918 animals adopted in 2022.
(Ontario SPCA)
In 2022, the Ontario SPCA discovered properties for two,693 cats, 911 dogs, 274 small animals, and 40 birds. They have been additionally in a position to reunite 689 animals with their households. These numbers are up barely from the earlier 12 months when the organization discovered properties for 3,381 animals and reunited 282 misplaced pets with their households.
7. The Montreal SPCA adopted out 4,018 animals in 2022.
(Montreal SPCA)
The SPCA discovered properties for two,796 cats, 391 dogs, 384 small animals, 263 rabbits, 147 birds, and 37 cattle. The organization additionally carried out 2,506 sterilizations to assist handle the province’s animal overpopulation downside.
COVID-19 and Pet Adoptions in Canada
8. Twenty-eight p.c of Canadian pet homeowners added a pet in the course of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
(Angus Reid)
The preliminary lockdowns as a result of COVID-19 pandemic impressed many Canadians to welcome a brand new furry member of the family to their lives. According to a 2022 examine, 28% of Canadian pet homeowners mentioned they added a brand new pet that they nonetheless should their household in the course of the lockdowns.
9. Forty-seven p.c of Canadian pet homeowners who adopted in the course of the pandemic have encountered challenges with their pets.
(Angus Reid)
Nearly half of all Canadians who adopted an animal throughout lockdowns admit to encountering challenges with their pets when their life returned to their pre-pandemic schedule. One of the commonest challenges confronted by pet homeowners is anxiousness, each from the animal and the proprietor. Twenty-six p.c of householders report feeling responsible about leaving their pets alone, and 19% report their pets exhibiting anxious behaviors after they’re left alone.
Miscellaneous Pet Adoption in Canada Statistics
10. More Canadians personal cats than dogs.
(CAHI)
A nationwide survey of 4,000 Canadian pet homeowners discovered that 52% of households have been cat homeowners, whereas 48% had dogs. The survey additionally discovered that the Canadian pet inhabitants grew between 2020 and 2022, from 7.7 million to 7.9 million dogs and from 8.1 million to eight.5 million cats.
11. Approximately 1.4 million wild animals are stored as pets in Canada.
(World Animal Protection)
These wild animals vary from small invertebrates like stick bugs and scorpions to massive vertebrates like alligators. It is necessary to notice that the above statistic doesn’t determine within the fish inhabitants. Since fish are the third mostly stored pet in Canada, the precise variety of unique pets within the nation is probably going a lot bigger.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Adoption in Canada
Is it authorized to undertake a wild animal in Canada?
There’s no denying the great thing about wild animals; nonetheless, many are being poached from their pure environments or bred in captivity to grow to be non-traditional “pets.” Each province has its personal legal guidelines and laws concerning maintaining wild animals as pets, so you should educate your self concerning the legal guidelines in your area.
However, potential pet homeowners want to comprehend that maintaining unique animals generally is a public well being and private security threat. Zoonotic illnesses may be handed from animals to individuals, and accidents from tooth, beaks, claws, poison, or venom may be lethal.
Additionally, animal welfare isn’t considered when adopting unique pets. These animals have very particular care necessities and housing wants, and lack of assets, training, and specialised veterinary care could make caring for these animals correctly practically unimaginable.
Are any canine breeds unlawful to personal in Canada?
The federal authorities doesn’t implement breed-specific laws. However, provincial and municipal governments all through the nation do have the flexibility to ban or prohibit sure canine breeds. For instance, within the metropolis of Winnipeg, American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and American Staffordshire Terriers are prohibited, as is proudly owning any canine that has the looks and bodily traits of any of those breeds. In Ontario, the aforementioned breeds, in addition to the Pit Bull Terrier, are prohibited from coming into or transiting by the province.
Is there a distinction between humane societies, SPCAs, rescues, and satellite tv for pc adoption centres?
While all these organizations and services are pet and animal-centered, they do have some key variations.
Humane societies and SPCAs are essentially the most comparable organizations on the checklist above. They usually run shelters and animal adoption packages to search out loving properties for mistreated, deserted, or surrendered animals. They additionally typically educate the communities they serve about animal welfare.
Rescue organizations are sometimes run by animal fanatics and volunteers. They settle for animals that don’t belong in shelters or kilos and generally additionally soak up surrenders. The animals ready for his or her eternally properties are most frequently stored on the volunteers’ properties or in foster properties.
Satellite adoption facilities are usually pet shops that don’t promote animals however as a substitute will show them for the Humane Society or SPCA. The animals you see at your native PetSensible are doubtless not offered by the shop however by their companions. Displaying these animals within the retailer helps them attain extra individuals quicker to allow them to go to their eternally properties sooner.
Do all animals in shelters discover properties?
Unfortunately, no. However, in accordance with statistics from Humane Canada’s 2021 Animal Shelter Statistics, adoption is the most important end result class for pets in Canadian animal shelters. At the time of writing, there are not any statistics available for 2022 or 2023, so we’re utilizing considerably outdated stats from the 2021 report.
According to the report, 44% of admitted dogs and 62% of admitted cats have been placed of their eternally properties throughout 2021. The variety of stray dogs reclaimed by their homeowners was the best ever recorded, at 85%. Meanwhile, 16% of stray cats have been reclaimed.
In 2021, the proportion of cats and dogs taken in that needed to be euthanized was traditionally low. The euthanasia fee for cats was simply 11%, and for dogs, it was 10%.
(Humane Canada)
Did COVID-19 impression pet adoptions in Canada?
People throughout the nation welcomed new pets into their households in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, in accordance with statistics from Global News, almost 30% of Canadians adopted a brand new animal in the course of the pandemic, and 31% of those that adopted new pets throughout this time have been truly first-time pet mother and father.
However, as evidenced by a number of the stats we reviewed in the beginning of this text, not all of those pandemic adoptions ended fortunately. When individuals wanted to return to work after lockdowns, many pets have been relinquished again to shelters. A report means that essentially the most generally cited purpose for relinquishing a pet post-pandemic was monetary restraints1.
(Global News)
How a lot does it cost to personal a canine in Canada in 2024?
Though inflation charges look like reducing in Canada lastly, the cost of pet possession remains to be a troublesome tablet for a lot of Canadian pet homeowners to swallow. According to recent statistics from Rover, it might probably cost wherever between $965 and $4,020 yearly to take care of a canine. The median month-to-month cost is $210, up $70 from 2023. The rising prices look like attributed predominantly to the rise within the value of pet meals, with some manufacturers costing as much as 130% greater than final 12 months.
(Rover)
Final Thoughts
While pet possession charges look like rising in Canada, there’s no understanding for certain precisely what statistics for the subsequent few years will recommend, nor will we all know what is going to grow to be of all of the pets adopted in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada’s financial system had one in all its weakest years in 2023, and although the nation just isn’t in a recession, many individuals are struggling to make ends meet. It shall be fascinating to take a look at the statistics on pet adoptions and pet possession charges within the nation and the way they evolve over the subsequent few years.
Featured Image Credit: hedgehog94, Shutterstock
