Canadian Federation of Humane Societies

About Us

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies is Canada's federation of SPCAs and humane societies. We bring together those who work with and care for animals to elevate animal welfare in Canada and promote respect and humane treatment toward all animals.

WeBelieve

Animals possess intrinsic value, remarkable complexity and inherent dignity and, as such, are deserving of respect and moral concern. As Canada's voice for animal welfare, we will make meaningful change happen for animals in this generation.

WeAdvocate

To end animal cruelty, improve animal protection and promote the humane treatment of all animals by bringing our community's concerns to government, policy makers, industry and the public with a bold, rational voice that elevates the status of animals.

WeInsist

That all animals used by humans be provided with high levels of care to ensure their health, comfort and behavioural needs are met in all circumstances and contexts. We aim to increase the value of all animals and to build a truly humane Canada.

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TOP 10 Highlights of 2017

MAKING THE (VIOLENCE) LINK

On December 5 and 6, 2017, CFHS organized Canada's first-ever national conference on the violence link. It was an innovative, ground-breaking conference that examined the link between violence against human beings and animals, looking at the vulnerabilities in both populations and how they intersect. LINK2017 forged new relationships and partnerships between 10 different sectors that are working to address and prevent violence against humans and animals in Canada. This will be the first of many violence link initiatives for CFHS in the years to come.

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NO MORE BATTERY CAGES FOR HENS

Barren battery cages for Canada's egg-laying hens are a thing of the past thanks to the tenacity of negotiators from the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. As of April 1, 2017, no new barren battery cages will be built in Canada, and we have introduced world-leading cage-free standards. This is an important first step in transitioning the country's egg farms to more humane practices.

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ENDING WHALE & DOLPHIN CAPTIVITY

CFHS has played a central role in the introduction and progression of Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act. We have fought hard to keep this Bill on track and have not allowed its detractors to derail it. Bill S-203 successfully passed its clause-by-clause review before the Senate Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on October 26 after almost two months of process delays. It awaits its third and final reading before progressing to the House of Commons.

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THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER FOR CATS

We completed new, nationwide research on Canada’s cats. Cats in Canada 2017 is a five-year follow-up to our ground-breaking 2012 report, which was the first national research of its kind to delve into the cat overpopulation crisis in Canada, exploring issues like cat sheltering practices, cat adoption and cat euthanasia rates. The 2012 report was the basis for our past five years of work on cat welfare, and this new report shows that cat welfare has improved significantly.

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BUILDING A COAST-TO-COAST COMMUNITY

We developed a new members’ only discussion forum to allow CFHS members to access members only content, get critical, real-time updates from our CEO, download exclusive resources and take part in an online discussion forum with others who are doing the same work across the country.

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PUTTING AN END TO COSMETIC TESTING

We’re working with Lush Cosmetics and Humane Society International/Canada to push forward Bill S-214, the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act. It was in danger of stalling out or being gutted, but thanks to our collective advocacy work, the Bill got back on track and passed its clause-by-clause review before the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology on October 5, 2017. The bill will soon go to third reading in the Senate.

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FIRST-EVER THOUGHT LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

On December 4, 2017, CFHS hosted the first-ever Thought Leadership Summit for Canada's sector of humane societies and SPCAs in partnership with PetSmart Charities of Canada. Some of Canada's largest and most established humane organizations in the country enjoyed a full day of stimulating and inspiring discussion on the future of the sector and ways that we can advance and elevate our work for animals.

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IMPROVED WELFARE FOR RABBITS

We negotiated Canada's first-ever code for the care and handling of rabbits, which was released for public comment in 2017 and was released in its final form in February 2018. Before this new National Farm Animal Care Council code was created, there were no animal welfare standards for rabbits being raised for meat or fur in Canada.

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FIRST STEP TOWARD A PHASE-OUT

CFHS was instrumental in introducing new animal welfare requirements for calves being raised for veal in Canada, including the first steps toward a phase-out of cruel veal calf crates. This code introduces requirements for group housing, pain control, improvements to individual stalls for the first 8 weeks of life, improvements to feeding and weaning practices, and the prevention of hunger and anemia.

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NEW NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

In 2017, CFHS forged important new partnerships with other national groups working to improve the lives of Canada's animals. Most notably, we became national partners of Nature Canada's Keep Cats Safe and Save Bird Lives campaign, which seeks to educate the public on the importance of protecting both cats and birds from the dangers that threaten their health and welfare.

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THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF HUMANE SOCIETIES

The year 2017 marked the 60th anniversary of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS), and our work to create meaningful change for animals in Canada. Here are just some of what we achieved for animals in that time:

1960: Creation of Humane Slaughter Act

1968: Founding of Canadian Council on Animal Care

1970: Creation of the Animal Transport Act

1980s: Founding of Canada’s Codes of Practice for Farm Animals

1985: Founding of McGrand Lifetime Leadership in Animal Welfare Award

1993: Launch of annual national statistics on Canada’s shelter animals

1994: Regulations on import of puppies from the US

1995: Founding of National Companion Animal Coalition

1995: Harmonized pet microchipping systems across Canada

2005: Founding of National Farm Animal Care Council

2007: Revisions to animal cruelty provisions in Criminal Code

2012: First-ever national report on cat welfare in Canada

2013: Release of Canadian Shelter Standards

2014: Launch of CFHS National Animal Welfare Conference

2014: Launch of National Capacity for Care Pilot Program

2015: Secured greater protections for police, military & service animals

2015: Founding of National Centre for the Prosecution of Animal Cruelty

2016: First-ever national report on Canada’s SPCAs and humane societies

2016: Launch of Canada’s first-ever bilingual animal cruelty case law database

2017: Canada’s first-ever national conference on the violence link

From St. John’s to Haida Gwaii, from Niagara to Baffin Island, we represent and advocate for the organizations that shelter and protect Canada’s animals. As the national voice for animal welfare, we drive positive, progressive change to end animal cruelty, improve animal protection and promote the humane treatment of all animals on behalf of our members, associates and other stakeholders. We work to advance the welfare of Canada’s animals to federal and provincial governments, policy makers, industry and the public, driving sector-wide initiatives to put in place evidence-based, innovative practices and national standards. CFHS facilitates a community of like-minded organizations to address the root causes of issues that individual humane societies and SPCAs face on a daily basis. We advocate for legislative improvements to protect animals, advance and strengthen animal cruelty case law through the National Centre for the Prosecution of Animal Cruelty, conduct research on issues of national importance to provide a foundation for policy development and convene an annual National Animal Welfare Conference that brings together stakeholders with an interest in animal welfare from across the spectrum, including international, national and regional animal welfare organizations, academic researchers, government, enforcement, the veterinary community and industry. Here’s to all the critical change we’ve ushered in for animals during our first 60 years – and all the change still to come!

CANADA’S FIRST-EVER NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE VIOLENCE LINK

“Animal abuse does not inevitably lead to interpersonal violence, but we must come to a better understanding of the circumstances in which it does – for the sake of both animals and people.”

– Keynote speaker, Dr. Frank Ascione, PhD, Scholar-in Residence, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver

Violence against animals and violence against people are not distinct and separate problems. Rather, they are part of a larger pattern of violent crimes that often co-exist. Research shows a significant correlation between animal cruelty and domestic violence, the physical and sexual abuse of children, sexual assault and other violent crimes. This relationship between violence against animals and people is known as the violence link, and the first-ever national Canadian conference on the violence link brought together 204 professionals from 10 key sectors to learn from sought-after experts on how to better address the violence link in their respective fields, including law enforcement, prosecution, social services, community services, violence against women advocacy, animal welfare, the education sector, government services, the veterinary sector and child welfare. Click the button below to download our final report on the conference, which outlines the most urgent issues to address, actions coming out of the conference and recommendations and next steps.

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A NATIONAL UPDATE ON THE STATE OF CAT WELFARE

After months of intensive industry research, the CFHS National Cat Overpopulation Task Force released a nation-wide study about how the issue of cat overpopulation has evolved since the release of our ground-breaking 2012 research, which was the first report of its kind in Canada. In our 2017 research, we’re seeing evidence that cats are starting to be treated with the level of care they deserve. Attitudes are shifting, spay/neuter rates are going up and we’re seeing more cats with permanent ID, like tattoos and microchips – which help them to find their way home if they ever get lost or separated from their owner. Overall, we seem to be shifting to a more proactive approach to cat ownership in Canada, which is encouraging. The good news is that we’ve taken some giant leaps forward in cat welfare since 2012. The bad news is that it’s not happening quickly enough to overcome Canada’s cat overpopulation crisis. We still have a long way to go. Shelters in your area are likely still overwhelmed with the number of cats in crisis – just like almost every other SPCA and humane society across the country. And, they need the help of CFHS today, more than ever. As our members deal with these issues in their local communities, CFHS is working at the national level to develop new and innovative programs to help them address overpopulation and its impacts, tracking how well these initiatives are working. While the situation may be improving, the pace of change is still too slow. That’s why CFHS is working to engage even more stakeholders in this next phase of our work to overcome the cat crisis. Download your copy of this important report by clicking the button below.

Read the Report

2017 LEGISLATIVE REPORT

The year saw progress on an incredible number of animal welfare bills, all of them coming from the Senate, and all of them still alive as the year drew to a close. Bills dealing with animal cosmetic testing, shark finning and a strong bill on whale and dolphin captivity all passed out of committee in a year when the animal welfare movement found new friends on Parliament Hill and was re-energized by a government that was willing to listen and learn.

Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act

The Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act (Bill S-214), introduced by Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen, would bring Canada in line with Europe and many other countries by stopping animal cosmetic testing in Canada and banning the import of new cosmetics tested on animals anywhere else in the world. CFHS provided expert testimony before the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to help legislators understand how backward and downright dangerous to human health a reliance on out-dated animal testing can be. CFHS has kept the pressure on federal decision makers to help ensure that Bill S-214 will pass when it gets to the House of Commons.

Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act

CFHS has worked closely with esteemed Senator, and former Chair of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Murray Sinclair to fight for the passage of the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act (Bill S-203). CFHS provided testimony before the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans to share our expertise on cetacean captivity, catching, importation and breeding. A bill to end cetacean captivity has since been introduced in the House of Commons and CFHS is working with the Minister’s office to ensure the new bill will be as strong as its Senate counterpart.

Bestiality in the Criminal Code

Throughout the year, CFHS has been vocal in the effort to strengthen the bestiality provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada. In early December we drafted a joint letter to the Justice Minister for which we obtained the co-signature of ten major farm groups, including the national chicken, pig and cattle associations. On the heels of our letter, federal Conservative MP Michelle Rempel introduced a private member’s bill (C-388) in Parliament, which seeks to strengthen the bestiality provisions of the Criminal Code using the same language that we set out in our joint letter.

Welcome Legislative Affairs Manager Pierre Sadik

Welcome Pierre Sadik, who is our new Manager of Policy and Legislative Affairs. In May 2017, CFHS hired a full-time legislative and regulatory expert to lead our government relations team, as well as our policy work. A seasoned veteran with almost two decades of experience in government relations in both Canada and the US, including with the David Suzuki Foundation, Pierre understands how to speak to legislators and senior government decision makers about issues that typically involve powerful industry opponents. CFHS is ramping up its legislative efforts at an ambitious pace, and Pierre’s insights and leadership will help us accelerate our successes for animals. It’s an exciting time to join CFHS. Welcome, Pierre!

CELEBRATING CANADA’S ANIMAL WELFARE HEROES

Introduced by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies in 2016, the CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership & Innovation Awards celebrate the heroes of Canadian animal welfare – to shine a light on the good that is happening and recognize inspiring work to improve the lives of animals in Canada.

The 2017 CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership & Innovation Award winners

Leadership and Innovation in Public Engagement Recipient: Edmonton Humane Society

The Edmonton Humane Society (EHS) was awarded the CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Award for Public Engagement for being one of the first shelters in the country to create an engaging initiative that transformed the popular trend of Pokémon Go into a successful adoption and fundraising opportunity.

EHS utilized traditional and non-traditional media to increase awareness of the campaign and launch an adoption event where users who travelled to EHS’ PokéStop and Pokémon Gym were also given the chance to adopt a rabbit or an adult cat for a reduced rate of $10. EHS raised more than $20,000, nearly doubled the adoption rates for cats and rabbits and increased the shelter’s overall adoption rate.

Leadership and Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility Recipients: PetSmart Canada and PetSmart Charities of Canada

PetSmart Canada and PetSmart Charities of Canada were presented with the CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Award for Corporate Social Responsibility for their work in providing life-saving services and charitable funding that ensures that Canada’s companion animals get the care they need and are matched with loving forever homes.

PetSmart Canada and PetSmart Charities of Canada are the largest funders of animal welfare organizations in the country, having distributed $10 million in grants to Canadian animal welfare groups in its lifetime. Together, they have helped more than 232,000 pets find forever homes in Canada through their In-Store Adoption Centres, community adoption events, Rescue Waggin’ disaster relief program, granting program and funding for spay/neuter services to help combat pet overpopulation.

Leadership and Innovation in Farm Animal Welfare Recipients: Mr. Geoff Urton and Dr. Ian Duncan

Mr. Geoff Urton and Dr. Ian Duncan were awarded the CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Award for Farm Animal Welfare for their work in helping to secure better lives for millions of Canada’s egg-laying hens through their work on the National Farm Animal Care Council’s code committee for layer hens.

Dr. Ian Duncan is the Emeritus Chair in Animal Welfare at the University of Guelph’s Poultry Welfare Research Group and a former president of the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada. Dr. Duncan specializes in poultry welfare and is one of the foremost experts on farm animal welfare in Canada.

Mr. Geoff Urton is the Senior Manager of Stakeholder Relations for the BC SPCA and has represented the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies on several NFACC code committees as a key negotiator. Geoff has led multiple advocacy and outreach teams, successfully negotiating important hen enrichments, the national phase-out of confining sow stalls in the pig industry and ensuring mandatory pain relief for piglets and cattle.

Leadership and Innovation in Humane Legislation Recipient: The Honourable Senator Wilfred P. Moore, QC

The CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Award for Humane Legislation was presented to The Honourable Senator Wilfred P. Moore for his work in bringing the issue of cetacean captivity to the Senate.

Leading up to his retirement, Senator Moore focused his work on a number of marine conservation issues. In December 2016, he flew to Cancun to witness Canada sign the Hamilton Declaration in which we commit to the protection and conservation of the Sargasso Sea, a critical birthing place for eel stocks. Most notably, in 2015, he introduced Bill S-203, which aims to prohibit the captive breeding, import, export and live capture of all whales, dolphins and porpoises in Canada, while allowing for the rescue and rehabilitation of injured animals.

Bill S-203, which is endorsed and supported by CFHS, has encountered significant opposition, but Senator Moore has fought valiantly to keep it alive and moving forward so that the suffering of cetaceans in Canada can come to an end. Senator Moore’s work on Bill S-203 has put the importance of cetacean welfare in the minds of Canada’s leaders and the public.

Leadership and Innovation in Emergency Response Recipients:

Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society

Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force

Alberta SPCA

Alberta Veterinary Medical Association

Calgary Humane Society

Edmonton Humane Society

Fort McMurray SPCA

Meika’s Bird House

Red Deer & District SPCA (now Central Alberta Humane Society)

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

We presented the Leadership and Innovation Award for Cooperation in Emergency Response to a committed team of governmental and animal care agencies who came together to achieve the largest cooperative animal rescue in Canadian history during the Fort McMurray fires. Forward-thinking emergency response planning allowed Alberta’s animal welfare community to respond to the fires swiftly, rescuing 1,100 registered animals from Fort McMurray homes, triaging them and transporting them to Edmonton, where they received critical veterinary care and were reunited with their families.

These organizations banded together to combine resources and to create makeshift shelters for the animals in their care, doing their utmost to ensure pets would find their way home. And, although they endured tremendous adversity in achieving that goal, ninety three percent of Fort Mac’s rescued animals were reunited with their humans.

Tremendous thanks goes to these organizations for their role in the rescue, evacuation and sheltering of the animals during the fires that devastated Fort McMurray. We are continuously inspired by your generosity, your professionalism, your willingness to work together and your steadfast commitment to animals.

The Frederic A. McGrand Lifetime Leadership in Animal Welfare Award Recipient: Dr. David Suzuki

Created in 1985, the prestigious CFHS Frederic A. McGrand Lifetime Leadership in Animal Welfare Award recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to animal welfare in Canada.

Dr. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster and author. He is Companion to the Order of Canada and a recipient of UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for science, the United Nations Environment Program medal, the Inamori Ethics Prize, the 2009 Right Livelihood Award and UNEP’s Global 500. Dr. Suzuki is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and holds 29 honorary degrees from universities around the world. In 1990, he co-founded The David Suzuki Foundation with Dr. Tara Cullis. His written work includes more than 55 books.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies presented this award to Dr. David Suzuki for his decades of committed work for animals and the environment.

CFHS Member Societies in 2017

Members

Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society
Alberta SPCA
Alliston & District Humane Society
Animatch
Association of Animal Shelter Administrators of Ontario (AASAO)
BC SPCA
Burin Peninsula SPCA
Burlington Humane Society
Calgary Humane Society
Canadian Association for Humane Trapping
Central Alberta Humane Society
Charlotte County SPCA

Cochrane & Area Humane Society
Edmonton Humane Society
Exploits Valley SPCA
Fort McMurray SPCA
Fredericton SPCA
Gander & Area SPCA
Greater Moncton SPCA
Guelph Humane Society
Hamilton/Burlington SPCA
Happy Valley Goose Bay SPCA
Humane Society Dawson
Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society
Lakeland Humane Society

Lanark Animal Welfare Society
Lincoln County Humane Society
Medicine Hat SPCA
Miramichi SPCA
Montreal SPCA
New Brunswick SPCA
NWT SPCA
Nova Scotia SPCA
Oakville & Milton Humane Society
Oromocto & Area SPCA
Ottawa Humane Society
Prince Albert SPCA
Prince Edward Island Humane Society

Regina Cat Rescue
Regina Humane Society
Royal City Humane Society
Saskatchewan SPCA
Sault Ste. Marie & District SPCA
Société protectrice des animaux de Québec (SPA de Québec)
SPA de l’Estrie
SPCA de L'Outaouais
St. Johns SPCA
Stratford - Perth Humane Society
Thunder Bay & District Humane Society
Toronto Humane Society
Winnipeg Humane Society

CFHS ASSOCIATES IN 2017

Association québécoise des SPA et SPCA (AQSS)
City of Edmonton Animal Care and Control Centre
City of Hamilton Animal Services
Meika's Safehouse
Paws for Hope Animal Foundation
Second Chance Animal Rescue Society