National Animal Emergency Response - We Must Act Now!

The Challenge

More than 60% of Canadian households have one or more companion animals, and 71% of those owners consider their animals family. Yet, emergency planning rarely includes them. Evacuation protocols and emergency services are typically designed for people, while the needs of animals—and the families who love them—are often ignored during both the preparedness and response phases.

This oversight can have dire consequences. Families are forced to make heartbreaking decisions. Some refuse to evacuate without their animals. Others flee and become separated for weeks—or forever. Misinformation, limited training, and a lack of coordinated animal response can create confusion and panic, endangering animals, their families, and even first responders.

The strain doesn’t end there. Canada's sheltering system is already at capacity, challenged by rising costs, limited access to veterinary care, a lack of pet-friendly housing, and the ongoing impacts of post-pandemic pet surrenders and unregulated breeding. As climate emergencies grow more frequent and severe, these gaps leave our communities—and the animals within them—deeply vulnerable.

Read our opinion piece: It’s time for animal welfare professionals to have a seat at the emergency planning table

Read our latest press release: Canada Must Stop Leaving Pets Behind: Humane Canada Urges Government to Include Animal Response in Emergency Management as Wildfires Devastate Communities

Humane Canada is building a national emergency response network and engaging Canadians to ensure animal welfare is part of emergency planning from the very beginning—not as an afterthought.

We are calling on the federal government to formally recognize and accommodate Canadians with pets in emergency planning and response. With wildfires worsening across Canada, families with pets are being left behind. A national plan is urgently needed, one that ensures animals are part of every emergency response from the very beginning.

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION and ADD YOUR VOICE to our letter to Prime Minister Carney and Federal Ministers below.

Long-Term Impact

This project will change what it means to be prepared in Canada. Families will no longer face impossible choices. Shelters will be better supported, and responders will be trained and ready.

The long-term impact will be measured in every life saved, every family reunited, and every animal that gets to come home. With your support, we’re not just building a response system—we’re creating a compassionate, coordinated future for when crisis strikes.

The Future You Can Help Build

This isn’t just about saving lives in the moment. It’s about rewriting how we prepare for the future. A future where animals are integrated into Canada's emergency planning. Families stay together. Shelters are supported. Responders are ready.

And compassion is part of every emergency plan.

Please make your donation today and it will be matched to ensure emergency response efforts across Canada include animals!

You can support a future where animals are no longer an afterthought in emergencies. Your generosity makes it possible to protect the human-animal bond, support shelters on the front lines, and keep families together when it matters most.

All gifts, up to $20,000, are being generously matched by our trusted partner, ⁠DocuPet®. Pet Safety Starts with You: Register your pet today and receive your pet tag at no charge! Be prepared with free trusted support at your fingertips.