Canadian Shelter Standards

These national standards for Canadian animal shelters provide guidance on recommended practices for all aspects of care to ensure that the needs of animals in shelter settings will be met and that the animals will be treated humanely.

In 2013, Humane Canada brought together animal shelter thought leaders and stakeholders from across the country to establish Canadian shelter standards. The group accepted the principles of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ (ASV) Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters as a foundational document and contextualized the document for use in Canada.

The following documents are available for download:

Canadian Standards of Care in Animal Shelters – English
Canadian Standards of Care in Animal Shelters – French

The ASPCA’s ASV Checklist