Celebrating the human-animal bond
Diverting Surrenders with Support
Support services are needed more now than ever
Animal Care is Health Care
A two-tiered system provides access to care
Supporting Communities with Limited Access to Veterinary Care
We go beyond our walls to pursue our mission
Animals have always been a part of my life. From the toy poodle I had as a child to the horses my wife and I cared for back in Saskatchewan, the different bonds I’ve shared with animals over the years have been a unique source of lasting joy.
Every animal, every bond, has taught me something new. Something valuable. Each has been a lifeline during difficult times. I could not imagine losing this bond because the cost of basic veterinary care was too high.
Sadly, this is the reality for many pet parents across North America. As prices of everything from food, gas, and basic necessities soar higher than before, affordable pet care has also become scarce. With limited resources available, some pet parents must choose between putting food in their pet’s bowls or in their own.
While many pet parents do what they can to budget and plan for their pet’s wellbeing, sometimes the unexpected happens and they’re faced with an even bigger cost dilemma: pay thousands of dollars for an emergency vet bill, surrender the animal, or euthanize them.
When access to affordable care is jeopardized, the human-animal bond is at risk too. In this issue of Animal Talk, you’ll read about our community programs and services that help preserve this unique relationship –such as the Pet Parent Support Network. By simply listening to the needs of pet parents and offering them alternative solutions such as training and behaviour classes, pet food, and subsidized veterinary services, 33% of potential animal surrenders were diverted in 2022.
Additionally, our outreach services provide support to pets and their families by providing pop-up animal wellness clinics to communities that have limited access to veterinary care. Not only do these clinics provide affordable preventative care options such as spay-and-neuter surgeries, vaccines, and flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives, but they also provide a lifeline to community members.
I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian. As far back as I can remember, helping animals just seemed like the right thing to do. Their unconditional love, the way they look up to you for guidance, and the way just a little wag of their tail can instantly bring a smile to someone’s face – the unique human-animal bond is the reason why many wake up in the morning and I wanted to be a part of that by helping animals live long, healthy lives.
I can’t imagine what my life would be like without the love, support, and joy that animals bring. Thanks to you, many families won’t have to experience that heartbreaking feeling either. I hope that the following pages and stories leave you feeling proud. Together, we’re making a difference and giving more pets the care they need to be healthy and happy with their families.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jacques Messier, DMV, MBA Chief Executive OfficerBOARD OF DIRECTORS
The role of the board is to provide governance oversight for Toronto Humane Society. Toronto Humane Society’s Board of Directors is a volunteer board and no member of the board receives compensation to perform their board role.
President: Josh Shanahan
Vice President: Yussef Hafez
Chair: Martin Buckle
Secretary: Nicholas Kanhai
Treasurer: Charissa Lai
Assistant Treasurer: Damian Creber
Malcolm Bernstein
David Bronskill
Krista Bulmer
Jennifer Dernek
Mark Dilworth
Brownwen Morgan
Peter Newell
Nabila Tisha
Angela Young
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Dr. Jacques Messier, DVM, MBA
Tegan Buckingham, CFRE, MSA
Phil Nichols, RVT, CAWA
Jessica Harwood
Conor McMullan
Jessica Harwood
Matthew Manganaro
Rising costs and inflation are a growing concern for Canadians, affecting everyday expenses like groceries, gasoline, and housing. Pet parents are feeling twice the sting with an increased cost to pet food and essential pet supplies.
Coupling increased costs with the challenge of accessing the care needed to provide for their pets –such as medical care, training services, and emergency care – many pet parents are stuck between a rock and a hard place. With nowhere else to turn, many have had to make the heartbreaking decision to surrender their pet.
To ensure that each pet and guardian gets the support, advice, and resources they need, Toronto Humane Society created the Pet Parent Support Network. Pet parents can request help by filling out a form on our website, and then a Pet Parent Support Network team member will follow up with a solution to a wide range of pet-care challenges such as pet supplies and food, access to veterinary care, behavioural challenges for all species, re-homing support, and more.
By taking a multi-disciplinary approach to support pet parents in-need through the provision of supportive services, 30% of possible pet surrenders were diverted in 2022. This means that more animals were able to stay where they belong – in their loving homes with their families.
Helping Roscoe Adjust to His New Life
Paul* had Roscoe* for 6 years, but since the arrival of their baby, Roscoe has been barking a lot more and started to urinate inside of their home.
Although Paul did not want to surrender Roscoe, the loud barking startled the baby, and his wife was concerned. With a new baby in his home, a worried wife, and very little time and resources available to him, Paul had to make one of the toughest choices a pet parent could make – surrendering Roscoe.
After filling out the Pet Parent Support Network form on our website, a representative reached out to Paul to better understand their situation and to offer an alternative solution to surrendering Roscoe. “They felt like they didn’t have any other options. They were both extremely disheartened and worried. Roscoe was sensing a change in the home, and they were all playing into each other’s worries,” explains Jennifer Murphy, Program Manager, Pet Parent Support Network.
As an alternative solution, the team guided Paul to Toronto Humane Society’s Training and Behaviour services. Paul showed a lot of interest but was concerned about the cost. Because it was clear that Paul and Roscoe had a special relationship, and that Paul was willing to put in the effort to help Roscoe, a discount on a training service was offered to Paul.
Paul enrolled in a training program and was delighted that he could receive the support he needed to keep Roscoe as a part of his growing family.
Diverting Surrenders with a Community Support Program Support services are needed more now than ever
Rafael knew that moving his family from Ecuador to Canada wouldn’t be easy. They would have to start from scratch and say goodbye to friends, family and familiar places. It would be overwhelming, but they were in this together – Rafael, his wife, their children, and their two dogs, Joaquine and Murci.
A few weeks after they arrived in Canada, Murci, their 12-year-old Terrier mix dog, fell seriously ill. With his wife and children hugging Murci close, Rafael frantically Googled the nearest vet clinic and rushed his beloved companion to the nearest one.
An examination revealed that Murci had pyometra, a life-threatening uterine infection that most commonly affects female dogs that are not spayed. Murci needed surgery right away, but when clinic staff told Rafael how much the surgery would cost, his legs almost gave out from under him.
He didn’t know what to do. Murci was a part of the family, a source of comfort for his wife and kids as they navigated the emotional and psychological complexities of immigration together. His options seemed limited – surrender his beloved dog or euthanize her.
Rafael could not bear the thought of telling his family they’d have to say goodbye to a family member and asked if there was something else that can be done. The vet clinic contacted Toronto Humane Society’s Public Veterinary Services for help.
Rafael is not the first pet parent to be faced with the unimaginable choice between surrendering a pet or euthanizing them – and sadly, he will not be the last.
According to Statistica, the annual cost to care for a dog in 2022 in Canada was approximately $4,000 and approximately $2,500 for a cat. This doesn’t include the costs of urgent procedures that can cost upwards of $10,000. When coupling basic pet care costs with inflation and the rising costs of living, the ability to care for a pet starts to feel more like a luxury than a need.
Families are hurting right now. From filling the fridge with groceries to filling the tank for the commute to work, high costs of basic living have pushed many to the breaking point. Meanwhile, there is a growing shortage of veterinarians and veterinary staff. With inflation driving up wage costs, product supplies and other resources, the costs of veterinary care will only increase. For those who can afford it, this has become a painful, but necessary process. For those who can’t, it means their animal will simply go without basic care.
According to a 2022 survey conducted by the Canadian Animal Health Institute, nearly 1 in 5 pet parents wanted or needed preventative care in the past 12 months but were not able to access it due to affordability, or the inability to get an appointment, among other reasons.
When preventative treatment is not provided, more urgent concerns – from dental disease to severe infections like pyometra – can develop down the road. And it’s here, in Canada’s veterinary clinics, where more and more families are faced with the unimaginable: saying goodbye to their animals because they cannot afford their care.
With an understanding that affordability of pet care is the largest barrier that pet parents face when trying
to provide for their animal, the Public Veterinary Service clinic offers a two-tiered pricing system that offers subsidized rates for those receiving income supplementation. This way, everyone can have access to affordable preventative care services such as spay and neuter surgeries, dental, core vaccines, and heartworm, flea, and tick preventatives.
“The service operates with a goal of making preventable diseases a thing of the past,” notes Phil Nichols, Toronto Humane Society’s Chief Operating Officer. “In the same way children are provided with basic preventative healthcare from the moment they are born, the Public Veterinary Service aims to provide that for pets. At the end of the day, we are trying to reduce the number of people confronted saying goodbye to their animal from a preventable disease just because of cost.”
This proactive approach keeps more vulnerable families together and their pets out of the shelter system. It stops the cycle of suffering before it starts.
Rafael didn’t know what to expect when he arrived at Toronto Humane Society with Murci. By this point, he and his family had been on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Exhausted by anxiety and disoriented by grief, Rafael was prepared for the worse. But instead, he was led to a private room and was greeted by a friendly veterinarian. She began asking Rafael about Murci’s symptoms. What were they? How long has she been showing them? Each question was about Murci’s wellbeing and her need for urgent care. The cost of this care never came up.
Murci was then quickly examined, and not long after that, she was brought in for immediate surgery. Rafael couldn’t believe what was happening. Because he
qualified for subsidized care, Murci was able to receive the life-saving surgery she needed.
After worrying about the possibility of losing one of his family members, Rafael could not believe this was happening. It wasn’t until a few hours later, when Murci came through the doors and Rafael picked her up and held her tight, did everything sink in for him. The surgery was successful. The costs were covered. Murci would be going back home to her family.
Pet parents should never have to face the impossible choice of parting ways with their family members because of a lack of affordable and accessible veterinary care. When pet care becomes a luxury, so does the human-animal bond.
The story of Rafael and Murci, and the thousands of others, underscores the importance of the Public Veterinary Services and how this program keeps more families where they belong – together.
The most critical time in a dog’s life is during puppyhood
As a pet parent, you want your dog to enjoy everything life has to offer, such as going for walks around the city, meeting new people, and enjoying their veterinarian visits. How can you help your dog understand how to interact with the world around them? With socialization.
Socialization refers to the process of exposing a dog to different people, animals, environments, and situations in a positive and controlled way. It’s best to start this process as early as possible – especially during puppyhood. When done correctly, socialization can help dogs develop into well-adjusted, confident, and friendly animals. Well-socialized dogs are less likely to develop unwanted behaviours such as fear, aggression, or separation anxiety.
The most critical socialization period for a dog occurs between 3 to 14 weeks of age. During this period, puppies are more open to learning experiences and are less likely to develop fear or anxiety about new things. However, socialization should not stop after this critical period. Continuing socialization exercises with your dog throughout their life will help them to continue to build their confidence and strengthen your humananimal bond.
Here are 6 tips that you can implement when socializing with your dog.
1Make it Positive Socialization should be a positive experience for your dog, so use treats, praise, and positive reinforcement to make it enjoyable for them.
2Expose Your Dog to Various Experiences
Start with small, manageable experiences, and gradually increase the level of difficulty.
3Expose Your Dog to Different People, Animals, and Environments
This will help them learn how to interact with the world around them in a safe and controlled way.
4Use Positive Training Methods
Positive training methods, such as clicker training, can help your dog learn new behaviours and cues in a positive way.
5Be Consistent
Consistency is key when socializing with your dog, so make sure to expose them to different experiences regularly.
6Enroll in a Puppy Socialization Class
Toronto Humane Society offers a Puppy Manners and Socialization training class and Puppy Playgroups. The Puppy Manners and Socialization training class consists of 4 modules that focuses on puppy manners, socialization experiences, and solutions for common challenges that new puppy parents may experience.
The Puppy Playgroups offer a safe space for puppies to burn off energy while learning how to appropriately interact with other puppies. Pet parents are taught how to interpret body language and positive reinforcement methods from a certified trainer who leads the class.
If you’d like to learn more about our puppy classes, visit www.torontohumanesociety.com/training.
Daisy Learns How to Play Appropriately Daisy is a sweet girl who attended a weekly Puppy Playgroup. As you can see, Daisy is a big pup and needed some guidance on how to play nicely with other pups. By attending Toronto Humane Society’s Puppy Playgroups, she was able to interact with dogs of all sizes. It was a learning curve for Daisy, but with support from her pet parent and the certified trainer, she made a few canine pals, improved her social skills, and now understands how to play and interact like a gentle giant.
We go beyond our walls to pursue our mission
Featuring an interview with Dr. Karen Ward, Chief Veterinary Officer
Having and caring for an animal should not be a privilege – but when you live in an area that has limited access to veterinary care, the cost of taking care of a pet starts to feel more like a luxury.
To help combat access to care in Indigenous communities, Toronto Humane Society has partnered with Grand River Hospital to conduct 3 animal wellness clinics so far this year. Although this outreach service provides essential, preventative care to animals – it also deeply benefits community members.
“I think of it being beneficial for people in two ways,” shares Dr. Karen Ward, Chief Veterinary Officer at Toronto Humane Society. “One benefit is public health. There are diseases that animals can get that can be transmitted to us, and they are preventable. Rabies is a great example. It’s not a common disease to see in Canada because we’re really good about vaccinating our domestic species.”
“There are other diseases like Lyme disease, which is transmitted by a tick. Lyme disease affects people and dogs. So, if we’re seeing dogs test positive to the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, we can say the ticks in the community is carrying Lyme disease, which also means that community members are at risk,” Dr. Ward continues. “Then we can talk to people about tick prevention.”
The second benefit is helping to preserve the humananimal bond. “There is a lot of scientific evidence supporting that the human-animal bond helps people have happier and healthier lives. There’s a number of different ways that pets can improve health and help mitigate stress,” Dr. Ward explains. “Pets can help
people with depression, and people who are socially isolated and lonely. Especially when we think about the folks that we’re helping at these wellness clinics – a lot of them lack access to many things so they can be even more affected by social isolation and loneliness. Sometimes the human-animal bond is the single most important relationship in somebody’s life who’s really disadvantaged, alienated, and struggling with a lot of problems.”
These wellness clinics provide more than just vaccines, spay and neuter surgeries, and flea, tick and heartworm preventatives – they provide a lifeline that helps to keep more pets with their families.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes and spread to the bloodstream of an animal. They can travel to a dog’s heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels where they grow and reproduce and can cause a blockage in the arteries.
Treatment for heartworm is expensive, hard on the animal, and carries the risk of complications – and if left untreated, it can be fatal.
“Heartworm prevention is one of the biggest things that we do because it is really challenging and expensive for people to access,” Dr. Ward shares. “Dr. Tammy Hornak at Grand River Hospital first started her wellness clinics probably around 15 years ago. At that time, the incidence of heartworm in the community was around 40%. But now, when we go to the same community, we see less than 10% of the dogs who access the wellness clinics are affected with heartworm. In that same community, 36.5% of stray dogs are still testing positive for heartworm.”
This is just one example of the many benefits of having access to reliable and consistent veterinary care. As more communities reach out for assistance, we hope to be there to answer their call and continue to fight for access to care, reduce pet population, prevent transmission of diseases, and improve the lives of animals and communities beyond our walls.
Alexis Medwid
Alkie Mak
Andrea Louise Owen
Ann Brazier
Anna Briedis
Arline McLean
Astrid Taim
Bailey
Barbara Brass
Barbara Jaqueline
Davey
Basil Dyl
Beauty
Bella
Bertha Juanita Burt,
Sasha, Cleo & Thor
Latimer
Betty Kendle
Billy Rex Bun
Ganguli
Bob Francis
Bogart Harper
Brownie & Grover
Chesney
Bruce Decicco
Carol & Tom
McCallum
Carrol Abou-Keer
Catherine CornwallTaylor
Cheryl Rose-Innes
Chester
Chianti (Kiki) Francis
Christina Rotsaert
Clarke
Colette Brodeur
Darcy Morris
Dave Sit-Mooney
Dr. Marvin Sazant
Duke Burrell
Duke Nanji
Duke, General & Ben
Eaton
Edith Diggins
Eileen Page
Elaine Zemaitis
Eleanor Kathleen
Wray
Elisabeth Hartmann
Elizabeth Mahnke & Manhattan
Emily Poppy Fry
Ernie Reimer
Eva Bonnie
Extra Pickles Murphy
Fergus Tyggar Turtle
Dolphin Coug Wolf
Kiwi Zebra Rees
Finnigan Nixon
Frank Biordaho
Frank Prete
Fred
Freddy Friel
Gail Barbara Adams
Gail Faclier
Gary Scott Ainsworth
Gizmo
Graffiti Cooke
Gwen Lee
Harley Murray
Harry Tytler
Harvey Newman, Helen Derkas
Hershey Vig
Jack Guiry
Jake Giles
Janet Ross
Java .
Jazz Beck-Wilson
Jean Smith
Jennie Newman
Jennifer McLeod
Macey
John Michalowsky
John Renford Coulter
Judith Moore
Judy Naiberg
Judy Tone
Karen Springer
Kevin Bates
Kyla Quigley Bailie
Larry Ainsworth
Laura Babcock
Lauren Harkness
Lewis Newman
Leon Johnson
Liana Beggs
Lindy Kohn
Lonica Ratelle
Lucky Roberge
Lucy Freeborough
Lynda Bell
Lynn Evelyn Rogers
Lynne Smith
Mackenzie Smith
Maggie & Matty
Velocci
Mamie McKnight
Mand & Qiulio
Michela
Margaret Kirkaldy
Margaret Naughton
Margret Odenthal
Maria Celeste Duarte
Marvin Sazant
Mary Poulin
Marylou Ashton
Matt Kirby
Max
We gratefully acknowledge the donors who have given gifts of $80 or more in honour or in memory of a special person or pet. Tribute gifts are a thoughtful and meaningful way of acknowledging a loved one’s memory, expressing your good wishes or commemorating an occasion. These gifts were made from November 19, 2022 to May 15, 2023.
Max (Golden Ninja)
Maxwell
Meghan Kennedy
Melo Keefe
Michael Stevenson
Mila Caracci
Mint Ddori Park
Misun Groulx
Mona Eddy
Mr. Kevin Irving
Mr. Stubbs
Mr. John Gibson
Mrs. Jean Birkett
Muscles (Pisica)
Nellie Almeida
Niilo
Nina MacDonald
Noah
Noreen Braithwaite
Nutmeg 'Nutty' Kirk
McFarlane
Odin
Peanut Mcgregor
Penny & Blackster
Pero Sage
Puzzy McPhail
Raina Stroh
Rani Pansar
Richie Patterson
Robert Love
Robert Rutherford
Rocky
Ron & Wilda
Clements
Russell Kwong
Rusty
Sandra Herrity
Santina Ostetto
Sarah Gibson
Savannah Cickello
Scott Chapman & Carl O'Riordan
Sebastian G.
Shaggy Hill
Shari Andrew
Sheena Makkik
Sheri Lipson-Korn
Sidney
Simba Holm
Smokey Solomon
Sophie & Kurt Sickel
Sophie Arcand
Alheysayan
Stanley
Stefanie Winkler
Stephen DaSilva
Svetislav Popovic
Sydney Schaefer
Tango Mckee
Teresa Lovalente
The Schlaun
Tig Martin
Tiki Gayle
Timothy Porter
Tom Darlington
Valerie Boddaert
Wayne Fancyfoot
Willow Swayze
Yogo Roxborough
Zion the most
adorable German
Shepherd
Aaron Dantowitz
Aleksandra Lapshina
Alexis Hur
Anubis
Barb Kerfont
Ben Shinder
Benny Comeau
Betty Moquin
Bob and Judy Chew
Brandon Share
Buddy Lee
Bunny The Cyber Cat
Cait & Adam Schneider
Cameron
Charlie Pileggi
Chris Schmidt
Claire Pitt
Daniela Serodio
David Brickman, Nancy Shackell, Valeri & Mike Marshall
David Bronskill
David Thielke
Django Bincent
Elroy de Xavier
Emma Piccone
Estrellita
George & Tim
Saltzberg & Swift
Ginny & Brian
Lam-Wong
Hana Dockalek
Harrison McCuaig
Hwee Ng
Jack Kavanagh
Jagdish Chandra
Sood
Jess, Mike, Carter & Baby Lim-Zhang
Jessica & Gus
Jonathan & Jasper
Hayter
Julia Vlad
Keira Chin
Kelsey Shuster
Kensington Kids
Preschool 2 Teachers
Khalid & Alane Kadrie
Kimmie & Mark & Mikko & Meisa
Lam-Sugita
Kristine DeMott
Laurel Ostfield
Lee Saunders
Lourdes Maqueira
Lovey Dovey & Gingy
Feldheim
Lynne McRoberts
Margaret Carr-Harris
Maria Kokolakis
Marilyn Becker
Megha Jandhyala
Paula Fleck
Peter Voore
Peter, Samantha, Jack, Florence, Rosalie Deitz
Pickles Puppies
Quinn Baleja
Ralphy Toby Binoo
Reception Forest Hill
Animal Clinic
Regina Buecker
Ron Sperber
Ruby
Venkataramaiah
Russell Kwong
Salem Title
Samantha CantoreAzriel
Sasha Pacht
Sesler Sesler
Sheila Purdy
Stacy Mailman
Stephen & Claire
Davis Caldwell
Steven Davis
Mendelow
Susan Potts
Sydney Richardson
Tamar Kahn
Vega Family
Tommy McLeod
Wildman-Blakely Family
WSIB Professional Practice Branch
Yuni Choi
Zoe Panday
Through in-kind, financial support, and volunteer programs, corporations across Canada are helping us to Improve the Lives of Animals.
Whether it’s providing food for the animals in care, giving monetary contributions, or sharing our important message on their media platforms, we are grateful for businesses that have chosen to help pets and their families in our community by supporting Toronto Humane Society.
