08/13/2025
As a member of Humane Canada, the RHS believes that Canada urgently needs a national plan that includes animals in emergency response. More than 60% of Canadian households have a pet, and 71% of pet owners consider them family, yet animals are still not formally accounted for in most emergency planning.
When disasters strike, families need support to safely evacuate with their animals, access to pet-inclusive shelters, food, veterinary care, and clear coordination. Without it, people delay seeking safety or are forced to make heartbreaking decisions.
Excluding animals from emergency planning leads to:
🐾 Increased suffering for animals left without care
🚫 Greater risk and confusion for first responders
⚠️ Physical and emotional trauma for people displaced by emergencies
Humane Canada is calling for immediate action.
We’re urging Parliament to:
1. Formally recognize the role of professional animal welfare responders
2. Integrate coordinated animal response into all emergency planning—federal, provincial, and territorial
3. Provide pet-inclusive services in shelters and accommodations
4. Establish dedicated funding to support animal response in disasters
🖊 Add your voice. Sign the official petition to the House of Commons and help ensure pets and their people are never left out again.
You can sign the petition here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6575
