Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada

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Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada

AWFC fosters an enlightened ethic of animal care. La FBAC favorise une éthique éclairée à l’égard des soins pour les animaux.

The Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada aims to achieve measurable positive change in improving the lives of animals in Canada, through innovative educational and research initiatives. La Fondation du bien-être animal du Canada vise à opérer des changements positifs et mesurables en vue d’améliorer la vie des animaux au Canada, dans le cadre d’initiatives innovatrices en éducation et en recherche.

09/17/2026

Meet the family behind a legacy of animal advocacy.

In 1822, Richard Martin, an Irish politician nicknamed "Humanity Dick" by King George IV, passed a pioneering animal cruelty law focused on cows and oxen. He didn't stop at legislation though. He went as far as challenging people to duels when he witnessed cruelty firsthand.

Two centuries later, his descendants are still carrying that legacy forward. A group of Richard Martin's great-great-great-grandchildren, descended through his son who settled near the Grand River in Canada, recently pooled their resources to make a gift in his honor.

Their story is a reminder that protecting animals can run in a family for generations. Every dollar of their gift goes straight to the animal welfare work that needs it most today.

These are the stories that inspire our work.

A big thank you to the Martin family for their generosity and compassion for animals.

09/15/2026

Have an idea that could make a real difference for animals? Tell us what you need to make it happen 💪

AWFC has a total of $77,000 available to support multiple animal welfare projects making an impact across Canada in 2027.

Past AWFC grants have ranged from approximately $2,000 to $15,000 because every project is different. We want applicants to tell us what their project realistically needs to create meaningful impact.

Think about the change you want to create, what it will take to get there, and how your project could improve the lives of animals.

📅 Applications close September 30, 2026.

The first step is a short Project Eligibility Proposal. Shortlisted organizations will then be invited to submit a full proposal. Applicants must be Canadian registered charities or non-profit organizations.

👉 Learn more and apply here: https://awfc.ca/grants/animal-welfare-organizations/

Your idea could be one of the projects we help bring to life.

09/08/2026

🎓 Celebration!

We’re thrilled to celebrate our Board of Directors Coordinator, Bianca Vandresen, who has successfully defended her PhD at the University of British Columbia! 🎉🐄

Bianca’s doctoral research explored the sociocultural dimensions of cattle farming and animal welfare, looking at how farmers’ values, experiences, relationships, and broader social expectations shape decisions about animal care.

💬 What motivated Bianca to pursue this research?
“Animal welfare challenges are rarely just about knowing what is best for animals. The decisions we make about animal care are also shaped by our values, relationships, experiences, and the social and cultural contexts we live and work in. I wanted my PhD research to better understand these human dimensions of animal welfare and, ultimately, contribute to solutions that work for both animals and the people who care for them.”

We are incredibly proud to have Bianca as part of the AWFC team and excited to see where her work takes her next!

📖 Read Bianca’s thesis: https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0455987?o=0

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Bianca Vandresen! 🎓👏

09/02/2026

🦎 Reducing Harm to Exotic Animals Across Canada 🐍

The Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada is proud to support a project led by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) to address the welfare concerns faced by exotic animals in Canada’s pet trade.

VHS is working tirelessly to protect exotic animals and raise awareness about the welfare challenges associated with their trade. So far, the team has documented at least two exotic animal expos, compiling welfare concerns and sharing their findings with the BC SPCA and the public.

Reptile expos and mobile live animal programs can involve long-distance transport, stressful environments, improper handling, and inadequate access to species-specific care. Yet, many exotic animals receive little legal protection or public attention.

Through field documentation, public education, and collaboration across jurisdictions, this project is helping shine a light on the challenges faced by exotic animals and promoting more humane, informed communities across Canada. 💚

08/30/2026

🐾 One month left to apply!

Does your organization have an innovative project that could make a meaningful difference for animals in Canada?

The Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada’s 2027 Animal Welfare Organizations Grant is accepting Project Eligibility Proposals until September 30.

We support projects from registered Canadian charities and non-profit organizations that advance animal welfare through areas such as education, research, and public engagement. Whether your work focuses on companion animals, farmed animals, wildlife, animals used in research, or broader animal welfare issues, we want to hear your ideas.

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2026

The Project Eligibility Proposal is the first step in our application process. Shortlisted organizations will be invited to submit a Full Project Proposal later this fall.
Learn more about eligibility, review our FAQs, and submit your proposal:
🔗 awfc.ca/grants/animal-welfare-organizations/

Please share this opportunity with organizations doing important work for animals across Canada. 💜

08/26/2026

🐶 Today, in acknowledgement of International Dog Day, the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada is proud to highlight the important work of The Beagle Alliance and their commitment to creating a more compassionate, cruelty-free world for animals.

In 2023, AWFC funded The Beagle Alliance’s Cruelty-Free Living Outreach and Awareness Program, which focused on educating high school students about the impacts of animal testing and empowering young people to become advocates for animals.

Through education on advocacy, volunteerism, and cruelty-free consumer choices, the program encourages young people to make informed decisions and take meaningful action to improve the lives of animals.

On National Dog Day, we’re especially grateful for organizations like The Beagle Alliance that continue to speak up for dogs and other animals who cannot speak for themselves. 🐾💚

08/14/2026

Looking through these photos, we’re reminded of just how much can happen when people working for animals come together. 🫂

Over the past couple of years, members of the AWFC community have crossed paths at conferences and events across Canada and around the world - sometimes presenting their work, sometimes learning, and always connecting with people who share a commitment to improving animals’ lives.

These photos feel particularly meaningful as we launch the Dr. Fiona Rioja-Lang Travel Award.

Fiona understood the value of these moments. She built connections wherever she went and believed deeply in learning from others, sharing knowledge, and bringing people together. Conferences and other gatherings were more than places to present research - they were spaces where conversations began, friendships grew, ideas developed, and collaborations took shape.

Through this award, we hope that, in Fiona’s memory, more people will have the opportunity to make the journey, join the conversation, meet people who broaden their perspectives, and bring new ideas and connections home with them. 🌎

Because your voice in the room matters. 💜

Where might we cross paths with you next? Share in the comments what animal welfare event our community should add to the calendar!

Learn more about Fiona here: https://awfc.ca/the-dr-fiona-rioja-lang-travel-award/

08/06/2026

Which conference influenced your career the most? ✈️

For many animal welfare professionals, a single conference can change everything. And yet for early-career researchers and students in Canada, the cost of attending a national or international event can be the difference between being in the room and missing out entirely.

Travel awards in our field are few and far between. We want to change that.

Today, the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada is proud to announce the Dr. Fiona Rioja-Lang Travel Award, a new annual award supporting animal welfare students and professionals in Canada to attend conferences, short courses, and workshops anywhere in the world, and bringing international voices to Canada to do the same.

This one is personal to us.

Dr. Fiona Rioja-Lang was a Scottish animal welfare scientist who spent years researching pig welfare in the Canadian Prairies, where she left a lasting mark on the research happening in our country. She was also the closest of friends with our President, Giuliana Miguel Pacheco, who describes her as a "sister soul" and says that Fiona "always believed in holding the door open for others, inviting them into the conversation to share, learn and grow."

Fiona passed away suddenly in 2019, at just 37 years old. She was deep in research, building collaborations, and planning next steps. The work she was doing had years ahead of it.

This award is our way of making sure it continues.

Each year, the Dr. Fiona Rioja-Lang Travel Award will help animal welfare professionals and students attend the conferences, workshops and short courses that spark ideas, build partnerships, and shape careers. Just like Fiona did, everywhere she went.

The first round of awards launches on October 16th, on what would have been her birthday.

👇 Tell us in the comments: which conference shaped your path in animal welfare?

🔗 Learn more and support the campaign: https://awfc.ca/

07/29/2026

🐑🐓🔬 📊 Animal welfare research matters because it turns observation into evidence - and evidence into better decisions and outcomes for animals.

By studying health, behaviour, housing, transport, and management systems, research helps identify where animals are thriving, where they are suffering, and what changes actually make a difference to their welfare in practice. It is the foundation for improving standards, informing policy, and supporting more humane systems grounded in science rather than assumption.

This is at the heart of the grant-making mission of the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada. Through funding applied, high-quality research and knowledge translation, AWFC supports work that moves beyond identifying problems to generating practical, evidence-based solutions that improve animal lives.

Stronger evidence leads to stronger protections - and ultimately, better welfare outcomes for animals 🐾❤️

07/22/2026

⚖️🐾📜 On Animal Law Day, we celebrate the growing recognition that legal systems play a powerful role in advancing protections for animals and shaping a more humane future.

At AWFC, we are proud to support organisations that use law as a catalyst for real, robust, and lasting change for animals. Among our 2026 grantees is Animal Justice - a leading voice in Canada’s animal protection movement and a tireless advocate for stronger legal safeguards across species.

This year, AWFC is supporting Animal Justice’s work to advance fur-farming reform in Canada. Industrial fur farming remains legal despite well-documented concerns around animal welfare, environmental harm, and public health risks, including COVID-19 outbreaks on mink farms. Millions of mink, foxes, and other wild animals continue to be confined in intensive cage systems that can cause severe psychological distress, injury, and premature death. Through this project, Animal Justice is commissioning credible public opinion research in key provinces to better understand and demonstrate public support for reform. These findings will be translated into accessible, province-specific reports highlighting both animal welfare concerns and infectious disease risks - helping to elevate the issue in public discourse and strengthen the case for provincial bans.

This Animal Law Day, we recognize that law is not just a framework - it is a tool for change, and a pathway toward better outcomes for animals ⚖️🐾📜

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http://www.awfc.ca/

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