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.

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 ⚖️🐾📜

07/14/2026

🖤 Celebrating orcas 🤍 - remarkable marine mammals known for their intelligence, complex social structures, and strong family bonds.

Along Canada’s Pacific coast, especially in the waters of the Salish Sea and around British Columbia and Vancouver Island, these iconic animals are an important part of marine ecosystems and coastal heritage.

From coordinated hunting to lifelong pod relationships, they remind us just how rich and intricate ocean life can be. Protecting their habitats helps ensure these extraordinary animals continue to thrive in the wild.

07/06/2026

🌍🐾 On World Zoonoses Day, we are reminded that animal welfare is an essential component of both One Health and One Welfare.

Animals experiencing good welfare are better able to cope with challenges, while systems that support animal health and welfare can help reduce disease risks at the human–animal–environment interface. 🐖🐄🐓🧑‍⚕️🌱

Protecting animal welfare helps support healthier animals, healthier people, and healthier ecosystems. 💚🌎

07/01/2026

🍁 Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦🐾

As we celebrate Canada today, we also recognize the growing movement of people, organizations, and communities working to create a more compassionate future for animals.

At the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, we envision a country where animals are respected as sentient beings, their inherent needs are prioritized, and they are treated with dignity and compassion. Through strategic investments in research, education, public outreach, and innovative animal welfare initiatives, we are proud to support meaningful change for animals across Canada.

Today, we are especially grateful for the researchers, advocates, charities, donors, volunteers, and supporters who share our commitment to advancing animal welfare and promoting humane treatment in all settings.

Together, we are helping build a Canada where animals can thrive.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Canada Day ♥️

06/29/2026

🐔 Grantee Spotlight: Secondhand Stories

Through our 2026 Animal Welfare Organizations Grant program, AWFC is proud to support Secondhand Stories with a $3,500 grant for its Advancing Hen Health: Suprelorin Implant Project.

Reproductive disease is a leading cause of suffering and death in laying hens. While Suprelorin implants are a safe and effective preventive treatment, high costs, regulatory uncertainty, and limited veterinary adoption have made them difficult for many sanctuaries and caregivers to access.

This project will gather insights from sanctuaries and veterinarians, review the existing scientific evidence, and build a foundation for advocacy aimed at improving access to this important treatment in Canada. By addressing barriers to preventive care, the project has the potential to improve the welfare of countless hens while creating a model for increasing access to other essential off-label medications.

Congratulations to Secondhand Stories on this important initiative to advance hen health and welfare.

06/24/2026

🐝 Pollinator Week (June 22–28) is a time to recognize the vital role that bees, butterflies, beetles, flies, and other insects play in supporting healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, and food systems.

As scientific understanding of insect welfare continues to grow, there is an increasing opportunity to explore how insects experience and interact with their environments, and how their needs can be better considered in research, management, and conservation.

AWFC welcomes grant proposals that advance animal welfare through research, education, or outreach - including projects focused on insect welfare that align with our vision of a Canada where all animals are respected as sentient beings, with their inherent needs prioritized and treated with dignity and compassion. 🦋

06/21/2026

🐾 In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, we're proud to highlight a past AWFC-funded project led by Nunavut Animal Rescue that promoted animal welfare education in Nunavut.

The Animal Welfare Education Project worked to address animal welfare challenges through youth education and community engagement in Iqaluit. During a week-long veterinary clinic, children had the opportunity to learn directly from veterinarians and veterinary technicians about responsible pet ownership, including animal care, feeding, grooming, and safety.

By providing educational resources to local schools and empowering young people with knowledge and skills, this project helped build a foundation for compassionate animal care that benefits both animals and communities.

AWFC is honoured to support initiatives that strengthen animal welfare through education, collaboration, and community-led solutions.

💚 Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day as we celebrate the knowledge, leadership, and contributions of Indigenous communities across Canada.

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http://www.awfc.ca/

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