Reporting
Ontario Animal Protection Call Centre
1-833-9 Animal (1-833-926-4625)
For neglected animals or animals in distress (farm, wildlife, and companion animals), call the Ontario Animal Protection Call Center. Call representatives will file an incident ticket and refer to the appropriate contact. Based on the nature of the incident, the card may be identified for further investigation and forwarded to the relevant authorities such as a provincial inspector or local police. The call centre is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Learn more.
Local support
Contact a local humane society, wildlife rehabilitator, wildlife rescue centre or your municipal animal care and control for wild animals who are injured.
911 (Emergency)
Call 911 when an animal’s life is in immediate danger or distress, such as an animal in a hot or cold vehicle, an ongoing assault on an animal, or illegal activity such as dog or cockfighting rings.
Animal welfare officers
Animal cruelty investigations are now a governmental responsibility in Ontario. The Provincial Animal Welfare Services team is a dedicated unit of provincially-appointed officers.
The provincial enforcement team includes provincial inspectors and specialized inspectors for livestock, zoos aquariums, and equines. The team is composed of approximately 100 inspectors although all of these people may not yet be working.
Ontario farm animal council
The Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) is a registered Canadian charity made up of representatives of various farmers and associated businesses. This resource provides peer to peer support (not law enforcement).
Data
Information compiled from OSPCA Annual Reports
Data from police forces that also have investigated animal cruelty complaints are not freely available. On June 28th, 2019 the OSCPA ceased to enforce the animal cruelty laws transferring this responsibility onto the province.
Forensic Veterinarians
Located in Scarborough Ontario, DNA My Dog is a private organization offering forensic veterinary services to aid animal cruelty investigations.
The pathology laboratory at the University of Guelph has been used for animal cruelty investigations in the past.
Dr. Bruce Robertson assisted with cases being investigated by the OSPCA.
Lawyers
Tara Dobec – Assistant Crown Attorney
Lead Crown for the Domestic Violence Team and the unofficial Animal Crown.
Has presented regularly at the Canadian Animal Cruelty Prosecution Conference.
Contact:
161 Elgin St. Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2K1
Phone: 613-239-1200 Fax: 613-239-1214
Dallas Mack – Ontario Crown Counsel
Member of the Canadian Violence Coalition Coordinating Committee, a coalition committed to advancing awareness, education, and training about the human-animal violence link.
Criminal prosecutor in Ontario.
Has spoken at the National Centre for the Prosecution Conference of Animal Cruelty.
Robin Flumerfelt – Ontario Crown Attorney
Counsel at the Ontario Crown Law Office.
Has presented at the Canadian Animal Cruelty Prosecution Conference.
Camille Labcuk – Animal Rights Lawyer, Animal Justice
Kaitlyn Mitchell – Staff lawyer, Animal Justice
Lawyer for Animal Justice.
Contact via: info@animaljustice.ca
Human-Animal Wellbeing and Supports
This organization provides care to the animals of the precariously housed and connect people with services and supports in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, and York region.
The Farley Foundation helps low-income pet owners by subsidizing the cost of non-elective veterinary care. The Foundation was founded in 2002 by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association as a way to help those who cannot afford emergency veterinary costs.
The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association oversees the SafePet Program. The program offers veterinary services and long or short-term fostering for companion animals of women and their children who are fleeing intimate partner violence.
This organization seeks to keep seniors together with their companion animals as long as possible with volunteers helping with caregiving tasks.
Locations in Ontario:
- Ottawa
- Guelph
- Kingston
- Collingwood
- Toronto
- Halton
Fred Victor’s Bethlehem United Shelter is a long-term shelter in Toronto that allows pets to accompany their owners. The shelter can co-house dogs, cats, and rabbits with their caretakers.
SPCA Mobile Animal Wellness Services
The Ontario SPCA operates a Mobile Animal Wellness Services unit that seeks to help disadvantaged animal caretakers in underserved municipalities and offers the following services:
- Spay and neuter for cats and dogs
- Vaccines
- Microchips
The Pawsitive Pet Food Bank is run by a group of volunteers who collect and distribute pet food to those in financial crisis on an interim basis in Barrie, Innisfil and Bradford.
Pantry for Paws is a registered charity founded in 2012 as a cat food bank in the Hamilton area.
A mobile food bank that collects and disperses pet food and supplies to Orangeville, Erin, Caledon, Shelburne & Grand Valley.
The KW Pet Food Bank is a drop-in service on Wednesday (6pm-8pm) and Saturdays (2pm-4pm) that offers pet food and supplies to the region’s residents in financial need.
This food bank providing food and pet supplies to people in the London area.