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An Extraordinary Year Made Possible by You

Success Stories
| December 31, 2022

First off, Happy New Year!

I hope you celebrated the final moments of 2022 in the joy and comfort of friends and family.

Amidst the celebrations, I find comfort in the moments of quiet reflection unique to this time of year. Moments of calm clarity in which the last 365 days seem to artfully arrange themselves into themes and storylines from which we can learn and grow for the year ahead.

Even still, when I first sat down to look back at Toronto humane Society’s 2022, I found myself wondering: where to begin? How to begin? How to convey the countless stories of hope and healing, of resilience and resolve? How to capture the joys and struggles, the unflinching care and commitment shown by everyone at every turn?

Many words came to mind, many themes, but none stood out as urgently to me as gratitude – an immense and immeasurable gratitude for the support we received from our community.

From the first day of 2022 to now, this crucial support has carried us through each day, each challenge, and every success. It motivated us when times were hard, inspired us to get back up again to do more, to be more for animals in need.

Your unwavering support was everything. It is everything.

In 2022, we

Found new homes for almost 2,000 animals and provided close to 1,000 with the warm comfort of a foster home;
We transferred over 900 animals into our care from the most northern parts of Canada to the southern United States;
7,000 animals were helped through our Public Veterinary Service and over 4,000 pet families were helped through our Pet Parent Support Network;
More than 600 families were supported through our training services and over 50,000 pounds of pet food was distributed to families in need through our pet food bank;
Finally, the pets of 238 families in desperate need were given temporary foster care while their families got back on their feet through our urgent foster care program.

The generosity displayed by our supporters leading up to Giving Tuesday would have been more than enough. But as many of you know, we did not spend Giving Tuesday celebrating the act of giving. Instead, Toronto Humane Society was shaken to its core by the brazen theft of our van and other supplies.

But something happened we didn’t expect. Our community came together more quickly than ever before, and in less than two days, raised over $100,000 to go towards repairs, replacements, and of course, to the animals in our care.

In the end, the act of giving was celebrated – only, not in the way we had planned.

Amidst 2022’s dizzyingly diverse stories of hope and healing, of resilience and resolve, there was one constant – you.

You were there at the airport, comforting new arrivals from overburdened shelters outside Canada. You were there in the veterinary clinic, ensuring animals got the specialized care they needed. You were at every follow-up appointment and every meet-and-greet, every foster home and forever home.

You were there to make animal care more accessible for thousands. You were there to keep families together. You improved the lives of animals in more ways than I could possibly name.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for making 2022 the year that it was.

Happy New Year to you and your family,