Frequently Asked Questions

The Toronto Humane Society is located at 11 River Street in the east end of downtown Toronto. We only operate one shelter location, however we regularly have animals available for adoption off-site through many of our adoption partners including: PawsWay, and select PetSmart and Pet Valu locations.

The Toronto Humane Society is open from 11am to 7pm Monday through Friday and is open from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Hours of operation may be reduced on some statutory holidays. Please note that you must arrive at least one hour prior to closing in order to begin the adoption process.

It can take an hour to an hour and a half to go through the entire adoption process, please make sure you have allocated enough time to avoid frustration.

For more information on adoption fees and the process see the Adoption Process section of our website.

We have new animals enter the shelter on a daily basis. Puppies, kittens, cats, dogs, bunnies, guinea pigs, chinchillas, birds, and turtles are regularly available. And yes, we do see purebred animals.

Each and every adoptable pet is displayed on our website the moment they become available so please check regularly if you are looking for something specific. Our call centre representatives will not be able to tell you if we expect to have ‘xyz’ breed available for adoption because we just do not know who will come through the door next. To see the animals currently available for adoption please visit the Adopt a Pet section of our website.

The Toronto Humane Society offers high-volume spay/neuter and vaccination services for healthy animals, please see our Vaccination Services page for more information on pricing and patient requirements.

We do not provide medical care for owned animals that are sick or injured. If you are an owner of an animal that needs veterinary care and you are facing financial hardship we urge you to call around to a number of different veterinary clinics as prices vary greatly throughout the GTA. If possible request a payment plan or perhaps borrow funds on a short-term basis from family members.

You can also explore applying for funds through the Farley Foundation or Pet Card. Please note that the Toronto Humane Society is not affiliated with either of these organizations.

If there are no alternatives you may consider surrendering your pet to the Toronto Humane Society. Please see our Owner Surrender page for more information on surrendering and alternatives to surrender.

The Toronto Humane Society does not have the power to investigate suspected cases of cruelty or to remove animals from an owner.

If you are concerned about an animal who may be suffering please contact the OSPCA at 416-310-7722.

If you are concerned about a by-law infraction please call Toronto Animal Services at 416-338-7297.

In order to reduce confusion for owners of lost animals we request that found stray pets are brought to the closest Toronto Animal Services location to you. If this is not an option stray animals can be brought to the Toronto Humane Society. Please make note of the exact location the animal was found prior to bringing them to the shelter.

First, stay calm. Then follow these steps:

1. Alert Toronto Animal Services that your pet has gone missing by calling 416-338-7297
2. Check the Toronto Animal Services website for recently accepted strays
3. Advise neighbors and put up signs in your community that include a recent picture of your pet
4. Add your pet to the Helping Lost Pets database
5. Visit other rescue organizations (including the Toronto Humane Society) in person to look for your pet

Remember, having a microchip greatly increases your chances of being reunited with a lost pet. If your pet is not currently microchipped please consider having this done as soon as possible to help prevent heartache.

The Toronto Humane Society is an independent non-profit organization. We do not receive any funding from the government in order to carry out our work. We rely completely on the generous donations of our supporters and grants from private corporations to keep our doors open and save thousands of lives every year.

If you are interested in showing your support please visit the Support Us section of our website.

In 2015 we touched the lives of 16,000 animals through our various programs and services!

• 3,477 animals found forever homes through our adoption program in 2015
• 14,531 animals have been spayed or neutered through our low cost service since we started operations in 2012
• Over 446,000 pounds of food have been distributed to pets and owners in need through our food banks in 2015

There are numerous ways for you to show your support for the Toronto Humane Society!

For more information on volunteering please see the Volunteer section of our website. Please note that volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.

To find out more about being a foster parent please see the Foster Program section of our website.

Becoming a member is a great way to have your voice heard and help elect our Board of Directors. The application to become a member can be found on the Membership section of our website.

You can also provide monetary support by donating, holding an event on our behalf, or remembering us in your will. To find out more about these options please see the Support Us section of our website.

The Toronto Humane Society operates under no-kill principles. No animal surrendered into our care is euthanized due to length of stay or space constraints. We are pleased to note that our shelter euthanasia rate has decreased to 5% in 2015, well below the national average of 33% for cats and 16% for dogs.

The Toronto Humane Society prides itself as being one the select few charities in Canada to receive a 4 Star rating from the independent organization Charity Intelligence Canada. Ratings are based on our financial transparency and accountability, need for funding, and operating efficiency.

In 2015 1% of donations received were invested to provide additional revenue, 9% went to administrative costs, 11% went towards fundraising to generate more revenue, and an impressive 79% went towards animal care and community programs.

The Toronto Humane Society cares for domestic companion animals only in our shelter. This includes the obvious such as dogs and cats, but we also provide care for a variety of rodents, reptiles, amphibians, and birds.

If you have found orphaned or injured wildlife please contact the Toronto Wildlife Centre. If concerned about farm animal welfare please contact the Ontario SPCA.

Available positions at the Toronto Humane Society are listed here. Because of the range of positions available, from administrative roles to directly working with the animals, employees with a wide variety of educational backgrounds are present at the shelter. Please see individual job listings for education and experience requirements.

The Toronto Humane Society requires that all in-shelter volunteers be 18 years of age or older. However, we strongly encourage youth and children to be advocates for animal welfare. Those who are under 18 can show their support for our mission by educating others through school projects, raising money through efforts such as car washes and lemonade stands, requesting donations to our shelter instead of birthday presents, and just by being kind to animals in their community and encouraging others to do the same.

The Toronto Humane Society takes in animals in need from a variety of sources:

• Owner surrenders - These animals were brought to us by their owner for a multitude of reasons from expensive medical issues, to simply a lack of time to care for them.
• Custodial surrenders – These animals were brought to us by a person who is not their legal owner. They may have been abandoned in their care or could be feral kittens that were socialized in a home.
• Transfers in – These animals came from other shelters and rescues. We in the animal welfare world must always work together in order to save the most lives. The animals transferred to us may have been slated for euthanasia because their shelter was over capacity, or may have needed medical treatment the shelter was unable to provide.
• Return adoptions – A small number of animals adopted through the Toronto Humane Society are returned to us, often many years after the initial adoption took place.
• Strays – The Toronto Humane Society works alongside Toronto Animal Services to ensure all stray animals have a safe and warm place to lay their head.

The Toronto Humane Society is an independent animal welfare organization that relies solely on donations in order to provide housing and medical care to thousands of animals each and every year. We also utilize donation dollars to provide much needed services, such as food banks, humane education, and high volume spay/neuter to our community at large. In 2015 our programs and services touched the lives of over 16,000 animals.

The Toronto Humane Society proudly adheres to no-kill principles and will never euthanize an animal due to space constraints or length of time in the shelter. We are able to accomplish this in part thanks to our large network of compassionate volunteers who work with animals with behavior issues, take on the palliative care of older or sick animals, and provide animals who need some time away from the shelter with a comfortable temporary home.

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) is a government directed organization partially funded through tax dollars. The OSPCA is responsible for administering the Ontario SPCA Act, which grants them the power to investigate cases of animal cruelty and potentially lay charges against an owner/caregiver. The OSPCA also operates a number of adoption centers throughout the province.

Toronto Animal Services (TAS) is a municipal service mainly funded through tax dollars. TAS enforces provisions in the Toronto Municipal Code as well as the Dog Owner Liability Act, and is mandated by the City of Toronto to take in stray animals. TAS also operates several adoption centers throughout the city, and provides licensing services for owned animals in the City of Toronto.

Yes we do! Please see the Public Education and Shelter Tours section of our website.