The OSPCA has locations in over 50 communities and is one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the country. Part of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, the OSPCA protects and provides shelter to animals in danger in Ontario.
Founded in 1873, the OSPCA was originally meant to protect animals and children in danger. The latter was given to the Children’s Aid Society of Ontario, now called the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies.
The Society’s programs and services include:
- Cruelty investigations
- Sheltering and adoptions
- Wild life rescue and rehabilitation
- Government and industry advocacy
- Human education
- Reducing pet overpopulation
- Emergency rescue and treatment
- Reuniting lost pets with their owners
- Family violence assistance program (providing dog care for women in women’s shelters)
- Youth and animal project (dog training hard-to-adopt dogs with troubled youth who act as trainers)
History of the OSPCA
On July 4, 1873 citizens established the OSPCA as an animal and children’s aid. Several years later, the Children’s Aid Society took over the welfare of children and the Ontario SPCA’s primary focus became ending animal cruelty.
In 1887, after many lobbying efforts, the Ontario Board of Police Commissioners appointed a full-time police officer to deal with animal cruelty issues. The first legislation to protect animals was passed in 1919 and the OSPCA’s investigators and agents were given authority to investigate situations involving animal abuse.
In 1955, the Government of Ontario replaced the Act of 1919 with new legislation giving investigators and agents broader powers to enter property and remove animals that were believed to be in distress. Many independent societies joined the OSPCA, which grew the society to a larger authority that could better affect humane laws and conditions.
2008 saw the OSPCA Act’s first amendment, making its protection laws some of the toughest in the country.
Today, the OSPCA is comprised of more than 50 Ontario SPCA communities that provide animal protection, rehabilitation, advocacy and human education in neighbourhoods all over Ontario.
Recent Notable Achievements
January 31, 2011, Kawartha Lakes – The Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes and the OSPCA worked tirelessly throughout the night to rescue some 300 animals from a house fire in the Fenelon Falls area.
The 300 pets, called “pocket pets” due to their small builds (cats, small dogs, birds and 3 medium-sized dogs), with the aid of many of the 50 SPCA community affiliates, were removed and treated on site by veterinarians.
All the animals survived.
Sept. 28, 2010, Newmarket – The OSPCA, Toronto Animal Services and the Etobicoke Humane Society worked together to save over 200 animals from a horrific building fire on Toronto’s Wellesley St. East. The animals are now in the care of the OSPCA and an investigation has begun.
