Pet care

Pet cat
© Lou Bopp

Many people keep pets as companions. But in Canada and around the world, many pets suffer from inadequate care, neglect or even abandonment.

WSPA is working to promote responsible pet ownership around the world. This includes programs in developing countries, where access to animal welfare information and veterinary care can be scarce or unavailable. WSPA also works to improve veterinary access for Canada's First Nations communities, where people may face a journey of hundreds of kilometres to reach the nearest clinic.

Caring for animals begins at home

Most people in Canada have good access to veterinary care. But the best way to keep pets healthy is by consistently meeting their welfare needs ourselves. Animal welfare groups use the following checklist to judge whether an animal is as happy and healthy as possible, and you can too. All five freedoms need to be met.

Your pet should be:

• Free from hunger and thirst. 
• Free from discomfort.
• Free from pain, injury and disease.
• Free from fear and distress.
• Free to express normal behaviour.

This final point means that we should be understand our pets’ behavioural needs and give them the opportunity to express them. For example, rather than trying to stop a cat scratching indoors, provide a scratching post.

Before choosing a pet, please make sure that you have the resources, knowledge and ability to care for it properly. For more information and advice, download WSPA’s leaflets on dog care (PDF  252KB) or cat care (PDF 297KB). You can also find more information and factsheets on adopting an animal and caring for it properly here.

Caring for animals is everyone’s responsibility

Examining a dog
© Lou Bopp

Whether or not you own a companion animal, there are everyday actions you can take to ensure their welfare:

• Report animal cruelty
  
  Learn to recognize signs of abuse or neglect. Report any abuse immediately to your local SPCA. Things to look out for include: untreated injuries or signs of disease; lack of shelter or space; lack of food or water; matted or patchy fur or overgrown or neglected nails, claws or hooves; physical abuse such as hitting or kicking; visible rib or hip bones.

• Help reduce animal overpopulation
  There are millions of unwanted and stray dogs and cats in the world. Make sure your pet is neutered and microchipped if possible. By adopting your next animal companion from a local rescue shelter, and encouraging others to do so too, you will not only be providing a happy home to an animal in need of care and affection, but you'll also be helping to reduce the demand for animals bred for pet stores.

• Support international recognition of the importance of animal welfare
  Add your name to the global petition for a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare. This legislation would give animals everywhere the same basic levels of protection.
  

Recognizing that cruelty can stem from ignorance, WSPA works to improve the welfare of owned animals through education. 

Please help us continue to educate animal owners by spreading the word about companion animal welfare. You can click here to order a poster to display in your community from WSPA member society the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.