Network Partners
Resources & Reports
Research & Reports
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McCreary Center Society and Paws for Hope 2020 Connections and Companionship II
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Animal Welfare Advisory Network of BC 2020 Animal Rescue Standards of Practice
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SFU’s FREDA Centre 2018 The Links between Pets and Intimate Partner Violence
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Paws For Hope 2016 A Snapshot of Companion Animal Welfare in British Columbia
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McCreary Centre Society 2016 Connections and Companionship: The health of BC youth with pets
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Better Together & No Pet Left Behind Program Survey Report 2022
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BC SPCA Reports
Van der Velden, M. 2019. Is it possible to herd cats? Reporting on five years addressing cat overpopulation in British Columbia, Canada (PDF). BC SPCA: Vancouver, Canada. This document serves as a summary version of a review of five years working to address cat overpopulation across the province and shares learnings with other sheltering organizations, cat rescue groups, and cat colony caretakers, with the aim of seeing broad-scale positive change improving the lives of cats across North America.
Kay A, Coe JB, Young I and Pearl D. 2018. Factors influencing time to adoption for dogs in a provincial shelter system in Canada. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2018.1436917
South C. 2016. How to say ‘spay’ BC SPCA UBC Research Report. This research set out to gain deeper insights into the motivations of cat owners considering spay/neuter choices regarding their owned animals, to advance the development of a pro-social messaging toolkit for use in this area, and to gain a richer understanding of community attitudes towards cat overpopulation issues at large.
Dangerous Dog Legislation should be breed neutral.

Targeting specific breeds as a method to control dangerous dogs, discriminates against innocent members of that specific breed, and is not supported by scientific evidence that shows no one breed is inherently more dangerous than another. Breed specific legislation does not improve public safety because the factors that attribute to aggressive dog behaviour are not taken into consideration. The labeling of dangerous and banning of one specific breed can create a false sense of safety and removes the responsibility that should be required of pet guardians to properly socialize, train and care for dogs of all breeds.
The most effective way to reduce dog aggression incidences is through proactive legislation that focuses on education, common sense rules, and targeting factors that contribute to animal aggression. The City of Calgary is renowned for its progressive policies based on the following principles that have reduced incidences of animal aggression significantly.
- License and ID your pet
- Spay and neuter all pets
- Provide socialization, training, and medical care
- Don’t allow your pet to become a threat or nuisance
Paws for Hope Animal Foundation supports the position that dangerous dog legislation must be breed neutral as followed by:
- Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA)
- American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA)
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour (AVSAB)
- Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS)
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
- BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA)
Other Resources
Templates
Member Resources
- A Voice 4 Paws Education and Info section provides links to a variety of important information, such as how children should greet a dog and creating a pet emergency kit.
- BC Chihuahua Rescue Society provides information on what to expect from an ethical breed rescue and breed-specific information on chihuahuas.
- Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team has extensive resources to prepare for natural disasters and evacuations<>/a.
- Cat Therapy & Rescue Society provides Cat Care Tips.
- CatSpan Registered Charity provides resources on Feral Cat Care.
- Dees Orphan Kitten Fund provides specific information on how to care for a kitten.
- HugABull Rescue and Advocacy Society provides resources around dog behaviour, rescue, adoption, and management.
- HugABull Rescue and Advocacy Society also has great information about responsible rescues and what to look for when considering a dog from a rescue organization.
- Lakes Animal Friendship Society has many resources on humane education, including books and activities for children.
- Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association provides extensive resources on feline care.
- Vancouver Rabbit Rescue provides a Rabbit 101.
- Victoria Humane Society provides information on bringing home a new pet.
- Vancouver Humane Society’s free trauma-informed training program is geared towards animal protection workers with the goal of helping both workers and organizations learn how to implement trauma-informed and culturally safe approaches in their work, and how to mitigate the effects of burnout and compassion fatigue that are incredibly common in the animal protection sector.
- The Vancouver Humane Society’s Report Helping people and animals together: Taking a trauma-informed, culturally safe approach towards assisting placed-at-risk people with addressing animal neglect was developed by and for animal service workers and is a great resource.