Free Dogs!!! A Clear Indication of the Crisis We Are In.

This weekend Toronto Animal Services announced that until April 23rd…larger breed dogs (over 50lbs) and puppies that will grow to over 50lbs will have their adoption fees waived.

Rescues and shelters continue to see fluid adoption rates for smaller breeds dogs but many highly adoptable med/larger sized breeds are left with little to no interest.

Shelters are full I understand that, but from an animal welfare perspective, the concept of free dogs and the lack of adopter thorough screening is so alarming on multiple fronts:

• Adopters are really not being screened for suitability, safety, ability to care for an animals, home visits, reference checks.
  • This means literally anyone could walk into one the three TAS shelters, show their ID, answer a couple of questions and walk out with a dog or puppy.
  • Increased rate of the dog not being kept by that adopter
• Having an adoption fee and due diligence checks does provide some sort of safety barrier:
  • Allows perspective adopters to fully think through this decision – may thwart impulse or seasonal reactions
  • Shows a level of financial ability to care for an animal
  • Reduces risk that animal intended purpose is for exploitation

This is another “bandaid” reaction to address a vastly broken animal welfare system:

• Overpopulation
• Zero breeder licensing to allow for oversight and animal protection enforcement
• Standards of Care that are vague and weak and practically unenforceable
• Completely unregulated selling of live animals (Kijiji, Marketplace, Buyn’sell sites) which hides the breeder/seller and provides no traceability to purchaser
• Provincial Animal Welfare Services poorly resourced and trained to protect animals and following weak legislation
• Very poor animal welfare legislation with little interest being represented by this government to improve standards, enforcement model and the seeking of justice

CALL TO ACTION:

Emails to:

• Premier Doug Ford
  • Premier@ontario.ca
• Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General
  • Minister.solgen@ontario.ca
• Doug Downey, Attorney General
  • Attorney.General@ontario.ca
• Your MPP
  • Lookup to find your MPP:
    • https://www.ola.org/en/members/current

Link to article in Toronto.Com :

https://www.toronto.com/news/toronto-animal-services-waived-dog-adoption-fees-2026/article_a373cc67-b927-54a1-95da-c640063445e2.html