By Natalie Hillinger, Humane Canada

BOLTON, Ontario (November 19, 2025) – Mars, Incorporated, the leading pet care business behind ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, PEDIGREE®, CESAR® and VCA Canada, is partnering with Humane Canada, the national federation of SPCAs and humane societies in Canada, to develop and implement a national animal emergency response program. Designed to create a unified and integrated response network between animal and first responders, this program aims to ensure pets receive the care and protection they need during emergencies.

With an estimated 16 million owned cats and dogs in Canada,¹ the role pets play in people’s lives continues to reinforce the strength of the human-animal bond. Serving as companions and sources of comfort during times of need, today’s pets are a cherished part of the family. That’s why pet welfare and safety during disasters should be a considered part of emergency response planning, ensuring families don’t have to make a heartbreaking choice between their safety or their pets. As wildfires and other natural disasters continue to pose significant threats to animal welfare across the country, ensuring the inclusion and coordination of animal response is incorporated in national and provincial frameworks is essential.

“Humane Canada is proud to collaborate with Mars to build a national framework that strengthens how animals are protected during emergencies,” said Kathy Duncan, Director of National Programs at Humane Canada. “Every year, our member humane societies and SPCAs respond to wildfires, floods, and other crises, often working alongside first responders under difficult conditions. This program will give them the tools, training, and coordination they need to act faster and more effectively, so animals and their families receive the care and support they deserve when disaster strikes.” 

Building on the importance of this project, Romain Dumas, General Manager Mars Pet Nutrition Canada stated, “This program marks a meaningful milestone for pets and pet parents in Canada.

With a rise in natural disasters, specifically wildfires within Canada, there has never been a more critical time for ensuring pets are responsibly cared for and supported during emergencies. We are excited to be partnering with Humane Canada to implement this response program, as well as continue our pursuit of delivering on our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.”

Together, Humane Canada and Mars will collaborate on enhancing the readiness and capabilities of Humane Societies and SPCAs. From educating animal responders on incident command, to improving the timeliness of emergency response, this program will seek to address key challenges and issues for animal response during natural disasters or evacuations.

“Each year, our VCA Canada hospital teams are increasingly called upon to provide assistance during emergencies, and it’s our honour to expand our partnership with Humane Canada to be a part of developing and implementing this critical system within Canada,” said Cathy Gaviller, General Manager, VCA Canada. “To establish a national system of support and education for our shelter partners, first responders, and hospital teams during these challenging times will have a meaningful and measurable impact in supporting pets and their owners when they need it most.”

Mars will continue to facilitate support through food donation programs, as well as associate volunteering opportunities through the Mars Volunteer Program.

“Royal Canin Canada is proud to tangibly support emergency response efforts in partnership with Humane Canada,” said Rob Lunn, General Manager, Royal Canin Canada. “From assisting veterinarians and technicians as boots on the ground to both a financial and nutritional investment, we’re excited to do our part to provide assistance for cats and dogs in need across Canada.”

This news follows Mars’ launch of the Pets and Wellbeing Study program (PAWS), set to be the world’s largest research program exploring the mutual impact of human-animal interactions, and the impact of cats and dogs on human mental health and wellbeing, particularly in moments of stress. A recent study conducted by YouGov found 85 percent of pet owners in Canada say their pet has had a positive impact on their mental wellbeing, while 87 percent say the simple presence of their pet is relaxing, offering a sense of calm that doesn’t require words or actions.² In moments of need, pets continue to play a crucial role in people’s lives, while reinforcing the importance of keeping pets and pet owners together during disasters.

For more information, or to get involved in this program, please visit Humane Canada.

Footnotes 

1. The State of Pet Homelessness Project, Canada Country Data. The State of Pet Homelessness Project reviewed 930 sources to select 180+ data points, conducted nearly 30,000 surveys with pet owners and non pet owners, and interviewed over 200 pet professionals working in the field of pet homelessness. The State of Pet Homelessness Project
2. The research was conducted by YouGov Plc on behalf of Mars. Total sample size was 31299 adults across 20 markets (UK: 2507, Brazil: 2502; Canada: 1347; Germany: 1584; Indonesia: 2510; India: 1001; Mexico: 1567; Malaysia: 1036; Poland: 1349; US: 3748; China: 1054: Belgium: 1084; Australia: 1525; New Zealand: 1066; Spain: 1322; Netherlands: 1074; France: 1526; Denmark: 1093; Sweden: 1070; Italy: 1334). Fieldwork was undertaken between 19 February - 31 March 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted at an individual country level to be representative of all dog and cat owners (aged 18+) in the respective markets.

Photo: iStock/FatCamera