In September 2024, we celebrated our milestone 65th anniversary of speaking on behalf of Alberta’s animals. While it’s important to acknowledge the past, we’re not dwelling on it. We’re looking to the future as there’s too much work to get done.
In the 1950s there were several organizations in Alberta working to improve the lives of animals in the province. However, for each, their focus was regional; no organization had a mandate to speak for animals across the entire province, and without that, the Alberta Government was unwilling to enact animal welfare legislation.
With that in mind, two gentlemen — Archie Bruce and Zeke Young — accepted the challenge to eliminate that obstacle. The tireless work of these animal welfare pioneers led to the incorporation of the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — the Alberta SPCA — on September 10, 1959, ensuring there was finally a province-wide focus for animals, including livestock.
While the incorporation of the Alberta SPCA was a historic moment, it would take another eight years before An Act for the Protection of Animals in Distress would become law on July 1, 1967. Alberta SPCA leadership played a major role in getting the legislation in place, and our organization has been just as involved each time the Act has been updated over the past 65 years, including the current version of the Animal Protection Act which became law in 2006.
Currently, the animal welfare community in Alberta is in crisis. Economic pressures mean fewer people can afford pets, and animal owners are finding it more difficult to find housing that will allow animals. On top of that, natural disasters such as floods and wildfires add even more stress to the system. There are too many animals and not enough families looking to adopt them.
Just like in the 1950s, our Alberta SPCA leadership is ready to tackle the challenges before us, including pushing for updates to the legislation to reflect the current state of animal welfare in our province. We also believe strong animal control bylaws in municipalities can play a significant role in helping manage populations, especially when it comes to how many pets someone can have. Without these bylaws, it’s too easy for small issues to turn into big problems as we’ve seen numerous times already this year.