Thunder Bay humane society, Ontario SPCA merge to enhance support for animals and their owners

Desmond Brown · CBC News

· Posted: May 20, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The Thunder Bay and District Humane Society (TBDHS) is teaming up with the Ontario SPCA and humane nine to heighten enactment for animals and the radical who attraction for them.

TBDHS manager Shawna Beaulieu said the "exciting changes" being made are "all astir strengthening and increasing carnal payment programs and assemblage services that we already offer."

Beaulieu said the merger volition effect successful much resources successful the north, improved nutrient distribution, much entree to veterinary attraction for animals, humane acquisition programs for children, and opening up much opportunities for animals to get adopted done transferring to antithetic centres.

"It's important … due to the fact that of the deficiency of resources that we person present successful the north. This is conscionable going to springiness america that entree truthful that way, we tin grow connected what we're doing," Beaulieu said.

WATCH | Changes coming to the Thunder Bay and District Humane Society

"With the increasing need, the shortage successful veterinary attraction we person here, the summation successful surrender requests, that's wherefore it's truly important to commencement ramping up what we're doing, and these kinds of collaborations is truly what it's each about."

TBDHS volition proceed to run from its existent determination connected Rosslyn Road with the aforesaid unit and volunteers, and there's nary alteration to its name, Beaulieu said. The Ontario SPCA board volition govern some organizations until the merger is finalized successful January 2026. 

"What you tin expect is much programs, much services, and perchance immoderate much animals successful our care," Beaulieu said.

'Greater interaction connected pets and people'

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society says it is pleased to enactment with the section humane nine to connection enactment to leverage and proceed expanding their programs and assemblage enactment services.

Sonya Reichel, vice-president of structure operations astatine the OSPCA, said the 2 organizations person worked unneurotic for galore years, with the narration strengthening implicit the past year.

"This merger volition mean that we'll proceed to beryllium capable to enactment collaboratively unneurotic and truly heighten the services that are being offered crossed bluish Ontario and and of people successful Thunder Bay itself," Reichel told CBC News.

"When we collaborate, erstwhile we excavation resources, we volition marque a greater interaction connected pets and radical successful the community. So, arsenic we enactment done this, we'll beryllium looking astatine opportunities to grow immoderate of the resources we supply to the communities successful which we person carnal centres presently into this community."

The merger volition spot 2 TBDHS committee directors — Ryan Venn and Derek Noyes — serving connected the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society committee of directors.