What Matters Most for Animal Welfare?

Here’s What You Told Us

This past spring, we asked our community what animal welfare issues matter most to you. Nearly 400 people across Alberta shared their thoughts, and their input will help shape how we advocate and build programs that help pets and people thrive, together.

Why We Asked

Animal welfare is about more than sheltering homeless animals. It’s about prevention, education and ensuring families can care for their pets. To guide our work and advocacy, we wanted to understand which issues our community see as most important.

The survey ran from April 15 to June 15, 2025, and received 397 responses, primarily from Edmonton and surrounding areas. It was promoted via EHS’ social media, newsletters and a local news digest.

What We Learned

When asked to rank five key animal welfare issues against each other in order of importance, respondents prioritized them as follows:

1. Addressing abuse and neglect cases
2. Access to spay/neuter services
3. Access to veterinary care (not spay/neuter)
4. Access to pet-friendly housing
5. Managing community/feral cat populations

Over half of respondents (53%) chose abuse and neglect as their number one concern.

Then each individual issue was rated on a scale from “Not at all important” to “Extremely important.

• 98% said addressing abuse and neglect is extremely or very important.
• 92% said spay/neuter access is extremely or very important.
• Access to veterinary care (not spay/neuter) was extremely or very important to 85% while 74% said the same about pet-friendly housing.
• Even managing community cats — ranked last in priority — was rated extremely or very important by 69% of respondents.

The message was clear: all five matter. Very few respondents – only 7 total – said that an issue was not at all important.

Other Issues Raised

The comments went beyond the five issues we asked about. Here’s what respondents told us matters most in addition to those priorities:

• Stronger enforcement of animal protection laws — mentioned in 43 comments, including calls for tougher penalties, better follow-up and stronger legislation to prevent repeat offenses.
• Concern for other animals — 35 comments highlighted wildlife, urban wildlife and farm animals.
• Education — 29 comments focused on the need for public education about pet care, animal behaviour and training, and broader animal welfare issues.
• Affordability — 25 comments raised concerns about the cost of pet food, veterinary care, and services like insurance and behaviour support.
• Pet retention supports — 25 comments emphasized the need for programs that help pets and people stay together, such as pet food banks and emergency boarding.

What’s Next

This feedback helps us focus on what matters most to our community. It guides our advocacy, informs programs like spay/neuter and pet food banks, and strengthens our voice when we speak to decision-makers.

We’ll keep working to prevent abuse and neglect, expand access to care and support families in keeping their pets. And we’ll share updates as these priorities turn into action.

To everyone who took the time to share your thoughts — thank you. Together, we’re building a community where animals are valued and protected.