Canada’s Social Sector and embracing the Human-Animal Bond

In Canada, the Social Sector, encompassing approximately 186,000 Non-Profits and Charities, represents 8.7% of the GDP (approximately $189B), employs 12% of the economically active population (2.5M people), and engages 13 million volunteers. And, more than that, this sector is our social-sphere, making space to identify and effect change for new and emerging needs; to respond to crisis, to build capacity for prevention and to evolve new societal values. This session explores changing societal values as respect and concern for animal well-being comes to the forefront. During the Global Pandemic, the human-animal bond filled a crucial role as pets helped people to ease stress and anxiety, reduce social isolation and loneliness, and maintain physical health. Non-profit organizations across Canada stepped into the role of helping people to help animals, and as this group united people around the common goal of animal well-being, bias was replaced by understanding and judgment transformed into compassion. This shared experience is bringing about lasting social change by extending support to a vulnerable population and elevating the social status of animals. These organizations continue their leadership roles as animal advocates and will share innovative models of service, focused on the human-animal bond and community engagement - extending compassion to animals and to the people who care for them.