Position statements

MISSION STATEMENT

As the national voice of humane societies and SPCAs, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies supports its member animal welfare organizations across Canada in promoting respect and humane treatment toward all animals.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

CFHS believes that each animal possesses intrinsic value, remarkable complexity and inherent dignity, and as such is deserving of respect and moral concern.
CFHS advocates universal humane treatment, care and protection of all animals.
CFHS insists that all animals used by humans be provided with high levels of care to ensure their health, comfort and behavioural needs.
CFHS advocates habitat protection and enhancement for the well-being of animals in the wild.

HUMANENESS TOWARDS ANIMALS

Humaneness means treatment of an animal in a manner that ensures its welfare and well-being in circumstances where a human is or should be exercising care, custody, control or use of an animal. A person responsible for an animal must provide living conditions, necessities of life and care suitable to the circumstances and in accordance with the normal psychological and physical needs of the animal.

Humane treatment of an animal precludes cruelty and involves every possible effort to avoid or reduce pain, suffering or injury.

A humane death occurs when an animal is killed in a manner whereby it dies instantly without panic or pain or whereby it is rendered instantly unconscious with inevitable subsidence into death without regaining consciousness.

Humaneness involves sensitivity toward all life in compliance with ethical, moral and legal principles. Human members of the animal kingdom have the responsibility to be humane in the ways they act or fail to act with respect to other animals. Humans who have care, custody, control or use of animals must be diligent in exercising this responsibility.

The CFHS has established detailed position statements on the following animal welfare issues: