Animals in Toronto differ in all shapes and sizes. While Toronto calls itself diverse, you can definitely claim the same for Toronto animals!

Torontonians take their animals very seriously, which shows in that fact that not only Toronto, but Canada is one of the leaders in Animal Rights. The Toronto Humane society is one of the best and well known shelters for animals (along with the Toronto Cat Rescue).

 

The Toronto Humane Society's mission statement says it all. Not only for themselves, but these ideas are carried out in the minds of most Torontonians.

"The Humane Society of Canada works to protect dogs, cats, horses, birds, rabbits and small animals, livestock, lab animals, wildlife and the environment. We carry out hands on programs to help animals and nature, mount rescue operations, expose cruelty through hard hitting undercover investigations, work to pass laws to protect animals, support animal shelters and wildlife rehabilitation centres and spread the word about how to help animals and nature through humane education."

-- Taken from the Toronto Humane Society website.

The national animal for Canada is the beaver and the Canadian horse. But the list of Toronto animal favourites does not end there. Some of the wildlife you would see if you were to walk around Toronto would be:

As cute and friendly most of these appear to be, it is always good to remember that these animals are wild. And some Toronto homeowners find out the hard way just how annoying some Toronto animals can be.

The most popular Toronto animals that tend to move into your house are raccoons, possums, squirrels and mice. Toronto promotes safe wildlife removal for the homeowners and for the critter. Most companies can be found online or through agencies such as the Toronto Humane Society and Animal Control Toronto.

There has been a large number of cat strays and dog strays over the years, and the number seems to growing. One of the issues is that pet owners do not spay and neuter their animals. This unfortunately leads to a rise in the animal population that cannot be properly contained.

Proudly, Toronto opened its first Free animal spay and neuter clinic in August 2010. It is in hopes that this will help to eliminate the large cat population especially, since pet owners reluctance came from the cost of the procedure. It usually costs around $200 CDN for your pet to be 'fixed'.

There are, of course, animals that are more than welcome to move in! The most common house pets for people living in Toronto are dogs, cats, birds (of all varieties), rabbits, ferrets, gerbils, hamsters and mice. You have to be careful that any animal being brought into Canada is legally allowed. The Canadian government has a list available to the public of animals that are not allowed to be brought into the country.

The only jungle creature that should be in Toronto is the ones you will find at the Toronto Zoo! The Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in North America and over 16,000 creatures are happy to call it their home.

The Toronto Zoo is spread over 710 acres and is divided into the six different geographic zones of the world. Bringing animals to Toronto that locals and tourists alike would never get to see, such as: tigers, different species of lizards, elephants, giraffes and more.

Toronto animals are able to live in a habitat that is right for them, especially in the suburb area and Greater Toronto Area. They are loved and respected as living creatures, even if they are not a pet. So please be kind to your fellow furry creatures when you visit Toronto.