Listed on our Care page, there a few websites that contain useful pet-related information which often have forums where you can post or find pets looking for homes.
The internet makes it very easy for you to find information on anything you wish, so it seems redundant to maintain a directory when Google and other search engines do a much better job of it. Nonetheless, we’ll call your attention to two sources of valuable information on shelters and rescues.
First, the world wide shelter directory is at Hugs for Homeless Animals - http://www.h4ha.org. Please support their work as it aims to be comprehensive - send in your shelter links, or your donations.
The next is Adopt an Animal Canada - http://www.adoptananimal.ca, which contains listings of animal rescue operations throughout Canada. If your listing isn't on this Links page, and it might not be, visit Adopt an Animal Canada.
The links that are below have been maintained from when we compiled searches of homeless rodents - which many others did before, and have done since - to advertise them in online forums and e-mail lists. They are entirely Canadian. For United States searches, we recommend the mighty PetFinder, as well as PetHarbor.
Atlantic Canada
165 Hilton Road
-
(506)459-1555
Occasionally has small animals - check and call!
311 if you are in Saint John
They don't have small animals posted - encourage them if you live there!
several locations
British Columbia
Province wide, BC
Small Animal Rescue Society of BC
Serving all of BC
Ontario
For all OSPCA branches, begin your search in their Community Directory
Barrie
Mumsy's Rat Rescue has many rats for adoption. Contact Elizabeth at ratlady@gmail.com
City of Brampton Animal Services
475 Chrysler Drive
(905) 458-5800 or (905) 458-5200
Brantford SPCA - county of Brant
539 Mohawk St.
(519) 756-6620
740 Griffith Court
(905) 335-3030
Cambridge & District Humane Society
1650 Dunbar
(519) 623-7722
500 Wellington St. W
519-824-3091
Humane Society of Durham Region
Oshawa, ON
(905) 433-2022
Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society
250 Riverbend Drive
(519) 745-5615
London
Animal Love Foundation
(519) 485-3244
Mississauga Animal Services Shelter
They may not list on PetHarbor, but they do maintain a rather good site.
(905) 896-5864
Ottawa
Has a good list of other rat rescues in Canada, and local Ottawa-Hull resources
101 Champagne Avenue S
(613) 725-3166
OHS works in conjunction with local pet stores to place adoptions.
2125 18th Avenue East
(519) 372-1123
527 Avonlough Rd, Belleville, ON
(613) 968-4673
This shelter works with pet stores to place animals. They keep small animals for as long as it takes to find homes.
Rabbit Rescue, a foster-based rescue for bunnies, piggies, ratties, and more in the GTA. Rabbit Rescue can often arrange transport through their e-mail list and volunteer resources.
Rosedale Animal Hospital Adoptions
Toronto, ON
(416) 964-2298 or (416) 964-1752
Toronto Animal Services - Four locations (North, South, East, and West). The website has a link to its PetHarbor listings.
(416) 338-PAWS (7297)
11 River Street
(416) 392 2273
5383 Trafalgar Rd., Erin, ON
519-833-2287
Prairie provinces
2200 17th Street East
(204) 728-1333
45 Hurst Way
(204) 982-2035
(306) 543-6363
4455 110 Ave SE
(403) 205-4455
12251 - 67 Street NW
(780) 491-3500
Quebec
Montreal's bigger municipal pound, this non-public, for-profit organization claims to keep small animals until they are adopted.
(514) 494-2002
Sociétés Protectrice des Animaux:
1139, boul. Queen Victoria, Sherbrooke
(819) 821-4727
1130, avenue Galilée, Québec.
(418) 527-9104
Compiles a weekly listing of all animals.
5000, boul. Saint-Jean, Trois-Rivières
819 376-0806
975 rue Bergar
(450) 663-3266
5215 Jean Talon W/O
(514) 735-2711
Montreal's other municipal pound and animal shelter.
Shelter links, coming right up!
Where to go on this site
Where to go elsewhere
At most animal shelters, most small animals are treated for health problems only if it's easy to treat, otherwise, they will be euthanized. For these reasons, they are not "safe." They are mostly being kept in good conditions - although they may not always be on the best bedding or have a proper diet. They aren't let out for exercise except perhaps with volunteers.
Shelters need volunteers to go in and cuddle the rodents. This keeps them well-socialized and alleviates boredom in the cage. About 3-4 volunteers are needed, and you are only asked for a consistent schedule. Also, the more small animal volunteers there are, the more weight is given when they raise concerns about illnesses and healthcare.
