The PEI Humane Society recognizes that the subject of euthanasia is a highly emotional one, which is why our shelter has established procedures around this matter to ensure the safety of our community and our animals in the long term, as well as the safety of our staff, volunteers, and the wider community.

Decisions on this subject are never made lightly, as we strongly feel it is important to include multiple voices in these conversations so various points of view are considered. Decisions on euthanasia are made by our highly trained shelter veterinarian and a designated group of our qualified staff to ensure decisions of this nature are never made in a vacuum.

As a rule, the PEI Humane Society does not euthanize animals for reasons of time or space. We will not choose humane euthanasia for an animal because they have been at the shelter beyond any specific length of time, or for kennel space. We do not put a timeline on care for our animals, nor do we treat space as a premium. Welfare, safety, and the animal’s quality of life are always considered.

The PEI Humane Society works to ensure every animal taken into our care is individually evaluated and considered upon arrival, using information provided by the owner, medical records (if available) and observations and reports from our highly trained staff. We manage our intakes accordingly to ensure we have enough space to accommodate animals in need, animal needs are provided for, and to ensure the space and resources in our shelter and within our foster network are used as effectively as possible.

Our intake evaluation includes a health check by a licensed veterinarian and a behavioural analysis. We will always place healthy, behaviourally sound animals up for adoption at the appropriate time. Animals that pose a danger to the public, other animals, and/or themselves may not be considered adoptable under these criteria and will be humanely euthanized.