Red Collar Day
Remembering, Not Blaming.
Demanding Equal Care.
A national call to end 150 years of inequality
in animal-related public health and safety.
WHY IT MATTERS
Red Collar Day remembers dogs killed in culls. We acknowledge the suffering these deaths can involve and stand with the families and communities who grieve them. We look forward to a day when culls, and the suffering and grief they cause, are a thing of the past.
Understanding why culls still happen means confronting the conditions communities face. In rural and remote communities across Canada, gaps in veterinary services, trained animal-services staff, secure kennelling and sustained public investment can leave a cull as the only means realistically available to protect human residents.
Remembering the dogs and acknowledging their suffering does not mean judging communities or individuals facing these choices. It means confronting the lack of services, infrastructure and sustained public investment that leaves communities without workable alternatives.
Preventing future harm requires Nation-led Community Animal Management. Nations determine the governance, local staffing, infrastructure, veterinary access and education their communities need. Different paths can support that work, including local initiatives, partnerships and sustained government investment.
Federal, provincial and territorial governments have a responsibility to work with Nations to address the gaps in services and infrastructure that restrict communities’ options.
Safety for People, Communities and Animals.
Why a Red Collar?
In some communities, families mark their dogs with brightly coloured collars so they can be recognized and spared during culls.
The red collar carries that meaning of survival, alongside remembrance of dogs who have died and solidarity with the people who grieve them. It also expresses hope for a future where communities have the systems and services needed to prevent these losses.
Equal Care. Every Community.
WAYS TO TAKE PART
On November 1, 2026, wear red in remembrance of dogs killed in culls and in solidarity with grieving families and communities.
Share why you are wearing red using #EqualCareEveryCommunity. Honour the dogs and help others understand how missing services and infrastructure can leave communities relying on culls to protect human residents.
Contact your MP or MLA. Ask what their government will do to address gaps in animal-related public health and safety services and support Nation-led Community Animal Management in rural and remote Indigenous communities.
Wear
Red​​
Share:
#EqualCareEveryCommunity
Tell Your MP
or MLA​