Animal welfare FAQ

We are a volunteer-run animal welfare organization based in Toronto, Canada. We teach students and young people how animals are treated, explain the laws and standards that govern it, and share what we find in plain language, with sources.

Animal welfare is about how well an animal is doing: its health, comfort, and safety, and how it is kept and treated. It is the focus of our work, and we explain it in plain language, with sources.

Young people are already asking big questions about food, climate, and how the world treats animals. Campuses are communities where ideas take root and the next wave of change begins. We want you to have clear, sourced answers to start with.

The Foundation is run entirely by volunteers across four countries. It is a federally incorporated Canadian not-for-profit corporation based in Toronto, Ontario.

We are based in Toronto, and we started in Canada. Our volunteers work across several countries, and we welcome students at universities and colleges around the world.

Not yet. We have applied to the Canada Revenue Agency for registered charity status and are waiting for a decision. Until then, we cannot issue official donation receipts for income tax purposes.

We operate with transparency, integrity, and accountability, guided by policies on board conduct, conflicts of interest, ethics, whistleblower protection, privacy, fundraising, harassment and discrimination, and accommodation. You can read about them on our governance and policies page.

The best first step is to join the Campus Ambassador Program. You can also read our blog, explore the animal and issue pages, follow us on social media, and share what you learn with a friend.

Campus Ambassadors hold information tables and campus conversations, and share our sourced material with their communities. Everything is done with respect, and anything recorded is recorded only with consent.

Fill in the short online application on our application page. If you have a question first, email info@humanechoice.org with the subject line Campus Ambassador Inquiry.

No. No work experience is required, and you do not need to be an expert. Student leadership, event planning, social media, or a background in agriculture, veterinary science, environmental studies, or public health can help, but none of it is required.

About three to five hours a month during active campaign periods. Ambassadors work both remotely and on campus.

Yes. We started in Canada, and we welcome students at universities and colleges around the world.

Yes. Email info@humanechoice.org with the subject line Campus Ambassador Inquiry and we will get back to you.

Yes. We welcome volunteer writers who can explain a hard topic clearly and honestly, with sources. Email info@humanechoice.org to get started.

Every figure we publish has a source we can point to. If we cannot show where a number came from, we do not use it.

Yes. We are committed to making our education and resources free and accessible to anyone, anywhere. Good information should not depend on where you were born or what you can afford.

It depends on the label. Each one means something specific, and often less than people assume. Some are backed by written standards, and others are closer to marketing. Our guide to food labels, now in preparation, explains what different standards actually require and where they fall short.

Animal agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, land use change, and freshwater consumption. How animals are farmed and how the planet fares are not separate subjects. See our climate change page and the rest of our issue pages.

From named sources such as Faunalytics, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, WWF, Our World in Data, and the Canadian Council on Animal Care. Each figure links to its source, with notes on what it does and does not cover. See our facts and sources page.

No. We share what is known, with sources and without judgment, so you can draw your own conclusions. We believe informed people make better choices.

You can give your time as a Campus Ambassador, share our articles and guides with friends, follow us on social media, and start a conversation with someone who has never thought about it. All of that helps.

You can donate on our donate page. Please note that we cannot yet issue official donation receipts for income tax purposes while our charity application is under review.

Sign up on our newsletter page. We will send you new articles and news about our work.

We are committed to protecting the personal information of our donors, supporters, staff, and volunteers in accordance with applicable privacy and data protection laws. Read more on our privacy and confidentiality section.