Places For Me
Pets
Shelters, food, and vet care for your animal.
Your pet matters.
This page is honest about what exists in Nova Scotia for people experiencing homelessness with animals — including the gaps. You should not have to choose between safety and your pet.
Shelters that accept pets in Nova Scotia
Emergency shelters in Nova Scotia that accept pets are very limited. Here is what we know:
Halifax area
Barry House — women, trans, gender-diverse
Accepts pets — confirm capacity when you call.
If a shelter cannot take your pet, ask staff about temporary boarding options before leaving — they may know of local options not listed here. See Section 2 below for emergency pet boarding.
Outside Halifax
Pet-friendly emergency shelters outside HRM are extremely rare
Emergency boarding — if a shelter can’t take your pet
NS SPCA
- In a genuine crisis, the NS SPCA may be able to provide temporary boarding for your pet.
- Halifax/Dartmouth SPCA shelter: 5 Scarfe Ct, Dartmouth — 902-468-7877.
- This is not guaranteed — call ahead and explain your situation honestly.
- The SPCA’s goal is to keep pets with their owners — they will try to find a solution.
Cape Breton SPCA
- 401 East Broadway, Sydney — 902-539-7722.
Ask your shelter
- Some shelters have informal arrangements with local kennels or foster families for residents’ pets.
- Always ask shelter staff before assuming your pet has nowhere to go — solutions often exist that aren’t publicly listed.
Foster network
- NS SPCA has a foster network — in a crisis, a foster placement keeps your pet safe and with someone who will return them to you.
- Call 902-468-7877 and explain you are experiencing homelessness — they have helped in these situations before.
Free pet food in Nova Scotia
Halifax Humane Society — pet food bank
For people who cannot afford pet food. Call ahead to confirm hours.
NS SPCA — sometimes has pet food
Call your nearest branch to ask.
Souls Harbour drop-ins
Feed Nova Scotia network
Petfinder & local Facebook groups
Vet care when you can’t afford it
NS SPCA Spay/Neuter program
- Subsidised spay/neuter for low-income pet owners.
- Call 902-468-7877 to ask about eligibility.
- Keeping your pet spayed/neutered prevents costs and complications later.
Tartan Tails Veterinary Hospital (formerly SPCA clinic)
- Located at 7 Scarfe Ct, Dartmouth — the NS SPCA-affiliated veterinary clinic, now operating as Tartan Tails.
- Offers lower-cost vet services than private clinics.
- Call 902-706-4155 for appointments and pricing.
Atlantic Veterinary College — Charlottetown, PEI
- Teaching hospital — some services at reduced cost.
- 902-566-0820 — worth calling for complex or expensive conditions.
- Yes it’s in PEI but for serious conditions the cost savings can be significant.
Pro bono vet care
- Some Halifax vets do pro bono or sliding-scale work — this is informal and not publicly advertised.
- Ask the NS SPCA to connect you with vets who have helped in similar situations.
- Be honest about your situation — vets who want to help need to know you need help.
Medications
- Some pet medications have human equivalents that are cheaper — ask your vet about options.
- The SPCA clinic can advise on low-cost medication alternatives.
Keeping your pet while accessing services
Many services in this app do not accommodate pets. Here is how to navigate that practically.
Before going anywhere new
- Always call ahead and ask specifically about pets.
- Ask “do you have any way to help with my pet” — not just “do you allow pets”. The first question gets more creative answers.
If you need to leave your pet temporarily
- Ask someone you trust — a friend, another shelter resident, a familiar face at a drop-in.
- Ask shelter staff if there is a short-term informal arrangement possible.
- Call the NS SPCA and explain your situation — they have helped arrange short-term foster placements for people in crisis before.
Your rights
No service in Nova Scotia can force you to give up your pet permanently as a condition of receiving help. Temporary arrangements should always be framed as temporary — get a name and number of whoever is caring for your pet.
If you can no longer care for your pet
Sometimes the most loving thing is finding your pet a new home temporarily or permanently. This is not failure — it is care.
NS SPCA surrender
- You can surrender your pet to the NS SPCA. They will work to find a good home.
- Halifax: 902-469-9156 · Cape Breton: 902-562-0013.
- Tell them your situation — they may be able to hold the pet as a foster rather than a surrender, meaning you could reclaim them when your situation stabilises.
Rehoming yourself
- Posting on local Facebook groups or Kijiji NS with an honest description often finds good homes quickly.
- Halifax Public Library computers can help you post if you don’t have a device.
If you are considering surrendering your pet and are in crisis yourself, please also reach out to 2-1-1 or the NS Mental Health Line at 1-888-429-8167. Losing a pet is genuinely hard and support is available.
Frequently asked
I need to go to a shelter tonight but they won’t take my dog. What do I do?
Call the NS SPCA (902-468-7877) first and explain you need emergency boarding tonight. Then call 2-1-1 and ask specifically about pet-friendly shelter options. Ask the shelter staff if they know of any informal arrangements — sometimes solutions exist that aren’t posted anywhere.
Can I be refused medical care or housing because I have a pet?
No service can permanently require you to give up your pet as a condition of help. Temporary arrangements may be needed for some services, but your pet remains yours.
My pet needs a vet but I have no money at all. What do I do?
Call the NS SPCA clinic (902-468-7877) and explain your situation fully. Call your nearest SPCA branch. Ask 2-1-1 if there are any emergency vet funds in your area. Some vets will defer payment or work pro bono for genuine emergencies — call and ask honestly.
I have to go into hospital. What happens to my pet?
Call the NS SPCA before you go in if possible and ask about emergency foster placement. Ask your hospital social worker — they sometimes have connections to pet fostering networks. This is a known gap in NS and the SPCA is aware of it.