PAACT supports pets and their owners through initiatives

By Lethbridge Herald on January 29, 2026.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Pet & Animal Advocacy Care Team (PAACT) is looking to home Bandit and Hobbes, two cats currently in their foster care.

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman

Lethbridge Herald

A volunteer run non-profit organization based in Lethbridge is looking to help pet owners with questions regarding their beloved animals, while also looking for volunteers, and foster homes for pets needing a new forever home.

Pet & Animal Advocacy Care Team (PAACT) has been operating in Lethbridge since 2024 as a non-traditional rescue. 

PAACT president, T.J. said they focus on supporting both pets and their people through proactive, community-based initiatives designed to prevent crisis before it leads to surrender or loss of their pets. 

“One of our core programs is the PAACT Care Closet, which provides free, essential pet supplies such as food, litter, leashes, collars, crates, and other necessities to pet owners facing temporary financial hardship or unexpected life challenges,” said T.J. 

She said that by removing immediate resource barriers, the Care Closet helps families keep their pets safely at home during difficult periods rather than being forced into crisis-driven decisions. 

“We have also recently partnered with the Lethbridge Food Bank to expand coordinated support for families in need,” said T.J. “In Lethbridge, rising housing costs, food insecurity, and limited access to emergency supports are increasingly impacting pet owners alongside their animals.” 

She said because of it, more families are forced to choose between basic necessities and pet care, decisions that often result in unnecessary surrender or crisis. 

“PAACT exists to intervene before those breaking points occur, providing local, practical support that keeps pets out of shelters and families intact within our community,” said T.J. 

She said PAACT was created to address a growing gap in animal welfare services, specifically the lack of preventative and early-intervention support for pet owners facing financial hardship, medical emergencies, housing instability, or grief. 

“Rather than operating a physical shelter, we focus on community-driven solutions that reduce crisis-based surrender, alleviate pressure on shelters, and strengthen the human-animal bond,” said T.J. 

She said they also offer home-to-home rehoming support that prevents unnecessary shelter intake, temporary foster placements for pets whose owners are experiencing short- or long-term crises, winter shelter initiatives for stray and feral cats, and peer-based pet loss grief support for community members navigating loss. 

“Our work is 100 per cent volunteer-led and grounded in collaboration with local veterinarians, community partners, and families,” said T.J. 

She said many of the individuals they support are seniors, people with disabilities, survivors of domestic violence, or those experiencing sudden life disruptions.

PAACT interim vice president, Alyssa A. said sometimes people come to them with questions about exotic animals, like rodents, reptiles, and birds. 

“We can provide education, because when it comes to exotic animals, people get a lot of misinformation, even at pet stores. It’s not to anybody’s fault. We are able to provide them education based on the breed, the age, the size and the temperament of that pet specifically,” said Alyssa. 

She said sometimes they are able to provide them with few supplies from their care closet that are specific to that animal. 

“We have a few things like heat lamps, tanks and we could help provide some things like that as well,” said Alyssa.

To be able to continue supporting the community, they are looking for volunteers and foster homes for animals needing either a temporary home or a new forever home. 

Core volunteer and current foster, Leah J. shared her experience with fostering couple of cats and said anyone can do it as long as they have the desire and a place to live. 

“You just have to have the passion and we can help you figure out what kind of foster you can be,” said Leah. 

She said many, like her, believe that if they rent or have resident animals, they are not able to foster an animal but that is not the case. 

“A lot of people think they have to have a whole house available, but you don’t. I have dedicated a room to two cats that were in an emergency situation and do many enrichment activities with the foster cats and my resident cat,” said Leah. 

Alyssa said that another misconception people have about fostering an animal is that they have to pay for the required supplies. 

“In a foster situation, we supply the food, the cat litter and other supplies. Fosters don’t have to pay for those items for that animal, it’s more about providing a safe home,” said Alyssa. 

For more information visit http://www.paact.ca