ABOUT RAPS: BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR ANIMALS
JOIN THE MOVEMENT: BE AN ANIMAL ALLY WITH RAPS
Welcome to the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS), a British Columbia animal welfare charity dedicated to saving and improving the lives of animals — and their people.
We are more than an organization. We are a movement and a community in action, united by the belief that every animal deserves a life of safety, dignity and love. Through no-kill animal rescue, adoption, lifelong sanctuary, veterinary care, fostering, education and advocacy, we provide hands-on care while championing a kinder, more humane world for all.
RAPS Animal Hospital
The lifesaving RAPS Animal Hospital — one of Canada’s largest nonprofit veterinary hospitals — has powered a bold, sustainable expansion of RAPS’ animal welfare impact. Since opening in 2018, this community-owned social enterprise has provided routine and emergency care for animals in our programs and across the region. By providing services to the public, we take the profit motive out of vet care, giving people a conscientious choice to support a clinic that builds community. Every visit helps fuel our mission, with fees reinvested to save and improve the lives of animals who need us most. That’s good value — and good values!
RAPS THRIFT STORES
Our network of social enterprise RAPS Thrift Stores in Richmond, BC powers our mission while strengthening our community. These social enterprises generate essential funding, reduce waste, and make quality goods affordable for families — proving that compassion and sustainability can go hand in hand.
RAPS ADOPTION & EDUCATION CENTRE
The RAPS Adoption & Education Centre helps rescued and surrendered animals find loving forever homes while bringing animals and families together for life. Along the way, we empower the public — especially young people — with the knowledge, empathy and responsibility that lifelong animal companionship requires.
RAPS FOSTER NETWORK
Our extensive animal foster network surrounds animals with the individualized love and care they need to heal, grow, thrive and prepare for the next phase of their lives. However long it takes, foster homes help prepare each animal for the next — and best — chapter of their life.
RAPS Cat Sanctuary
RAPS operates one of North America’s largest cat sanctuaries in Richmond, BC, a one-of-a-kind haven that provides lifelong care to hundreds of mostly unadoptable cats — many of whom would otherwise have faced euthanasia.
PETS & PICKERS TV SHOW
Our story comes to life on screen. Pets & Pickers showcases the heart, humour, and impact of our work, offering an inside look at the people and animals who make RAPS extraordinary — and delivering plenty of real-life entertainment along the way.
The RAPS No-Kill Promise: A Testament to Compassion
At the heart of everything we do is our unwavering commitment to being a no-kill animal welfare organization. This pledge has built a powerful community of devoted animal allies—people like you who believe in a world where every life matters.
Under our care, no animal is ever euthanized due to lack of space, treatable illness, physical defect, age, behavioural or socialization issues.
OUR ROOTS: A LEGACY OF ANIMAL RESCUE IN RICHMOND
A Legacy of Love and Determination
RAPS began in the 1980s, sparked by local volunteers who refused to look away from the growing crisis of feral cats in Richmond. With compassion and grit, they built what would become the Richmond Homeless Cats Society — the foundation for today’s Regional Animal Protection Society.
Their commitment was relentless. Day after day, they provided food, shelter, and veterinary care, prioritizing spay and neuter and preventing the needless loss of countless lives. Their work created a ripple effect that continues to shape our community today.
In 2005, we broadened our reach to serve all of Richmond’s animals. By 2007, we were entrusted with delivering city services, making Richmond a no-kill community, championing mandatory spay and neuter, and helping lead the ban on the sale of puppies and dogs in pet stores — landmark changes that influenced animal welfare across North America.
A VISION FOR THE FUTURE: A COMMUNITY OF COMPASSION
With more than three decades of experience, RAPS continues to grow — always striving toward a brighter future for animals. Our vision is simple and bold: a community where no animal is left to struggle on the streets, and every animal is safe, respected, and truly at home.
This is where you come in.
Join us on this extraordinary journey. Be an animal ally. Together, we can build a world where every life matters and every animal is cherished.
