Toronto Animal Services brought adoptable dogs, pet licensing information and a playful celebrity namesake campaign to TIFF’s Festival Street from September 10 to 13. Manager of Partnerships Elana Trainoff discusses the City’s growing community outreach efforts, more than 1,200 photos captured at the booth and the goal of showing Toronto residents that shelter animals can make wonderful pets.
The red carpets at the Toronto International Film Festival are usually reserved for actors, filmmakers and other Hollywood heavyweights. But this year, some of the most popular stars on Festival Street had four legs, wagging tails and no interest whatsoever in posing for the cameras.
From September 10 to 13, Toronto Animal Services brought adoptable dogs to TIFF’s Festival Street, giving festivalgoers an opportunity to meet shelter animals, take photos and learn more about the City of Toronto’s animal services.
The activation was part of an effort to put shelter animals in front of new audiences and remind Torontonians that adopting a pet can begin in some unexpected places.
“We're trying more and more every year to go to some higher-profile events so people understand that shelter animals are an amazing option for people to adopt as pets,” said Elana Trainoff, Manager of Partnerships for Toronto Animal Services.
From movie stars to shelter stars
The timing of the activation was deliberate. With TIFF drawing filmmakers, celebrities and hundreds of thousands of visitors into downtown Toronto, Festival Street offered Toronto Animal Services an unusually large and diverse audience.
The organization also added a distinctly TIFF-style twist with its “Meet Your Namesake” campaign, highlighting adoptable dogs whose names correspond to celebrities who could be in Toronto for the festival.
One of those dogs is named Seth Rogen.
And with the real Seth Rogen in Toronto for TIFF this year, the campaign created the possibility of a very different kind of celebrity meet-and-greet.
Rogen was among the TIFF names in town this year, with his film Babies premiering at the festival.
The campaign turns a simple shelter-dog introduction into something playful and shareable, while keeping the ultimate objective in focus: getting adoptable animals noticed by people who might give them a permanent home.
A photo opportunity with a purpose
Judging by the crowds, the dogs needed little help attracting attention.
According to Trainoff, Toronto Animal Services took more than 1,200 photos in three and a half days at the booth, with dogs accounting for most of them.
“People are most interested in having their photos taken,” she said.
That enthusiasm also created opportunities for conversations about what Toronto Animal Services actually does.
The booth wasn't simply about adoption. Visitors could ask questions about pets, wildlife and services available to Toronto residents, while pet owners could learn about the City's pet licensing program.
Toronto requires dogs and cats to be licensed, and licensing also gives pet owners access to the City's BluePaw Pet Licensing Discount Program, which offers discounts from pet-related businesses and service providers. The City says the program includes exclusive offers from participating vendors.
Trainoff said the team was giving out BluePaw coupons and found that many visitors were interested in learning how to join the program.
Taking Animal Services into the community
For Toronto Animal Services, the TIFF appearance is part of a broader push to become more visible in the community.
Although the organization is a City of Toronto division with a long history, Trainoff said its outreach efforts are increasingly taking Animal Services beyond its traditional settings.
“We're out in the community a lot more than we used to be,” she explained.
That community presence also means encountering people who already have a connection to Toronto Animal Services. During the TIFF activation, some visitors stopped by with dogs they had previously adopted from the City, turning the booth into an impromptu reunion point.
“It’s been really positive,” Trainoff said.
The approach reflects the wide range of services offered by Toronto Animal Services. Beyond adoption, the City provides assistance involving lost and found pets, animal bylaws, wildlife, pet licensing, shelters, spay and neuter programs, and opportunities to donate or volunteer.
A different kind of TIFF story
TIFF is often associated with premieres, press conferences and red-carpet photographs. Festival Street, however, has always offered a different way to experience the festival, bringing film culture into the public realm and giving visitors who may not have a festival ticket a chance to participate in the atmosphere.
In 2026, the street once again stretched along King Street West between Peter Street and University Avenue, with art, music, food, community organizations and partner activations. Organizers expected close to half a million people to visit.
Against that backdrop, Toronto Animal Services offered something refreshingly uncomplicated: a chance to stop, meet a dog and maybe discover a future member of the family.
There may have been plenty of celebrities walking Festival Street during TIFF, but the Toronto Animal Services booth offered a reminder that sometimes the most memorable encounter at a film festival isn't with someone walking a red carpet.
Sometimes, it's with a dog waiting for someone to take them home.
Learn more about Toronto Animal Services, pet adoption, licensing, shelters and other City programs: City of Toronto: Animals & Pets
