Thank you for everything that you do for the animals

OHS supporters - young and old(er) are the BEST! You help us save animal lives by being involved with the Ottawa Humane Society in so so many ways.

Many of you simply cannot get enough and participate in countless programs and activities to help the animals in our care.

Here are three recent shining examples that warmed my heart:

Ringo lounges in his forever home!

Alena MacDonald is very committed young supporter of the animals at the OHS. She donated all of her allowance to help us care for the animals. She even went so far as to make her own posters encouraging others to help the OHS - which she then put up in her neighbourhood. Parents Jayor and Heather are monthly donors and have adopted their cat Ringo from the OHS - making this truly a family affair!

Alexa shows off her
"Off-Leash" Camp gear!

The Shaw-Preece family adopted their special cat Cupcake in February, right around the same time mom Jennifer won free tickets to the OHS FurBall after purchasing tickets in our annual Warm Hearts Raffle. Daughter Alexa has been to OHS PD Day programs and also attended our "Off-Leash" Summer Camp. Alexa is planning on coming back to camp this year and learning first-hand about how to be a responsible animal owner.

Zoey and Molly Purves are two special supporters who involved their neighbours to help the OHS. Zoey wants to be a vet and attended our "Off-Leash" Summer Camp last summer as part of her plan to find a new family cat. Her hard work paid off and the Purves family welcomed a new member - Candy. Zoey and Molly recently held their own raffle to help the animals. They made ballots and sold them to neighbours. Zoey, Molly and their two friends Catherine and Elizabeth ended up raising $18 to help us care for Ottawa's animals. By the way, first prize in the raffle - a picture of their cat Candy!

Zoey Purves (8) and Molly Purves (5) enjoy a high-stakes game of Monopoly
with Candy. Photo by Mark Purves,

Thank you to all our supporters - for adopting an animal into your home, volunteering, donating or raising money or participating in our many community programs. Your involvement allows us to rescue lost, abandoned, neglected and abused animals and give them a second chance at a new life by adopting them into new and loving homes.

Rob McCulloch

Director: Development

Night-Owl Spay-a-thons at the OHS!

Dr. Bamberger prepares a cat for a routine spay.

Love is in the air for the cats of Ottawa.  As the days lengthen and warm up, their kitty-hormones rage, and instinct drives them to seek out a mate (multiple mates, in many cases).  These actions, as we all know, have consequences – two months down the road, these “consequences” (kittens!!!) enter the world and often make their way through the doors of the Ottawa Humane Society in need of shelter and the chance at a better life.

We can expect to take in 200-300 kittens under the age of 8 weeks every month from May to October.  And these kittens represent only about one third of the total number of cats we take in during these months.  Kittens are adorable, but in such large numbers they can be downright overwhelming for our staff, volunteers and resources.

One major "stop on the road" to getting these cats re-homed is spaying and neutering them so that they can’t make the same mistake their parents made.  At the OHS clinic, we average 15 sterilization surgeries each day.  This can feel like a daunting task, but luckily we have help.  Ottawa’s veterinary community is full of vets willing to generously donate their time and skills to help these cats (and other OHS animals) find new homes faster.

 Volunteer, Jan Stark, comforts a dog waking up from surgery.

To get the most out of our surgical facilities we have planned a series of “Night-Owl Spay-a-thons” this summer, an after-hours event where a group of volunteer vets and support staff get together to sterilize as many animals as they can in one evening.  We had our first Spay-a-thon last week and it was a huge success!  Dr. Vicky Bamberger (from Alta Vista Animal Hospital) and Dr. Kim Holzman (from Cedarview Animal Hospital) generously donated their evenings, as did a couple of recovery volunteers, Ann Smith and Jan Stark, who ensured the animals woke up from their surgery safely and with ample snuggles.

So long as love remains in the air for Ottawa’s cats, we will be holding several more of these "Spay-athon" events over the coming months to help control pet overpopulation in Ottawa.

Dr. Alison Green

Veterinarian, Manager: OHS Clinic 

Mark September 8th on your calendar for as one-of-a-kind community celebration for the animals at the Ottawa Humane Society!

Join me on September 8, 2013 for a special 25th anniversary edition of our annual Wiggle Waggle

Walkathon for the animals.

Our Wiggle Waggle Walkathon has finally come home! Queen Juliana Park (Carling and Prince of Wales). This is where it all started - 25 years ago when a small but dedicated group of volunteers decided to organize a walkathon to help raise money for the animals the OHS.

This is also the 125th anniversary of the Ottawa Humane Society. In honour of 125 years of helping Ottawa's animals, I am challenging you and everyone in our community who loves animals and wants to help the OHS save animal lives - to raise $125.

Registration is now open and you can register today and set up your personal fundraising page at www.ottawahumane.ca/walk.

Walk or run for the animals - you now have a choice!

Are you a runner? Slow, fast, or in between, no worries, we have a new and exciting addition for the festivities on September 8th. We’re introducing our first annual Run for the Animals, to be held concurrently with the walkathon. It’ll be a timed 5KM, 10KM with a 1KM Kids Fun Run, and a very special 3KM Companion Dog Run.  Details will be announced soon - so mark that day on your running calendars to run for the animals!

I will be running in the 5km run and hope to see you there - running, walking, enjoying our family fun zone, K9 activity area, Pet Pavilion shopping area and most of all celebrating 125 years of the OHS helping animals in our community.

Rob McCulloch

Director of Development and runner

We Love Our Volunteers! Happy National Volunteer Week!

This week, National Volunteer Week, the Ottawa Humane Society is celebrating close to 600 volunteers who give so freely of their time, energy and passion to support the animals in our care. The OHS would simply not be where it is today without the commitment of these volunteers.

Over the past year, dedicated OHS volunteers have logged an incredible 41,805 hours—that’s over 800 hours every week—to help save animals’ lives. They have touched every part of our work, supporting our daily operations, programs and services. Dedicated volunteers have fostered hundreds of sick animals in their homes; others have supported the OHS by entering data to ensure that generous supporters were acknowledged and thanked. Our volunteer dog walkers have walked in rain, snow and sleet to provide daily outings for canines in our care, while other volunteers have driven hundreds of kilometers, delivering cats to our 22 partner pet adoption locations across the City. Our generous volunteer veterinarians donated almost 400 hours last year to sterilize animals prior to adoption, and to provide other critical life-saving surgeries to give so many more animals another chance. Board and committee volunteers have helped ensure that our future is bright and healthy, while, thanks to the efforts of so many other volunteers, we can ensure that our daily administration is as efficient as possible. From teaching kids—and adults—about the humane treatment of animals, to taking animals on visits to brighten residents’ days in long-term care facilities, OHS volunteers reach out and help us ensure a strong community devoted to animal care and welfare.  So many more volunteers, in roles too countless to mention, have made a difference to the animals in our community over the past year.

We do not take any of these hours for granted; we are thankful for each and every one and what it has meant to the over 11,000 animals that need our assistance each year.

We are hosting some special events for our volunteers this week as part of National Volunteer Week, but our appreciation is sincerely ongoing throughout the year. Our volunteers are truly the lifeblood of the Ottawa Humane Society.

Sharon Miko
Director: Operations

Are you interested in volunteering? Please check out available volunteer opportunities on our website at http://ottawahumane.ca/volunteer/volunteer.cfm.

Benefits of Senior Animals

Common reasons why people surrender their animals to the OHS is a change in life circumstances: moving, divorce, new baby etc... Why would anyone consider sharing their home and their lives with an older animal when there are younger, cuter animals available?

Mack (A144229), An 8 year-old brown tabby!

Copper (A153275) an 11 year-old Border Collie/Lab
mix, has more energy than you think!

By adopting an older animal, you can make a statement about compassion and the value of all life at all ages, Just as a puppy or kitten has her whole life ahead of her, so too does an older pet have the rest of her life in front of her. You can give that older cat or dog the best years of her life while at the same time bringing a wonderful addition into your family.

1. What You See Is What You Get

Older dogs and cats are open books—from the start, you’ll know important things like their full-grown size, personality and grooming requirements. All this information makes it easier to pick the right dog and forge that instant love connection that will last a lifetime. If you’re not so into surprises, an older companion animal could be for you!2. Easier to train or do a quick refresher

Think you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Not true! Older dogs are great at focusing on you—and on the task at hand—because they’re calmer than youngsters. Plus, all those years of experience reading humans can help them quickly figure out how to do what you’re asking.

3. Older animals have lots of love to give and receive

These dogs love you—and those of you who adopted dogs already in their golden years told us how devoted and grateful they are. It's an instant bond that cannot be topped!

Prince (A153347) a 9 year-old black Labrador Retriever/
Great Dane mix loves human companionship!

4. Not a 24-7 Job

Grownup dogs don’t require the constant monitoring puppies do, leaving you with more freedom to do your own thing. If you have young children, or just value your “me time,” this is definitely a bonus.

Hercules (153876) a 10 year-old cat just wants love!

5. Easier adaptation 

Older cats and dogs have been around the proverbial block and have already learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack. They’ll settle in and be part of the family in no time!

6. Fewer Messes

Your floors, shoes and furniture will thank you for adopting a senior pooch! Older dogs are likely to already be housetrained—and even if they’re not, they have the physical and mental abilities to pick it up really fast (unlike puppies). With their teething years far behind them, seniors also are much less likely to be destructive chewers.

There are those who yearn for a companion animal of their own, but hold back because they worry what might happen in their lives in the years to come. And they are wise to do so—a kitten or a puppy can be anywhere from an 8- to 20-year responsibility, which is not appropriate for the very elderly or those with certain long-term future plans. Providing a loving home for a senior animal is no less a serious commitment, but may be a shorter one.

Adopting an animal, old or young is the right thing to do. 

Spring - a time when the animals need your help

According to the calendar, Spring has officially sprung, but with snow banks still present in Ottawa, it is still not quite here for the OHS. We measure Spring by the sudden and large influx of animals. While we see this increase in the number of animals that we help every year, it is difficult to predict exactly when our staff and volunteers will be inundated with animals coming to the OHS looking for a second chance at a new life.

So, what can you do to help the over 3,000 animals that the OHS will help in the next three months? You can give the staff and volunteers the tools to help save animal loves.

Tools like:

• special diets for pregnant and nursing dogs and cats,
• pain medication to help injured and sick animals,
• surgical supplies like sutures to help the hundreds of spay neutres that are performed weekly in our in-house clinic, and
• fuel for our animal ambulance so it can be on the road seven days a week rescuing animals in distress.

You can give the OHS these tools. You can help us save animal lives this spring by:

• Running or organizing and event or activity
• Signing up as our newest member of our PAW Monthly Giving Program
• Making a HeartWarming gift and sending an e-card to someone you care for
• Registering for one of our community programs
• Holding your child's birthday party at the OHS
• Making an online gift today

On behalf of all the animals that need your help - thank you!

 

Going "Off Leash" at the OHS!

My name is Danika, and I am 6 years old. I didn't have any school today, so my parents decided I could go "Off-Leash" at the Ottawa Humane Society PD Day camp.

My dad told me that there would be a lot of fun stuff to do and boy was he right – we get to learn about lots of different animals and all about the Ottawa Humane Society at the camp.

Last time I was at camp, I brought my favourite stuffed dog, Selena, because at camp we pretended to do surgery on her! We had to pretend that our animal was hurt, poor Selena hurt her foot. The counsellors showed us how to do pretend surgery, and I taped up Selena's paw. Maybe one day I can be a vet!

The veterinarian at the OHS fixes animals at the Humane Society so they can go for walks and run with all their friends.  We even microchipped Selena, so that if she ever gets lost like my cat did, the OHS can find the microchip with a computer and help owners find their lost animals. I'm very happy the OHS helped me find my cat when she was lost.

The next thing that we learnt at the camp was the camp cheer! I had so much fun singing and dancing and learning the song with my new friends. 

One of my favourite things today was the special visit from Cooper. Cooper, is a dog that has three legs and he was adopted from the OHS. He's so cool that he volunteers to visit kids like me in their school to teach about being nice to animals and he even comes to camp. He rolled on to his back to let everyone give him a belly rub. My dogs Duke and Daisy do that all the time! I love my dogs!

I had so much fun today with my friends, and the counsellors at camp! I can’t wait for my birthday because I want to have my party at Ottawa Humane Society so that all my friends can learn how to love animals too!