EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
OF THE
OTTAWA HUMANE SOCIETY
JUNE 23, 2009
In preparation for this presentation, I read through my eight previous reports to the members. It seems that most years I have commented that the previous year was the busiest I have recalled to date. In reviewing the accomplishments and challenges for each year, though, it is clear that my comments have not been overstated or disingenuous. Each year has been busier than the last, as we all stretch our limits to become the best that we can be for Ottawa’s animals of today and of tomorrow.
Advocating for Change and Educating our Community
This past year, management staff and I have ensured that the OHS has taken a leadership role in advocating for change to benefit animals in Ottawa and a strong support role in needed change for Ontario and across the country.
We have pushed the City to finally develop a kenneling and pet retail bylaw – finding it unacceptable that none has been forthcoming in the eight years since amalgamation. We put considerable effort in ensuring that the City made acceptable choices with regard to the royal swans. We advocated on behalf of animals with the City regarding its Spay Neuter Clinic’s restrictions on sterilizing animals after the age of five. We also participated in the lobbying effort to allow small companion animals onto OC Transpo buses.
Nationally, we supported the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies in their efforts to achieve much needed changes to the Criminal Code.
And of course we participated fully in the greatest legislative achievement of last year – Ontario’s Bill 50, implemented in March – a piece of legislation that is expected to live up to its billing to put Ontario from “worst to first in animal welfare” in this country.
Of course, not all change is legislative. Some of the most important changes occur through education and influencing individual actions. In addition to our highly regarded humane education programs, we undertook a number of new initiatives to lead our community in becoming more responsible and compassionate last year.
The Outreach Department developed two posters – supporting spay/neuter and indoor cats. Also, Outreach, in concert with our Emergency Animal Protection Services, developed an excellent door sticker reminding people not to leave their dogs in hot cars. Outreach also committed to increase the number of our popular e-bulletins to twelve – doubling the number of important messages that we bring to our community.
Last year, the Outreach Department also undertook a complete overhaul of our excellent, but tired-looking website – greatly improving this tool as an animal welfare resource for our community.
Leadership in the Humane Movement
The Ottawa Humane Society has always taken a leadership role in animal welfare in our community, province and country. The past year has been no exception. This year, I concluded a three year commitment to the Ontario SCPCA as its first vice president, and for a time, serving as its president. Over this period, the OSPCA made major progress in becoming a stronger and more cohesive voice for animal welfare in the province and made very significant achievements including: the hiring of new CEO, Kate MacDonald; New bylaws to ensure that members have a stronger voice in the organization while modernizing its governance structures; Receipt of five million dollars from the province for shelter infrastructure across the province – 500,000 dollars of which was awarded to the OHS for our building campaign; and most importantly, as I previously noted, introduction of the strongest provincial animal welfare legislation in the country.
In addition to our Ontario SPCA contribution, Rob McCulloch, our Director of Development began a term serving on the board of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, maintaining our history of strong support for the Federation.
Because the OHS is widely recognised as a high quality and progressive service provider, we are frequently contacted by other humane societies for support, information and advice. This past year was particularly busy in this regard. In addition to our support of the OSPCA and the CFHS, we provided considerable information and advice to the CSPCA, the Humane Society of Lincoln County, the Oakville Humane Society, the Red Deer and District SPCA, to name just a few.
Constantly Improving Animal Care
Last year, we undertook a host of initiatives to improve our animal care practices to ensure the best outcome for the most number of animals. All this in the face of unprecedented overcrowding in our shelter in both dogs and cats that lasted from May until November.
With the assistance of a grant from the Community Foundation of Ottawa, we expanded our programming to address feline health in the shelter.
Because of the generosity of our donors, we were able to apply additional staff resources to our fostering department when we became seriously short of foster volunteers for the number of admissions, and added staff resources to our overcrowded shelter when needed most.
We undertook to improve our assessment protocol for cats and to better document and assess all decisions and outcomes in order to ensure that we are making the best possible decision for every animal in our care and to ensure both consistency and transparency in this.
Our community has assisted us in the on-going evaluation of our temperament assessment regime, responding in unprecedented numbers to our NEVBA follow-up surveys. This follow-up ensures that our decision making process is both sound and transparent.
This past year we increased our research into best practices markedly, using and participating in shelter management research coming from the University of California’s excellent program. Among the findings of our research was support for spaying kittens at 1 kg., rather than the previously believed 1.5 kg which improves our surgical and adoption wait times considerably.
And, during our busiest period, we undertook a creative new monthly cat adoption promotional initiative - “Canuck Cats” in July, “Black to School” cats in September, “Veteran Cats” in November, and the like, to publicize and increase our cat adoptions.
Raising the Resources to Help the Animals
The 2008/09 fiscal year was a banner year in fundraising for the animals, with the OHS raising 237 thousand dollars more than the previous year – an eleven percent increase. At the same time, our cost to raise those funds increased by only seven percent, meaning even more funds for the animals.
From an outstanding Wiggle Waggle Walk-a-thon, to a superbly elegant Fur Ball, our events proved not only beneficial for the animals, but a credit to the many people that it takes to create them.
Donors to the United Way Campaign continue to remember the animals in their giving plans, increasing their contributions by a stunning 22 percent!
Our efforts to promote on-line fundraising proved successful this year, with our state of the art on-line host informing us that we are in the top 100 in North America using their BBNC module for on-line donations.
Helping our Donors to help Tomorrow’s Animals
Thinking about tomorrow’s animals has become a major preoccupation at the OHS in the last several years. One of the ways that we insure that we will be here for tomorrow’s animals is through our legacy giving program.
In the last fiscal year, we undertook a number of initiatives to assist legacy giving donors in fulfilling their philanthropic goals, and achieving the security of knowing that their beloved pet will be cared for through our Pet Stewardship Program.
We initiated a series of small mailings to legacy and pet stewardship candidates, and introduced a number of promotional initiatives for both programs. Among the promotional efforts was one that connected the OHS with Ottawa’s legal and estate planning community in order that they might share our programs with their clients.
Building a Brighter Future for Ottawa’s Animals
The OHS’s number one goal for the year, and therefore my primary preoccupation, has been building a new home, and therefore a brighter future for the animals.
The OHS Breaking Ground Building Campaign and our building project have made tremendous progress this past year – with donors generously committing to make the project a reality and the federal government stepping forward. I am very pleased to report that to date, we have achieved over 65% of our goal in pledges.
The project itself is moving forward both well and quickly with the finalization of the acquisition of land on Hunt Club, the hiring of our project managers and consulting architect and the beginning of detailed planning of the facility itself.
With your help and with the help of our community, we will achieve this goal and leave a lasting legacy of care and compassion for animals for years to come.
Supporting our Staff and Volunteers
Last fiscal year, we concluded negotiations with our union, CUPE 503, cooperatively developing a three-year Collective Agreement that should carry us through to occupancy of our new facility.
In order to protect the health and safety of our staff and to comply with recent changes in legislation and case law, we undertook a thorough review of our entire Health and Safety Policy and Procedures Manual.
The past year also marked an extensive review of our volunteer department and practices – instituting exit interviews for all volunteers and participating in an international volunteer program review in animal shelters - all to ensure that our many volunteers are served in an outstanding fashion so in turn, they can provide an outstanding service for our animals.
Passages
I am sad to report that this past year, we were shocked and saddened to lose two valued members of our OHS team:
Last December, one of our very popular dog-walkers, Andy de Breyne was hit by a car and killed, leaving our dog-walking team without its most active member. Andy was a ray of sunshine in many of our days and we all feel his loss.
In early May, Donna Baxter, our manager of finance and administration, succumbed to cancer, just a few months after her diagnosis. Donna was very well-liked and a tremendous contributor to our management team.
Thanks to Everyone that Made this Great Year Possible
While it is my duty and pleasure to report to the membership the tremendous work and progress that the Ottawa Humane Society achieves this and every year, in reality, of course, it is not my work but the work of many that makes it possible.
I am grateful to the board of directors and in particular, President Rob Cameron for their work and support over the year. More than any other year, the board was called upon to learn and understand the details of animal welfare and animal sheltering and they did so admirably.
I would like to thank the management team who pull together our staff and resources to ensure that we are the best humane society in Canada and provide the best services for our community and its animal friends.
I am constantly in awe of both the staff and volunteers that give so much of their time, talent and commitment to ensure that Ottawa’s animals have second chances, better lives, and a brighter future and I am very grateful to be working with each and every one of them.
Please join with me in thanking the many people – board members, staff and volunteers that make up the Ottawa Humane Society.
