History of the Ottawa Humane Society
In January 1888, a small group of ladies formed the Women's Humane Society of Ottawa. This organization enforced the new animal protection laws and focused on bettering the lives of neglected children by lobbying for legislation to provide for foster homes.In 1896, this group evolved into the Ottawa Humane Society and the Children's Aid Society was established to assist needy children within the community.
In 1979, the Ottawa Humane Society was renamed the Humane Society of Ottawa-Carleton. We returned to the Ottawa Humane Society in 2001, when Ottawa Carleton was amalgamated.
Today, the Ottawa Humane Society's mandate covers a broad spectrum of animal welfare concerns. The organization's priorities include prevention and investigation of cruelty to animals, enforcement of laws for the protection of animals, public education and pet population control, through which we seek to reduce the number of stray animals whose final solution is often destruction. The Humane Society provides a wealth of animal care information to the public through humane education visits, public information awareness booths, participation in various volunteer programs and the multitude of services offered to the community.
In 1933 we began providing stray animal shelter services to the City of Ottawa. Today, we provide municipal animal shelter services in Ottawa, admitting over 11,000 animals each year.
Directed by a local volunteer Board of 14, the organization employs over 80 staff with animal care, inspection specialists, outreach workers and administrative staff, augmented by a large and very important complement of volunteers. Our Champagne Avenue South facility was built with public support in 1967.
The Ottawa Humane Society is not funded by government. We are able to provide these services for the animals and our community through the generosity of our supporters. We enjoy the support of over 30,000 people in the Ottawa region.
