The problem of unwanted pets continues unabated in our community. Two weeks ago we received a delivery from a city bylaw officer of a mother cat and four young kittens. They had all been found inside a dumpster, huddled together for warmth to escape the snow. Once warm and dry inside the shelter, the cats were examined by clinic staff and quickly transported out to an OHS foster home in an effort to reduce the likelihood of them picking up a virus inside the building. When they're all well enough and the kittens are older, they'll be ready to find new, forever homes.

Stories like these dumpster cats are all too common at the OHS. We routinely open our doors to animals who are no longer wanted, or whose owners are unable to care for them. Our staff work with limited resources, in less than ideal conditions, to provide the best possible care for our community's forgotten, homeless and abused animals. This care wouldn't be possible without your help. Thank you.

Canada's borders are now a little safer, thanks to one scent-savvy hound from the OHS. Last month, representatives from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) contacted us looking for potential canines to be used as sniffer dogs. CBSA regularly recruits shelter dogs, mostly hound types who are extremely food driven. Luckily, we had Otis (seen right) who fit the bill perfectly. Otis had been looking for a new home for several weeks, but a forever adoption was proving elusive.

The folks from the CBSA liked the look of Otis, and took him out back to our dog run to test his sniffing sensibilities. They placed treats in the snow in several spots, and Otis showed no difficulty in tracking them down. Otis passed the test with flying colours, and now he's learning to sniff out and locate all sorts of different items for the CBSA. Otis, who'll be living with one of the CBSA agents, is one of several dogs we've placed at border services in the past few years. We're looking forward to more placements in the future, as the partnership allows us to provide a happy ending for some of our harder-to-place dogs. Good work, Otis!

The luck of the Irish could be on your side this month if you adopt a new pet from the OHS. We're celebrating St. PAWtrick's Day all month long with some Irish-named animals in need of a new home. Whether you're looking for a new friend named Liam, Padraig or Maeve, we've got just the pet for you!Check out our available animals today!

We're proud to have been selected by Ottawa's Metro newspaper as the favourite local cause of 2009. Thank you to all Metro's readers for this honour!

March is Fraud Protection Month and the goal is to educate the public about the risk of charity fraud. Take the fraud awareness quiz to win a chance to donate $20,000 to the OHS.

Our annual Bunny Snaps are back! We now have two great locations this month to have your pet's picture taken with the Easter bunny. All proceeds go to help the animals in our care. Click here for more information.

Visitors to our website will now have a chance to weigh in on a new series of animal-related, interactive surveys. To take part in this month's poll, click here.