On October 3^rd Madeleine Girard was sentenced in Provincial court to 10 months in jail, the first-ever jail sentence for cruelty charges under the OSPCA Act.

OHS Rescue and Investigation Services (RIS) officers found the decomposing body of a pointer-type dog inside the front door of Girard’s Heatherington Avenue apartment. A necropsy showed the dog was emaciated, with ribs, vertebrae and hip bones jutting out. He had no recognizable food material in his digestive tract other than what appeared to be a pair of discarded jeans he found lying in piles of debris in the unit. Girard’s sentence also included a lifetime ban from owning or having custody or care of any animal.  She was also ordered to pay $500 in restitution to the Ottawa Humane Society and must allow unannounced inspections of her residence to ensure she is in compliance with the order.  Prosecutor Mathew Collins sought a sentence of six months in jail and $220 in restitution; however, the judge believed the offence supported a more severe sentence.

Although legally mandated to enforce the animal cruelty provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada and the Ontario SPCA Act, the OHS does not receive any government funding or funding from any animal welfare group to perform this essential work. 

Please make a donation to help fund this important community work.

Liselle Ouellet pled guilty in court October 13 to a charge of causing distress to an animal and failing to meet the prescribed standards of care for an animal.  Ouellet was charged under the OSPCA Act on July 3 after she left her three dogs locked inside her vehicle in full sun for 45 minutes in temperatures reaching 29°C.   She was sentenced to a $200 fine and one year’s probation.

The hard work of OHS Rescue and Investigation Services combined with a strong publicity campaign and cooperation from Ottawa Police Services resulted in a record number of convictions this summer in cases of dogs left in hot cars.  The first-ever conviction occurred in Ottawa in August. Charges were laid in a total of 8 cases, seven of which pled guilty and were fined $200 and placed on probation for one year.  An eighth case is scheduled for a court appearance in December.

Balou was picked up at a local veterinary clinic by the OHS Rescue and Investigation Services team after his owner could not afford the fees to repair his broken leg. At the OHS, Balou was given medication to help with his painful injury. After consulting with an orthopaedic veterinarian, Balou’s leg was put into a Velpeau sling – a special type of sling to allow his leg to heal comfortably without surgery. After daily physiotherapy in his foster home, Balou is on the road to recovery! Please help Balou, and other animals like him, by sponsoring his medical treatment.

Birthday parties, weddings, 10k runs or your very own unique fundraiser--hold an event and raise money online for the animals. Fundraising online is a fun and easy way to help support the animals in our care. Learn more about how to organize your personal fundraising event!