Planning for our new shelter is underway and we’re already starting to think about room design. We’ll certainly have a place for our volunteers in the new facility, and to help honour them, we’re raising money to name the new room after one of our most extraordinary and committed supporters: Chef Kurt Waldele. Prior to his death early this spring, Kurt was a longtime OHS volunteer, hosting fundraising garden parties at his home, organizing and preparing menus for our fabulous FurBalls, and helping to raise more than $736,000 for Ottawa’s animals.

To learn more about how you can help make the new Kurt Waldele Volunteer Room a reality, click here.

Thank you to our volunteers who help with office support in the Development and Volunteer departments. We had a very successful training session on our Raiser’s Edge database in May for our office volunteers, and we'll be offering this training session again on Monday, June 29 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please e-mail to register.

If you’re interested in helping out with office work, we’re currently looking for volunteers Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Please contact us for more information.

We are looking for five to six people to help with driving errands as needed. The tasks include dropping off or picking up animals at groomers, veterinarians, or other nearby and out-of-town humane societies. There’s also a need to pick up or drop off various animal-related items from time to time.

This position is not scheduled, as the need will be intermittent. Requirements include a valid driver’s licence and insurance, a cell phone or e-mail address, and the ability to lift carriers with animals in them. Please contact us for more information.

Police checks have increasingly become mandatory throughout the not-for-profit sector to ensure the protection of at-risk or vulnerable populations. As of this summer, police checks will be mandatory at the OHS. The check is free, and all that’s required is a letter you need to take to the police station. Please be aware that the check can take up to six weeks to process. Please contact us and we’ll send you out a letter.

Thank you to everyone who has already submitted forms to the Ottawa Police Service for their check. The police have told us they’ve been very busy processing requests from OHS volunteers! All current volunteers must have police checks on file with us by July 31, 2009.

Did you know that since April 1, 2009 the OHS has spent over $500 on head collars for our dogs? We use them on every dog in our Adoption Centre for training purposes and we go through close to 100 of them a year. You can help us save money by making sure the dogs don’t chew on the collars during their walks and that they’re out of reach from hungry teeth in the kennels. Thank you!

Thank you to everyone for diligently logging in on the volunteer computer. It allows us to keep a wonderfully accurate account of the volunteer time completed each year. Last year, volunteers like you donated a whopping 41,055 hours to help the animals! Thank you, and keep up the good work!