Kennel Cough is keeping OHS staff busy as we try to prevent the spread of disease throughout the shelter. When the dogs come down with kennel cough, they’re not able to undergo surgery and won't become available for adoption until they've recovered. It can take several weeks.

We are asking all volunteers to follow our OHS Kennel Cough Tips and Safe Hygiene Guidelines: wash hands thoroughly after walking each dog, avoid letting the dogs interact with each other and avoid walking them through the greeting room. Let's keep them healthy and happy so that we can find them their forever home as soon as possible!

This fall we said goodbye to Krishna Mercer, our Brightening Lives Assistant, who was a valuable member of the OHS team for several years. We will miss Krishna’s warm smile and wish her all the best on her next adventure!

At the same time we are happy to welcome Malorie Moore to the position of Volunteer Customer Service Representative. Malorie has worked at the OHS for several years and is thrilled to take on her new role in the Volunteer Department and be the first point of contact for the Brightening Lives and Dog Walking programs. She can be reached at volunteer_csr@ottawahumane.ca or 613-725-3166, ext 264. She looks forward to meeting all of you!

The holiday season is fast approaching, and that means Santa Pet Pics is just around the corner. We’re recruiting volunteers to help with photography, photo printing, registration and sales. This year’s event(s) will be held on the following weekends:

• Nov. 19-21 at Westgate Shopping Centre
• Nov. 26-28 at Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre

If you're interested in volunteering for this popular event, please contact us!

The OHS celebrated a record-breaking 22nd Annual Wiggle Waggle Walkathon last month. Over 1,200 registered walkers and 2,000 participants took part and raised close to $240,000 for the animals! We simply could not have done it without the help of our dedicated volunteers. Thank you so much to the Wiggle Waggle Committee who, since spring, spent hours planning, organizing and promoting the walkathon. Thank you to the 120 volunteers who helped register participants, set up the event, directed the route, answered questions and supported the day. The Wiggle Waggle Walkathon was a success because of all of our volunteers – we appreciate your support and commitment to the OHS. See you next year!

I started volunteering at the OHS in May of 2002. No matter what kind of day I'm having, and no matter what kind of mood I'm in, walking the shelter dogs changes all of that. When you walk them, you can’t help but laugh; you see their tails wagging and the happiness on their faces at seeing you. When you're around these dogs, you can't help but forget your problems.

One such dog at the OHS is Gypsy. She was found living in a roach-infested apartment filled with garbage and was rescued by OHS Emergency Animal Protection Services in May 2010. She's been waiting patiently to be adopted ever since. After walking Gypsy and spending time with her, I don't feel sorry for her, because she simply won't let you! OHS dogs like Gypsy have taught me is this:

What ever happened in the past is history,
and what happens in the future is a mystery,
what we have right here, right now, is a gift.
and that's why its called the Present.

Thank you to all the volunteers who came to the OHS on a rainy evening for the Dog Walking Appreciation Celebration. There were prizes, pizza and plenty of conversation! We are doing our best to make sure dogs and Dog Walkers have what they need for a successful program. We will be collecting feedback to develop and improve the program in the new building. In the meantime, contact Malorie at volunteer_csr@ottawahumane.ca if you have any questions, concerns or changes to your schedule.

The new OHS building is well underway! We are excited about the progress and look forward to seeing our new home take shape. Over the next few months, we will be planning for the volunteer transition and orientation for the new building as well as new program opportunities. Please watch for the monthly building campaign bulletin to keep up to date, or visit www.breakingground.ca for more information on our new home.

If you haven't yet made a pledge to the campaign, it's not too late. Contact Anna Silverman at 613-725-3166, ext. 279.

The Volunteer, Finance and Development Departments are looking for volunteers with weekday daytime availability to assist with data entry, mail-out preparation, filing, accounting, and various administrative duties. The OHS relies heavily on the hard work and dedication of office volunteers to provide support for OHS programming and services, which in turn greatly helps the animals in our care.

If you are interested in office volunteer work, please contact us!

The OHS is always grateful for the time our volunteer veterinarians give, and Dr. Charles Bruce is no exception! He is presently a vet at the Alta Vista Animal Hospital and generously donates his time to the OHS clinic. He has been with us for a year performing much needed surgeries for our animals, mainly orthopedic surgeries. Dr. Bruce successfully completed the OHS’ first external fixation (holding broken bones in place)! We thank him for all his work in helping sick and injured animals at the shelter; the true value of this work is priceless.