A new year is here, and I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to an excellent year for Ottawa and our community’s animals. I understand I might be somewhat alone in my optimism. Between the worries of pet owners who are concerned that finances may drive them and their pets apart, Ontario struggling to provide effective protections against animal cruelty and neglect, and surges of pets in need arriving at the OHS, it’s easy to be apprehensive about what’s to come in 2024.
Merry Christmas from the OHS team and Ottawa’s homeless animals! I hope the day has brought you and your family warmth, love and joy.
On top of the usual holiday cheer, I’m grateful for the support of our caring community and our dedicated staff and volunteers who ensure that Ottawa’s animals receive the care they need every day of the year.
When the pandemic struck Canada in 2020, the number of animals in our care severely dipped as we focused on ensuring we were available for animals who needed us urgently.
Since then, our population has been steadily climbing back to pre-pandemic numbers. Although we’re not there yet, we will be soon, and we have recently seen a trend in our intake that is concerning.
Link, Ottawa’s most famous feline, will be touring the Ottawa Humane Society from Thursday, Dec. 14 to Sunday, Dec. 17. Link has been at the OHS for more than nine months and has been staying with a foster volunteer. By the end of the weekend, one lucky fan will get to bring this celebrity cat home.
“I’ve been following Link since he was just an indie artist performing in local coffee shops,” said Catherine Purrsley, self-proclaimed Link Superfan. “His work sings to my soul. Literally the soundtrack of my life.”
The Maestro of Meows, the Four-Legged Heartbreaker, the Ookie-Bookie Smoosh, Ottawa’s most famous cat, the Legendary Link, is on a one-of-a-kind debut/farewell tour at the Ottawa Humane Society.
This star-studded cat has been mastering his craft in a loving foster home for the past nine months. Now, he’s taking the humane society’s adoption centre by storm in a four-day tour where one adoring fan will be lucky enough to bring him home.
In case you haven’t heard, Ottawa is facing a pet affordability crisis. That rang through loud and clear when we consulted with our community early this fall to find out their thoughts on the biggest challenges facing pets and their people today. In fact, more than half of the 3,000 respondents cited cost of pet food and veterinary care as the biggest issues facing pet owners.
It’s actually not underground at all, but with how few people know, it may as well be top secret and confidential.
Let me fill you in. Animal welfare organizations, like the OHS, work together. These partnerships don’t all look the same, but they all have the same goal: doing more for animals in need.
It’s no exaggeration to say each day at the OHS is unique. We never know exactly what kinds of animals will need us, how many will come through our doors, or what care they will need to get their much-deserved second chance. I’d also guess that the animals are just as surprised as we are. Take Maurice for example. He’s a sweet Chihuahua who came to us with two broken legs.
In a recent Ottawa Humane Society community survey, Ottawa’s residents identified the cost of caring for a pet as the most significant issue facing Ottawa’s pets and their people.
“We’re hearing many concerns about families being unable to afford even the basics of caring for a pet,” said Sharon Miko, OHS President & CEO. “When pet food and daily supplies are too costly, it means that other essential resources needed to take care of a pet, like training and veterinary care, are even further out of reach.”
We had a sweet litter of puppies in our adoption centre this week — all adopted within a couple of days, of course. Puppies are wonderful, and I had to sneak in a quick cuddle with them while they were here. It’s very obvious why puppies and kittens have no trouble finding forever homes, however I really want to tell you about the pets who are so overlooked, it’s shocking. I’m talking about senior pets.
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