News

We’ve all seen it. As Halloween approaches, pictures of pets dressed up in costumes flood social media — dachshunds dressed as hot dogs, cats with wings, the creativity is abundant. I’ll admit, sometimes I have chuckled at these images, but I squirm as well. There is a certain indignity to the images. As a human adult, if I dress in a funny costume, I know that people are laughing with me, but the animals aren’t in on the joke. I know they are being laughed at.

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The Ottawa Humane Society is advising pet owners to not dress up their pets for Halloween. The OHS says that at best your pet will not care they are dressed up, and at worst, the costume could stress out or injure your pet.

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Julie Laporte worked at the Ottawa Humane Society as a veterinary assistant beginning in 2004. She worked until she couldn’t any longer. You see, she became ill. Julie passed away from cancer on the 16^th of January, 2013. She was 38. She left a husband and a small daughter behind.

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On Sunday, Oct. 30, Howl-o-ween, a spook-tacular event for the whole family, returns to the OHS. From 1 – 3:30 p.m., all are welcome to come to the OHS for free Halloween fun, including:

• Creepy, crawly crafts;
• A phantasmagorical photo booth;
• A devilish craft sale; and,
• Reverse trick-or-treating where goblins and ghouls can deliver treats to Ottawa’s homeless animals.

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In 2004, leaders in animal welfare came together to find common ground in what was a divided sector. Their meeting place was California, just outside the Asilomar State Park.

The results of this meeting were nothing short of amazing. Groups that were deeply divided and often mistrustful of one another created the groundbreaking Asilomar Accords, an agreement to, among other things find a way to report consistently on outcomes for sheltered animals in a community.

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I was taking a walk around the shelter the other day and looking in at the animals in our care. It’s easy to feel badly for them, not having a home and family to call their own — a feeling that only grows stronger as the holiday season approaches.

While I wish these animals had never needed our help, I am truly thankful that they have somewhere to go when they need it most. 

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When I began working at the Ottawa Humane Society 22 years ago and for quite a few years after, the board, staff and volunteers were predominately white, with ancestry in the British Isles. To be honest, for many years, I had naively assumed this was a cultural phenomenon. That is, I had assumed that other cultures in Canada just weren’t that interested in dogs and cats, nor the welfare of wildlife and livestock.

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I learned a sad lesson many years ago. A man surrendered two beautiful Borzois — a pretty unusual event at the OHS. I found out the next day that the staff were talking amongst themselves, outraged that anyone would surrender two young, healthy pets. I found out shortly after that the gentleman surrendered his dogs because he had terminal cancer. I have used this story with staff ever since. It’s a lesson in not judging people or their circumstances. This man was not a bad person. He trusted us with his beloved pets. He had faith in our ability to care for them.

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The OHS Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run is a lot of wonderful things: a great day out, a fun time with your family and your dogs, a chance to see breeds of dogs you never see anywhere else, and a chance to mingle with other caring and committed people in Ottawa. The run is all that and an opportunity to set a personal best.

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Like everyone else, the Ottawa Humane Society had to adapt and change on the fly throughout the public health crisis. As things cool down and we’re starting to get a handle on just what life after COVID might look like, we’ve decided to continue with our method for adopting out animals.

That is, adoption by appointment.

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