News

After a relatively mild June and July, high temperatures forecasted for Ottawa this week pose a great danger to pets left alone in cars, warns the Ottawa Humane Society.

“Dogs die in hot cars,” said Bruce Roney, OHS President & CEO. “Temperatures in vehicles rise extremely quickly — even with windows open. Pets can quickly overheat, leading to brain damage and even death.”

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After more than 20 years of service for Ottawa’s animals, Bruce Roney, Ottawa Humane Society President & CEO, has announced he will be retiring in November 2022.

“It has been an incredible journey and honour,” said Roney. “The OHS has made leaps and bounds to provide more and more support for the animals and our community. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this team’s work.”

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After considerable thought and many emotions, I have decided to retire as President & CEO of the Ottawa Humane Society at the end of November. It’s been an incredible journey and honour to serve the animals and our community for more than two decades.

Leaving a job and people I love has been a hard decision to make. But it’s time. There is more to do, but the reality is there will always be more to do.

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Right now, we are in full swing with kitten season. More and more kittens are arriving in our care each day. Some arrive with their mother to nurture and care for them, but many are not so lucky.

At the OHS, we created the Orphan Kitten Program to provide our most vulnerable charges with the extra care and nurturing they need. With the support of dedicated staff and volunteers, our wee felines receive extra care and attention throughout the day.

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I’ve written before about the myth of thousands of dogs surrendered to shelters because so many people acquired dogs during the pandemic. While that’s largely false, there are genuine issues with so many recently acquired pets: the dubious source of the dogs, a lack of available veterinarians, and dogs left unsocialized are primary concerns. Another issue is access to good trainers and perhaps new dog owners not knowing how to select the best trainer for their dog. Here are a couple of things you should know.

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The Ottawa Humane Society is preparing for a possible spike in lost dogs as Canada Day celebrations and fireworks return in force.

Dozens of pets become lost or injured because they are spooked by fireworks. As restrictions from the public health crisis are lifted and the community moves away from virtual celebrations, pet owners may not be prepared to protect their pets from the increased noise and activity. Dogs in particular fill the OHS shelter in what continues to be a consequence of loud Canada Day festivities.

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The Ottawa Humane Society is seeking a temporary foster home that can take care of Harley, a four-year-old Presa Canario, until late August.

Harley has received specialty surgery to repair her knees, and needs the comfort of a home while she recovers.

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With life slowly returning to something that resembles normal, most OHS programs have been reopened over the past couple of months. Camps and tours for children and youth, tours, birthday parties, in-person dog training and other important programs are once again operating, building a better future for Ottawa’s animals by creating a better generation of pet owners.

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With the provincial mask mandate dropping this week in hospitals and public transit, we have followed suit for staff and volunteers at the OHS.

We still encourage those who would like to continue wearing a mask to do so, but now everyone may choose whether or not to mask.

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I don’t know about you, but I miss getting together with people. I miss older relatives that have been under stricter restrictions. I’ve missed dinners out with friends. I’ve missed in-person staff meetings at work. I miss getting together with my colleagues from across the province to talk about our mutual challenges and their solutions. I’m tired of Zoom. It’s convenient, but it’s just not the same.

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