I am an avid fan of CBC Radio. I often joke that I wouldn’t know much of anything without the CBC. A few weeks ago there was an amazing segment on the research of Suzanne Simard. Professor Ms. Simard wrote the book Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. In the book, she discusses her research on how trees actually communicate with one another.
More deceased cats with signs of abuse have been found in Ottawa’s west end in an area bounded by Greenbank, Baseline, Merivale and Hunt Club Road. In total, six cats have been discovered and are under investigation.
A group of several humane societies has formalized their partnership as theOntario Animal Welfare Network (OAWN),A Collaboration of Leading Community SPCAs & Humane Societies.
On Tuesday, we learned through the media that Ottawa Police Service was opening an investigation of the death and possible torture of a number of cats in the Woodroffe/Hunt Club area in Ottawa. Everyone here at the OHS was deeply disturbed by the story. Our horror at the suffering of the poor felines was exacerbated by our knowledge of what is known as, “the link.”
When I started working for the Ottawa Humane Society 21 years ago, I was shocked to learn that the cost of enforcement of animal cruelty legislation fell to our donors. I thought it was absurd that the cost of investigations, laying charges, and removing and caring for abused and neglected animals would not be borne by the public purse. I likened it to anti-smoking legislation...
Many years ago, when I was a schoolboy, I was taught that there were two fundamental differences between humans and animals: the use of tools and sentience.
Now, of course, we recognize at least three errors in this teaching. Humans are animals, and since the time I was in school, many other species have been observed to use tools.
Last month, an injured mother cat and her three kittens were admitted to the OHS. With a broken leg that pierced her skin, the mother, Lucky, was found fending for herself and nursing her kittens.
After arriving at the OHS, an X-ray revealed that Lucky’s leg was beyond repair.
I often am asked why there are so few dogs available for adoption on our website. There are a few reasons. For one thing, the number of dogs admitted to the OHS — both stray and surrendered by their owners — has dropped regularly over the years. Shelters across North America have been observing this pattern and are thankful for the downward trend.
I have talked a lot about the importance of buyer responsibility when searching for a new puppy. While it is true that individual consumers can drive change and help eliminate cruel businesses, it begs the question of how are these businesses allowed to exist in the first place.
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