Rabbit Week is wrapping up at the OHS and our caring community is adopting bunnies in bushels. Rabbits are amazing pets and there are still many more looking for their forever home. Want to get 20% off our rabbit adoption fee, a gift card for fresh veggies, a starting supply of hay, free access to our upcoming rabbit enrichment webinar, a stylish tote bag AND your new best friend? Adopt a rabbit or two by July 27!
The OHS is sometimes called the cat and dog society — understandable as cats and dogs are the animals we most often help.
However, there’s never a dull day at the shelter and we sometimes receive unexpected, surprising guests. Meet Fancy, a Polish chicken who was found wandering a Stittsville neighbourhood and needed help.
Summer is a busy time at the Ottawa Humane Society. Waves of kittens need our help, we receive far more wildlife than usual and we support a wealth of stray animals in returning to their homes — all while finding perfect matches for Ottawa’s homeless animals.
Maybe not one by itself, but I know that many people raising their voices for the animals can make a difference.
I hope you’ll join me and animal advocates across the province in reaching out to Premier Doug Ford, urging him and the Solicitor General to increase the number of animal investigators and improve the transparency of the province’s investigations into animal welfare.
I don’t know about you, but I’m happy for a day of relief after four days of a heatwave. Every year, the OHS reminds the community of the dangers parked cars pose to pets and every year, dogs are still left in hot cars and are exposed to conditions that cause extreme suffering, brain damage and death.
At the OHS, we’re currently grappling with a significant setback: we do not have the staff to operate our Mobile Spay/Neuter Service. After running the program last Thursday, we are now forced to temporarily pause the service.
As we enter our busiest time of year, resources we were previously able to redirect to the program must be focused on providing for the high population of homeless animals in our care. And before anyone asks, no, the OHS is not overcapacity or turning animals away. We are always available for animals in need.
Volunteering: it’s an incredible thing. It means donating your time and energy, towards a greater cause. It’s an integral part of keeping an organization like the OHS going. And for high school students in Ontario, it’s also a requirement for graduation.
We often get calls from eager teens hoping for the chance to earn their volunteer hours at the OHS, helping animals in need. We’re excited to have just launched a new program that will give them that chance – it’s a win-win for the animals in our care and for the youth who are passionate about them.
In June, Professional Bull Riders (PBR) will trundle into Ottawa, bringing with them cruel exploitation of bulls for entertainment and profit. In PBR’s display of complete disregard for animal well-being, bulls will be mounted with a flank strap tightened around their lower bellies and forced to flail in distress while a crowd roars, music blares and bright lights flash.
At the OHS, we’re asking the community to not attend or support the event and to sign a petition showing that Ottawa does not want PBR or events like it to return.
I’ve already talked about how much I love plans, so it’ll be no surprise that I am beyond thrilled to share our new five-year strategic plan! Our focus: saving more animals by helping at both ends of the leash.
Last fall, Ottawa shared with us what’s needed to help pet owners and better support all animals in our community. It’s clear that in our current times of rapid change and uncertainty, we must be able to adapt nimbly and quickly, to meet our shifting environment and help more animals and the people who love them.
Silence is a killer of animal welfare, and silence is what Ontario introduced last year with Bill 156, the so-called Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act. Thinly veiled as a means to protect biosecurity on farms, the bill targets people who report animal abuse in the farming industry — slashing transparency and accountability for how these businesses treat their animals.
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