If you’ve ever watched someone say a final goodbye to a loved one, you’ll know how heartbreaking that is. The emotions often reserved for airports and hospital rooms are strikingly similar to those witnessed every day by the OHS admissions team. After all, pets are our family. Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is like saying goodbye to a piece of ourselves.
This week, we hosted a special “Help the Shelter” March Break Camp for kids. These children come to our camps with a fierce love for animals, so showing them how we can better enrich the lives of our pets has been a rewarding experience for everyone involved! These young, but dedicated campers read stories to our shelter rabbits to support their socialization, helped find families for our animals by designing adoption posters, and crafted frozen treats for our shelter dogs as we head into the warmer months.
Giving a pet away is not easy. Our team sees it every day. The family who’s moving and cannot bring their dog with them. A pet who needs extensive veterinary treatment that is out of reach for their people. A person who is facing sudden financial crisis and doesn’t know if they can afford to feed their cat or themselves. The family whose schedule became more complicated and they’re not able to be there enough for their rabbit.
Spay/Neuter Awareness Month is coming to an end, but the importance of spaying/neutering our pets is something worth remembering year-round. This essential procedure is key to ending the tragic cycle of homeless pets in Ottawa. It also helps our pets live their best lives, preventing life-threatening illnesses like pyometra and addressing some common behaviour challenges.
Stomach turning. Mind Buzzing. Brow tightening. Ears pinned down. We’ve all experienced stress and know how uncomfortable it is, but did you know stress affects pets as well?
Hi, I’m Pixie, a top dog at the Ottawa Humane Society. There are a few things that make me uneasy: being left alone; loud, sudden noises; not being able to exercise and unleash my energy; and guys named Phil.
February is Black History Month. Last year, we shared the contributions of Dr. Lila Miller — the mother of shelter medicine — and how she made strides in advancing veterinary care standards for homeless animals.
We’ve also explored the work of Dr. William Key who, alongside his horse, Beautiful Jim Key, was a pioneer in the humane education movement — instilling in the next generation a sense of compassion and responsibility towards animals.
The OHS is sometimes referred to as the “dog and cat society” (and we might add rabbit to that these days), given that those species account for the majority of the animals who come into our care. But ourmission is, actually, focused on all animals. And today, we must speak up for horses.
The science behind Blue Monday being the most depressing day of the year is dubious, but I can’t deny that January simply feels like a sad month, at least in Canada. The days are short and cold, holiday cheer has dried up, and some resolutions for the new year may already feel impossible to reach, or a cumbersome burden.
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.
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