Today is National Feral Cat Day — dedicated to raising awareness and support of feral cats and ending the cycle of cat homelessness through compassionate means like trap, neuter and release programs and community education.
It’s important to know that true feral cats are distinct from semi-socialized cats who roam outdoors.
It’s a question I’m asked often, and the answer is mostly straightforward:
Forever homes ready to care for a pet for their entire life;
Volunteers to support animals at the OHS and to provide foster homes in the community;
Advocates for responsible pet ownership and better protections for pets; and,
Donations to provide life-saving and day-to-day care for homeless animals, and support community programs that help keep pets and their people together.
Contrary to the title, right now is always the perfect time to train your pet. But the school year started only weeks ago, and just as educating and developing students (both new and seasoned) is absolutely crucial, so is supporting the development of our pets.
Training our pets has lots of benefits. It helps prevent undesirable behaviours. It gives our pets enrichment that supports their physical and mental well-being. And it also helps build a stronger bond between us and our pets.
There are endless cliches, sayings and metaphors about the value of teamwork — and for good reason. It’s a fact that more can be done when people work together — I see it every day at the OHS. Supporting hundreds of animals daily is only possible because of a team of caring, compassionate people looking out for the animals.
I can never express just how much I love plans. The goal, the direction, collaboration, imagining a way to do something big. It’s thrilling. The past three years were especially hard because planning was next to impossible as the basis of a plan relies on the predictability of the future — something the public health crisis thoroughly shorted.
The UK has always been known for strong animal welfare standards — it is, after all,the birthplace of the Five Freedoms, and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been a frequent stop in a lot of the OHS’s research.
Ottawa is in a rabbit crisis, and there’s more to it than the droves of bunnies arriving at the OHS. Our Rabbit Week promotion has helped 10 bunnies find their forever home so far, but during the same period, 18 more have arrived in our care.
It’s like trying to save a leaky boat with a bucket.
The OHS is here for pets and their families today. The mother cat and her kittens who were found fending for themselves. The dog who got loose from his family and was reunited at our lost & found department. The pets whose family unexpectedly could no longer care for them and had to make the difficult decision to surrender to the OHS.
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