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.
When the pandemic struck Canada in 2020, the number of animals in our care severely dipped as we focused on ensuring we were available for animals who needed us urgently.
Since then, our population has been steadily climbing back to pre-pandemic numbers. Although we’re not there yet, we will be soon, and we have recently seen a trend in our intake that is concerning.
The Maestro of Meows, the Four-Legged Heartbreaker, the Ookie-Bookie Smoosh, Ottawa’s most famous cat, the Legendary Link, is on a one-of-a-kind debut/farewell tour at the Ottawa Humane Society.
This star-studded cat has been mastering his craft in a loving foster home for the past nine months. Now, he’s taking the humane society’s adoption centre by storm in a four-day tour where one adoring fan will be lucky enough to bring him home.
In case you haven’t heard, Ottawa is facing a pet affordability crisis. That rang through loud and clear when we consulted with our community early this fall to find out their thoughts on the biggest challenges facing pets and their people today. In fact, more than half of the 3,000 respondents cited cost of pet food and veterinary care as the biggest issues facing pet owners.
It’s actually not underground at all, but with how few people know, it may as well be top secret and confidential.
Let me fill you in. Animal welfare organizations, like the OHS, work together. These partnerships don’t all look the same, but they all have the same goal: doing more for animals in need.
It’s no exaggeration to say each day at the OHS is unique. We never know exactly what kinds of animals will need us, how many will come through our doors, or what care they will need to get their much-deserved second chance. I’d also guess that the animals are just as surprised as we are. Take Maurice for example. He’s a sweet Chihuahua who came to us with two broken legs.
We had a sweet litter of puppies in our adoption centre this week — all adopted within a couple of days, of course. Puppies are wonderful, and I had to sneak in a quick cuddle with them while they were here. It’s very obvious why puppies and kittens have no trouble finding forever homes, however I really want to tell you about the pets who are so overlooked, it’s shocking. I’m talking about senior pets.
For Remembrance Day this year, I plan to visit the Animals in War Memorial in Confederation Park to honour both the people who fought and sacrificed their lives in combat and the animals who were used to support them. Throughout the ages, people have used animals in conflict in many ways: horses and mules for transportation; pigeons to deliver messages; dogs for bomb detection, search and rescue, medical aid, and more; and all kinds of animals have provided companionship and comfort during wartime.
In just a few hours, my colleagues and I will be burning the midnight oil to provide spay and neuter surgeries and dental procedures for animals in need. We’re all volunteering our time and many of us have already been working throughout the day. By the end, we’ll be completely exhausted, but it will all be worth it.
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