Many people have asked me over the years, “What is the difference between a humane society and an SPCA?” The answer is, today, functionally there is no difference. Most humane societies and SPCAs do similar work and have similar missions and mandates. Best I can tell, the names are different for historical reasons; SPCAs were founded solely to protect animals, while humane societies were founded with a broader mandate of protecting animals and children.
Pre-COVID, the OHS might have had 800 or more animals in our care at any one time. Our shelter capacity is in the neighbourhood of 350. We do not euthanize for space.
So how do we accommodate all these animals? In three ways: managed admission, the Pet Adoption Location (PAL) program, and most importantly, fostering.
Like many charities, the Ottawa Humane Society envisions a future in which we aren’t needed anymore. For us that means a compassionate future where every animal leads a happy and healthy life, and pets are cared for in a committed and responsible home.
The OHS is still needed, but you can help put us out of business by being a responsible pet owner and encouraging others to follow.
As Canadians, we generally view our country as the refuge for Black Americans escaping slavery in the U.S. via the Underground Railroad. While that is true, we tend to ignore our own vile history of slavery. For more than two hundred years, slavery happened in Canada too.
I have enjoyed my 22 years at the Ottawa Humane Society so much, I’m surprised there’s not a line up out the door of people wanting to work here. I was thinking that perhaps everyone doesn’t know all the reasons why the OHS is such a great place to be. So, here’s my top 10 list:
After considerable thought and many emotions, I have decided to retire as President & CEO of the Ottawa Humane Society at the end of November. It’s been an incredible journey and honour to serve the animals and our community for more than two decades.
Leaving a job and people I love has been a hard decision to make. But it’s time. There is more to do, but the reality is there will always be more to do.
Right now, we are in full swing with kitten season. More and more kittens are arriving in our care each day. Some arrive with their mother to nurture and care for them, but many are not so lucky.
At the OHS, we created the Orphan Kitten Program to provide our most vulnerable charges with the extra care and nurturing they need. With the support of dedicated staff and volunteers, our wee felines receive extra care and attention throughout the day.
I’ve written before about the myth of thousands of dogs surrendered to shelters because so many people acquired dogs during the pandemic. While that’s largely false, there are genuine issues with so many recently acquired pets: the dubious source of the dogs, a lack of available veterinarians, and dogs left unsocialized are primary concerns. Another issue is access to good trainers and perhaps new dog owners not knowing how to select the best trainer for their dog. Here are a couple of things you should know.
With life slowly returning to something that resembles normal, most OHS programs have been reopened over the past couple of months. Camps and tours for children and youth, tours, birthday parties, in-person dog training and other important programs are once again operating, building a better future for Ottawa’s animals by creating a better generation of pet owners.
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