I have had the honour of working with volunteers in every job in my career. People who donate their time and their talent are a special breed and the Ottawa Humane Society’s volunteers are among the very best. This week is National Volunteer Week, and though we have had to adapt or postpone the offerings for this year, we are no less grateful for their tremendous contribution.
As an employee of an essential service, I’m still coming to work every day. Frankly, that suits me, but it’s not possible for everyone. A lot of my friends are working from home and more than a few of them are having trouble adjusting, especially those with children cooped up at home.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I, said Galdalf, and so do all who live to see such times. But it is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what we do with the time that is given us.”
It’s times like these that we recognize the heroes around us. In the past few weeks, I have seen many heroes in our community and right here at the Ottawa Humane Society.
The past couple of weeks have been challenging for everyone and certainly the OHS has not been immune.
Most people probably don’t think of the Ottawa Humane Society as an emergency service, but we very much are. We always have been. The importance of a community’s ability to care for animals in an emergency became much clearer in during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, though.
I don’t think that anyone would deny that we are increasingly living in a click-to-buy world. For me, it started with books and CDs and I have moved on from there to clothes and household items. It’s just so easy, and I am always stunned by how quickly I receive purchases after I click. The delivery systems are so fast that waiting no more than a couple of days is the norm that I have come to expect.
Late last fall, the OHS chief veterinarian sent me an article from the Veterinary Information Network that she subscribes to entitled, “Has the no-kill movement increased animal suffering?” It is an interesting piece written by two veterinarians, and if you have the time, it is worth a read.
One of the elements of the OHS strategic plan is to strengthen our partners. Not strengthen the partnership, but the partners themselves. It’s not just a nice thing to do, and it’s not just our contribution to the wider animal welfare movement, the more able our partners are, the more they can take on, because, let’s face it, there is a lot of work to be done in animal welfare.
Many of you may be familiar with what is called “One Health.” One Health is the understanding that human health, animal health, and the health of the environment are inexorably linked. The three are, and will always be, interconnected.
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