In a recent Ottawa Humane Society community survey, Ottawa’s residents identified the cost of caring for a pet as the most significant issue facing Ottawa’s pets and their people.
“We’re hearing many concerns about families being unable to afford even the basics of caring for a pet,” said Sharon Miko, OHS President & CEO. “When pet food and daily supplies are too costly, it means that other essential resources needed to take care of a pet, like training and veterinary care, are even further out of reach.”
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.
Tonight, OHS veterinarians and other staff members will be volunteering their time to provide spay/neuter surgeries and dental procedures for Ottawa’s homeless animals. It’s all a part of Julie’s Light, an annual event to help reduce the Ottawa Humane Society’s surgical waitlist and get animals into forever homes faster.
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.
If you have been a supporter of the OHS for many years, you’ll have noticed that our messaging around pets in costumes has shifted. Our previous hard line on “no costumes” has softened somewhat, to advocate for “costuming with caution.” Why is that?
On Sunday, Oct. 29, Howl-O-Ween, a spook-tacular event for the whole family, is happening at the OHS. From 1 to 3:30 p.m., all are welcome to come to the OHS for free Halloween fun, including:
It’s no secret that we need foster homes all the time. We’re also fortunate that there are folks who regularly step up in the community to become foster volunteers.
Fosters take in animals of all types, shapes and sizes. But there is one type of animal who is regularly stuck waiting for a foster home, and they’re also the animals who would benefit the most.
Since last Thursday, more than 90 cats have been admitted to the Ottawa Humane Society. The cats came from a number of sources such as owners who could no longer care for their pet, cats who were found lost and alone, and nursing mothers with newborn kittens. The flood of felines was unexpected and is creating additional strain on the OHS’s resources.
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.
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