News

The Ottawa Humane Society is a long-time advocate of keeping cats indoors, unless safe in a “catio” or on a leash with her owner. At the OHS, I regularly see the sad reality for cats allowed to roam: frostbite; disease; accidental, or even intentional injuries. I always tense up when I see a cat loose, picturing what could happen to her.

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It’s more than a bit depressing that we have marked two celebrations — Easter and Passover — twice now under COVID restrictions. Even though better times appear to be on the horizon, the sheer length of the pandemic has been stressful and wearying for everyone. Like many difficult times, I have relied on gratitude to keep going and not succumb to depression and despair.

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Over the years, the Ottawa Humane Society has thankfully seen the admission of fewer dogs. Boxes of unwanted puppies are largely a thing of the past. But while fewer dogs need our care, the extent of the care they need has increased hugely.

Those boxes of the past were full of dogs that just needed to be vaccinated and sterilized and little more. They would be adopted in days.

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The Ottawa Humane Society is warning the community about spring dangers to pets.

On March 22, a cat was rushed to the OHS after falling from an apartment balcony. 

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There are a lot of things putting me in a good mood lately: an early spring; brighter evenings; and, an end to the pandemic in sight. Another thing that puts me in a good mood is an unexpected dog. By that, I mean meeting a dog in a surprising place: a restaurant patio, a store or a hotel. It just makes me feel warm and content, like everything is right with the world. Unexpected cats make me happy too, but for some reason they are only found in small bookstores, antique shops and the occasional feline-themed café.

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For many, planning an estate and writing a will are “someday” tasks. There’s no shame in it — estate planning can be challenging. But, if you need an extra nudge, maybe your pet can help you find the will to get started. 

No matter what the future holds for you, the best way to provide your pet with loving care is to record your wishes for your pet in your will.

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Ticket sales begin today for the Ottawa Humane Society’s For the Love of Animals Lottery.

The grand prize is a new 2021 Audi Q3 provided by Audi West Ottawa and Audi Ottawa, with additional early bird prizes available.

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A quick look online tells me something has changed. Today on Kijiji, there are miniature dachshund puppies for sale for $4,500. While that is a high, almost all the puppies for sale are priced at over $2,000. These are not show dogs. Many are not purebred. A quarter of the ads aren’t for puppies and dogs for sale — they are posted by people looking for a dog.

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Despite strict public health measures in place across Ontario, animal rehabilitation centres, like the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre, have kept their doors open throughout the pandemic. In fact, 2020 was a record-breaking year with more than 4,300 birds from 158 different species being admitted. Typically, winter is the slowest season at the Centre, but 2021 is proving to be even busier with double the intake compared to last year.

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As I write this, it’s February 23 — World Spay Day. How are we marking the date? Through service to our community. Today, our staff are sterilizing 44 animals — 36 cats, five dogs and three rabbits in our clinic. The animals aren’t “ours,” they are in the care of six other local rescue groups who are having trouble obtaining surgeries during the pandemic.

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