Join us in celebrating all of your hard work and dedication to giving Ottawa’s animals a second chance! This year, National Volunteer Week is from April 23-29, and as usual, the volunteer department has a fabulous week planned to recognize the efforts of OHS volunteers like you! In addition to raffles and snacks in the volunteer lounge/foster office throughout the week, volunteers can look forward to the following workshops and events:

Monday, April 24: Don’t Blame the Dog! How to behave so your dog will too. (workshop)
Professional obedience trainer Nancy Trus will discuss common canine behaviour problems to help pet owners learn how to manage them. Workshop will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25: Canine Cranium — Fun games for your dog’s brain! (workshop)
Have some fun with our coordinator: canine services, while we explore enrichment tricks and games you can try with your canine friends at home. This workshop will cover scent detection, hide and seek, puzzle toys and a variety of other creative enrichment tools. Workshop will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27: Fun with Felines: Having fun, one “click” at a time! (workshop)
Join RVT Jamie Wolfe Phillips from the Merivale Cat Hospital as she explores the newest trend in feline enrichment: clicker training! During this workshop, attendees will learn all about clicker training and how to get started with a cat at home. Clicker training concepts and methods will focus on problem prevention and feline enrichment. Attendees can also look forward to a live demonstration with an OHS cat! Workshop will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 29: Annual volunteer appreciation brunch and pin ceremony
The volunteer department is excited to host our annual volunteer appreciation brunch again this year. The event will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the OHS education centre on Saturday, April 29. Volunteers can look forward to the following at this event:

• Meet-and-greet with OHS staff
• A special brief presentation from OHS Executive Director, Bruce Roney, who will provide an update on the strategic plan and highlights of new things to come
• Annual pin ceremony recognizing volunteers for years of service
• A special showing of the 2017 OHS volunteer appreciation video
• A delicious brunch
• Door prizes

For more information, or to RSVP to a workshop or the volunteer appreciation brunch, please contact our volunteer department today!

Isobel has been an enthusiastic OHS volunteer since February 2012. In her time as a volunteer, she has worked in numerous areas, such as humane education, driving, events, administration, fundraising, retail and the OHS ambassador program, donating more than 3,900 hours of her time as a volunteer. According to Isobel, she has “always wanted to volunteer for the OHS and as a retiree, I now have the privilege of being one for five years and enjoy every minute of it.” After all this time, we are happy to hear her say “I plan on continuing to volunteer for the OHS for as long as I can.”

In her role as a development office volunteer, Isobel does a variety of tasks, such as opening mail, data entry, organizing and inputting donations into our database. She is extremely reliable, organized and efficient in her role and has often been asked to train new volunteers. While some people might think these types of tasks could get a bit tiresome after awhile, Isobel keeps things fun with her positive attitude and sense of humor. We agree with Isobel, that “yes, it's all paperwork — but the money has to go in so that the animals can benefit from the generosity.”

Isobel also assists with administrative work in our volunteer and PAL departments, inputting volunteer hours and adoption information, as well as scanning documents into our database for safekeeping. Her continued dedication to the administrative team is truly appreciated and her attention to detail has not gone unnoticed. Isobel states that, “Although working behind the scenes at the OHS, I feel that this work is just as important as physically working with the animals.”

Last but not least, Isobel also volunteers in our Buddy & Belle Boutique. She volunteers every Saturday morning, providing excellent customer service by assisting new adopters with their purchases and encouraging visitors to browse the boutique. According to Isobel, “Every role I partake in is both rewarding and enjoyable, although I will admit that the Buddy & Belle Boutique position is the best...” When asked about her favourite aspect about volunteering in the boutique, Isobel said what she likes best is the customers. "Everyone likes to chat about their pets, whether alive or passed on, and each and every one of them has photos that they just love to share with me. It is also amazing the ones who have come back to adopt to 'replace' a pet that has passed on. They tell you how much their pet is missed, but they can't live without one and have come back to adopt another one, even if it's only been a few months. This can be very emotional both for them and me, but they get excited all over again at the prospect of caring for and loving another pet.”

In addition to the roles listed above, Isobel can also be spotted at a variety of OHS events, such as open houses, community events, signature events like the Garden Party and Wiggle Waggle Walk and Run, Santa Pet Pics, and so many more! Her commitment to the OHS and the animals in our care is inspiring and on behalf of the animals, staff and our community, we would like to thank her wholeheartedly for her many contributions to the OHS and the animals in our care.

We are in need of additional volunteer support for a few of our volunteer programs.

Buddy & Belle Boutique Volunteer: The OHS is looking for enthusiastic and outgoing volunteers to support our retail store — the Buddy and Belle Boutique. If you enjoy meeting new people and helping them with their shopping experience, this is the opportunity for you. Volunteers must have customer service experience, have an empathetic and compassionate approach and be comfortable working around a variety of animals. Volunteers must commit to one day a week (Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.). For more information, visit http://www.ottawahumane.ca/get-involved/volunteering/volunteer-opportunities/interested-in-volunteering-in-our-buddy-and-belle-boutique/.

Bingo Volunteer: Interested in supporting a third-party bingo event in support of Ottawa’s animals? We are looking for volunteers who are interested in donating their Sunday evenings from 6 to 9:30 p.m. to assist with this unique fundraiser. Bingo is held at the Overbrook Bingo Hall, located at 1150 Lola St. Ottawa. Volunteers help by selling Bingo sheets, assisting with registration, providing customer service to guests and assisting with event logistics. All volunteers will receive training before their first shift. For more information, visit http://www.ottawahumane.ca/get-involved/volunteering/volunteer-opportunities/bingo-volunteer-program/.

Brightening Lives Animal Visits (BLAV) Volunteer: Do you have a well-mannered and social animal companion that loves visiting new people and new places? This volunteer-based program promotes the value of animals in the Ottawa community by bringing joy and happiness to individuals residing in hospitals, retirement residences, shelters and other long-term care facilities through animal visits. The OHS is looking for volunteers with their own cat or dog whose pet is able to successfully pass an OHS temperament assessment to participate in this exciting program. For more information, visit http://www.ottawahumane.ca/get-involved/volunteering/volunteer-opportunities/brightening-lives-animal-visits/.

Humane Education Volunteer: The school program has been visiting schools in the Ottawa area since 1990. This program teaches children about various animal welfare topics. Animal welfare topics are presented Monday to Friday from October to June. A two-member team of humane education volunteers deliver a one-hour, scripted presentation. In addition, a temperament-tested dog is introduced in a supervised session with the children. Volunteers are responsible for either facilitating the presentation (presenter) or facilitating a visit with a temperament-tested companion animal (handler). Presentations are delivered in French and English. For more information, visit http://www.ottawahumane.ca/get-involved/volunteering/volunteer-opportunities/humane-education-program/.

*NEW* MSNS Scheduling Volunteer: This volunteer role will be supporting our supervisor: mobile spay/neuter services with the administrative component of our mobile clinic. Volunteers will be responsible for contacting MSNS clients to book clinic appointments, making upcoming clinic reminder calls, answering general program question and other administrative tasks as required. For more information, visit http://www.ottawahumane.ca/get-involved/volunteering/volunteer-opportunities/administration-mobile-spayneuter-clinic-scheduling-volunteer/.

A big thank you goes out to event volunteers who supported the OHS at our events in January and February 2017! It has been a very busy and chilly couple of months, and these events would not be possible without the support and commitment of our talented volunteer team:

• Alex and Ani Jewelry Store Event
• My Furry Valentine Family Event
• Cupcake Day

This year, Cupcake Day raised more than $34,000 in support of Ottawa’s animals, with more than 40 teams made up of 130 people participating in all the delicious fun!

If you are interested in joining our events volunteer team, contact the volunteer department today!

The volunteer department is pleased to report that we are still in the process of on-boarding new volunteers to support our Canine Enrichment Program. These new volunteers will be working with dogs in adoptions or holding, and have been recruited based on the level of their experience with handling and walking various breeds of dog. Our goal is to have all new volunteers trained and ready by summer 2017 for the busy season. For those of you who are patiently waiting for some new shift mates to help support the demand, hold tight, they’re coming your way.

Thank you to all OHS volunteers for your donation of time over the 2016-2017 fiscal year. We have accomplished some excellent things, including the launch of our Canine Enrichment Program, Foster Behaviour Modification Program (BMP), Mobile Spay/Neuter Program and so much more! Without your support, we would not be able to continue offering the lifesaving programs we have in place. The volunteer department is excited to share a few exciting new initiatives on the horizon for the next fiscal year:

• Updated department manuals
• Canine enrichment training videos
• Restructured volunteer obedience classes
• In-house Train the Groomer program
• New foster behavior modification categories
• Redeveloped small animal foster program
• Small animal temperament testing program
• Animal care volunteer appreciation event

More information about these initiatives will be made available throughout the year.

The Garden Party returns Wednesday, June 21. This year, the event will be at the Lansdowne Horticulture Building for our first ever evening Garden Party! As always, guests can look forward to a delicious variety of culinary delights. You won’t be able to resist!

The Garden Party brings together Ottawa’s top food and beverage venues to raise money for the animals in the care of the Ottawa Humane Society. This event is a delight for the senses and the heart, as we feature Ottawa’s top chefs and mixologists who will be preparing tasting dishes and cocktails for guests to enjoy, as well as an open bar serving fine wines and craft beer. There will also be an opportunity for guests to bid on an assortment of live and silent auction items. As always, this will be a chance for our supporters to mingle with special animal guests! For more information, please visit www.ottawahumane.ca/gardenparty. 

Our wonderful CSR: volunteers, Stephanie Youngdale has left the volunteer department to fill the role of coordinator: humane education in the Outreach department. This news is bittersweet — as we will certainly miss her in the CSR: volunteers role, and yet we are thrilled that she will be bringing her talents to the Outreach team. During her time as the CSR: volunteers, Stephanie worked very hard to advocate for her volunteer team. She was instrumental in assisting with the launch of the new Canine Enrichment Program, and worked tirelessly to ensure the Canine Enrichment and Brightening Lives programs ran smoothly and efficiently. Please wish Stephanie all the best in her new role at the OHS; she was a valuable part of the volunteer department and will be greatly missed.

In other news, our department is pleased to welcome the new CSR: volunteers, Lindsey Gemmell to the role! Lindsay has been with the OHS since 2011 and previously worked in the Admissions and Rehoming department. Please stop by to say hello, next time you’re in!