June 20, 2025
Fosters Needed and a Dangerous Myth
Fosters Needed and a Dangerous Myth
If you’ve been thinking about adopting or fostering, now is the time.
We’ve got lots of animals in our care, and your support can make all the difference in helping the next animal in need.
To make sure we’re always ready for animals who have nowhere else to turn, we are currently scheduling intake appointments for animals who are not in emergency situations. If someone needs to surrender their pet but can still safely care for them in their home for now, we will book them an appointment for up to a few weeks away. If someone found a healthy cat outdoors and thinks they may be lost, we’ll help the finder explore options for locating the owner. There’s a good chance that cat may be close to home and a poster or paper collar could facilitate a speedy reunion. That said – if the cat is in a busy area and we’re worried about its safety, we’ll of course admit it right away.
Scheduling appointments for intake is not new for us. Each summer, our population spikes as kitten season lands more cats in our care and more time outdoors leads to more stray pets.
Each summer we also see a prevalent and harmful myth: If the OHS is scheduling appointments for pets who aren’t in emergencies, it must mean the OHS is full and can’t take in more animals.
This is misinformation, and it can seriously hurt someone who desperately needs help for their pet and feels like they have nowhere to turn. It’s a myth that causes more abandonment and suffering for pets and the people who love them. It leads to animals with health or behaviour needs being taken in by well-intentioned people, who often don’t have the resources or support to give the animal the help it needs.
The OHS is always here take in an animal that needs immediate help.
If you see misinformation about the help the OHS offers, please correct it. You can share this blog or you can point people directly to us for the right information.
You may be saving a life.
Sharon Miko
President & CEO