January 14, 2021
A Great Comfort
Dewey 1898-1910
He was only a cat but he was human enough to be a great comfort in hours of loneliness and pain.
Most of you with pets will likely have experienced this: you are lying on the couch, covered in a blanket, a box of Kleenex and various medications scattered near you. You’re feeling rotten with a cold or a stomach bug. Or maybe you had terrible news, or just a really bad day and that’s what brought you to the couch. Your dog or cat seems to sense how bad you feel. She stays unusually close, maybe cuddles beside you or licks your face.
Pets can be a tremendous comfort, in illness, depression or during a lockdown. A lot of people are recognizing this, as demand for pets — dogs especially — has gone up dramatically since the onset of the pandemic.
I am sure everyone looking for pet right now isn’t looking for consolation. For many, it may just be the right time, since so many of us have extra time on our hands. Some, I know, are looking for a bit of a project. Those who are willing to devote extra time and effort into giving an animal with special needs a forever home are certainly on the side of the angels, now and always.
Whatever you are seeking — consolation, companionship or a life-saving project — it’s essential that you have carefully thought through the decision to acquire a pet. Are you ready for a pet? Are you ready for this pet? And are you ready and able to care for her and meet her needs for the rest of her life?
Whatever your reason for wanting a pet, if you have thought it through and are ready, the Ottawa Humane Society is here to help you find the right companion. We continue to find forever homes and complete families, even during the health crisis, though physically distanced and by appointment.
And as always, we hope that, like Dewey, your new best friend will be a great comfort in loneliness and pain.
Bruce Roney
President & CEO