Northern Pets
SEPT 2018 – Earlier this week, OHS volunteers and staff welcomed 22 adorable stray animals into our shelter. Five kittens, eight cats, seven dogs and two puppies arrived on Monday afternoon from Obedjiwan, a First Nation community in northern Quebec. The dogs greeted the staff with wagging tails; the cats with loud purrs.
With limited resources for animals in Canada’s northern communities and no veterinarians, many pets are unsterilized, starving and homeless. Countless dogs are shot in a bid to control overpopulation problems.
The sad reality in Canada’s northern communities is that there are virtually no resources to address animal welfare. At the OHS, we believe it is our responsibility to help animals in jurisdictions that are facing this reality. In partnership with Humane Society International and Chiots Nordiques, we are able to provide help to these vulnerable animals without diminishing the care and attention we give to local animals.
This week, we are focusing on flea treatments, vaccines, deworming, microchipping, spaying and neutering for these animals. The OHS clinic staff are working hard to make sure each of these animals is provided appropriate and immediate care. That’s why we need your help: you can give these animals the second chance they deserve with your donation.
Please make a small gift towards the cost of their care, and for other animals like them who need a second chance.
P.S. — interested in adopting? Please drop by the Ottawa Humane Society’s Adoption Centre to complete an application to adopt. For more information, visit our Adoption FAQs or phone 613-725-3166 ext. 258.
Q: Aren’t there too many dogs already in Ottawa who need help?
A: Ottawa’s animals always come first in our programs. Because Ottawa’s dog owners are, as a whole, generally quite responsible, we do not see the overpopulation problems in dogs that we see in cats. Our capacity to adopt is greater than the number of dogs we have available for adoption, allowing us to assist other communities.
Q: Didn’t you have a kitty crisis earlier this year?
A: While we did see a surge in the number of cats needing our care earlier this summer, our community responded by adopting a record breaking 308 cats in the first three weeks of August. Now that we have “caught our breath”, we have room to accept the eight adult cats and five kittens.