Search Results for: wildlife

STOP!

And think before you scoop up that baby wild animal! I know it can be tough to see a baby animal by themselves, but sometimes it is best to leave them be. Winter made a surprise return this week, but as the weather warms and snow melts, you’ll likely see more wildlife out and about — knowing when to intervene and when to admire from afar will help you coexist with your wild neighbours. For example, it is normal for mother rabbits and deer to leave their young alone for the whole day. On the other hand, if you find a single baby skunk or groundhog, they always needs help. We have some quick, shareable tips available on social media to help out and our friends at Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (RVWS) have species-specific information about helping baby wildlife.

Each year, we receive approximately 1,400 sick, injured and orphaned wild animals at the OHS. Ottawa By-law and Regulatory Services officers and members of the public deliver these animals to the shelter.

Often, rehabilitation is not an option for wild animals who are vulnerable enough to be caught and brought to the OHS, but whenever possible, we work to transfer suitable animals to our partners in wildlife rehabilitation.

Polar, the baby raccoon. Photo credit: Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

Recently, we were able to work with RVWS to transfer a baby raccoon for rehabilitation. The raccoon was found in a fireplace and there was no sign of their mother — a clear case that the raccoon needed help. By-law brought the animal to the OHS, and we collaborated with RVWS to secure the raccoon a happy future.

Working with partners like RVWS and our caring community, we’re able to weave a safety net for Ottawa’s animals and make more second chances possible. There are also ways the community can help protect wildlife and prevent unwanted encounters.

Keep dogs on leashes.

Dogs can seriously injure wild animals. Unless in the safety and control of an off-leash dog park or an enclosed yard, keeping your dog on a leash protects wildlife and keeps your pet from having a bad encounter with a porcupine.

Keep cats indoors.

Roaming cats can have an impact on local bird populations and small rodent populations, and can also fall prey to predators. Keeping your cat indoors unless supervised on a leash and harness or in the safety of catio will keep your cat safe and protect wild animals.

Secure waste and food sources.

Garbage bins, compost piles, and pet food left outdoors can attract wildlife, leading to potential conflicts. Secure these sources to discourage wildlife from venturing too close to areas frequented by pets. Put out garbage and recycling on the morning of pick-up, not the night before.

It takes a caring community to coexist with local wildlife, and you can help. Share what to do (and what not to do) when you see a wild animal and take steps to prevent unwanted encounters with wildlife.

Sharon Miko
President & CEO

Voting Next Week? You Need to Read This

Just today, I was contacted by a supporter who asked me who they should vote for to do the most for animal welfare. At the OHS, we don’t stand for any one political party. We stand for the animals — enthusiastically supporting efforts to improve animal welfare and staunchly opposing attempts to harm animals, ignore or undermine the importance of their well-being. Throughout the years, we’ve seen successes and setbacks regardless of which party is in office.

Ontario is heading towards an election on Feb. 27 and the animals are relying on your support to keep their well-being top of mind with our provincial leaders. The plights impacting animals are deeply intertwined with the challenges Ontarians face today, from pet affordability to community safety and public health.

When we asked you what you were worried about last summer, you told us that you were worried the cost of caring for a pet may drive families apart. Pet owners and veterinary professionals are feeling the pressures of increasing costs and a growing pet population. The OHS is doing a lot to keep pets and people together — but we need government’s help to do more.

Domestic pets aren’t the only animals at risk. Ontario is the only province that allows the operation of train and trial hunting pens. These cruel operations capture wildlife to be used as bait for competitions and to train hunting dogs. The practice has no place in a humane and compassionate community.

Finally, there is still much work to be done to improve Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services and investigations into animal cruelty and neglect. By prioritizing strong animal welfare laws and funding enforcement, Ontario will protect vulnerable animals and create safer communities.

It takes many voices and the tireless efforts of people who care to ensure animal welfare remains a priority for our provincial leaders. The animals are counting on you to make sure they are represented in the upcoming election. These are some questions you can ask candidates to find out where they stand on animal welfare issues:

Do you plan to improve the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act? If yes, how will you do it? If no, why not?
Will you fight against cruel practices such as train and trial hunting pens and roadside zoos?
What will you do to support more accessible veterinary care and affordable pet ownership throughout the province?

Often it is charities, buoyed with the support of a compassionate community, that rise to support people and animals when they are most vulnerable. This is especially true in times of economic or political turmoil. The OHS is here for our community — thanks to you.

Together, we can ensure that animal welfare is not overlooked in Ontario’s provincial agenda. Caring for animals includes supporting the people who love them.

P.S. Are you subscribed to our Animal Advocate newsletter? We’ll be sharing a poll in the newsletter next week asking what our community sees as the greatest needs for animal welfare. This feedback is essential as we work with community leaders to build a more humane and compassionate community for all.

Sharon Miko
President & CEO

Join the OHS Veterinary Technician Team

The OHS relies on dedicated veterinary technicians, registered veterinary technicians and assistant veterinary technicians to care for thousands of Ottawa’s most vulnerable animals each year. They provide life-saving care like routine exams, administering medications and vaccines, drawing blood, lab work and more. If you want action in your career, you can find it at the OHS.

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2025 Media Releases

The Results of Ottawa’s Biggest Cat Survey

Want to know a fool-proof recipe for disaster? Doing things in a vacuum.

That’s why I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who filled out the Outdoor Cat Survey in August, to share their thoughts on outdoor cats and their welfare.

And what did we learn? Resoundingly, that Ottawa residents don’t believe cats belong outdoors, unsupervised. Of 3,465 respondents, 76% opposed unsupervised outdoor roaming for cats, 15% supported it, and 9% were unsure. At the OHS, that makes us happy. We often will receive tearful calls that an outdoor cat has not returned. Or we will have to call someone, to tell them their cat has been found outdoors, deceased. After decades of advocacy and education, we have increased the number of stray cats we’re able to return to their owners – up to a mere 10%, from a distressing 2%. It’s not enough.

Reba is one of the many stray kittens who needed the OHS this summer.

The community’s feedback provides essential insights into Ottawa’s perception on outdoor cats and will help shape our strategy and programs geared towards preventing cat homelessness and improving animal welfare for more than just our feline friends. Aside from beliefs about free-roaming cats, the survey also gathered information about free-roaming cat populations and people’s concerns about free-roaming cats.

With the information, we’ve been able to map data across Ottawa and have pictured the results at the end of the blog. In general, more sightings of cats were reported near waterfront areas than anywhere else. Most respondents (1,511) reported seeing fewer than 2 cats; and respondents who reported 5 to 11 cats were largely concentrated in waterfront and suburban communities. This finding was surprising, as conventionally we’d expect more outdoor cats spotted in densely populated urban communities.

Respondents’ top concerns about cat welfare included injury by car, health and safety and outdoors cats’ impact on bird and wildlife populations. Many were concerned about cats on their property and cat overpopulation.

We’ve already shared our findings with some key stakeholders in our community, to talk about how we will use this information to improve the well-being of Ottawa’s outdoor cats. Stay tuned for more details! Working together, we can do so much more for Ottawa’s animals and build a more humane and compassionate community for all.

Stay up to date on our efforts and cat updates in Ottawa by signing up for our monthly Animal Advocate newsletter.

Sharon Miko
President & CEO

Supporters

The Ottawa Humane Society is grateful and humbled to receive support from thousands of individuals and organizations every year. We want to express our deepest gratitude for every gift, large or small. Generous support from kind donors enables the OHS, and our partners, to positively impact animal welfare in Ottawa by providing medical care, shelter, and essential resources for homeless and vulnerable animals. As we face the growing challenges of animal welfare, the need for support has never been more critical.

Did you make a donation last year and would like to be recognized? Let us know!

We are grateful for your generous support and would love the opportunity to acknowledge your contribution. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of Ottawa’s animals.

Raccoons Are Not Roommates: A Reminder from the OHS

Wildlife are not pets. Last month, Ottawa by-law discovered a raccoon named Diesel that was being kept as a pet in an apartment. Officers brought the raccoon to the OHS and we transferred him to Holly’s Haven Wildlife Rescue for rehabilitation. Sadly, many wild animals that have spent even limited time being kept captive are never able to adapt to living in the wild again.

Image courtesy of Holly’s Haven Wildlife Rescue

Diesel’s story is an important reminder that keeping wildlife as pets is illegal and, more importantly, not in an animal’s best interest. Most are likely not able to meet the highly specialized day-to-day needs of a wild animal, provide housing that is even barely adequate or find appropriate veterinary care when the animal becomes sick. A wild animal who is kept as a pet is a captive. It is likely to face significant suffering whether from unmet physical and psychological needs, untreated sickness or injury or from being abandoned outdoors with no survival skills.

I am extremely grateful the OHS and our partners can work together to weave a safety net for animals like Diesel. Wild animals brought to the OHS often are too sick or injured to be rehabilitated and humane euthanasia is necessary to prevent further suffering. Through our partnerships, there are options for wild animals who may have a healthy future.

The best place for a wild animal is in their natural habitat, and this thinking is essential when we consider our relationships with wild animals in our neighbourhoods and community. Wild animals are best admired from afar — and this includes baby wildlife. It’s not uncommon for someone to see a baby animal and believe the animal needs help, however most human intervention tragically leads to greater suffering.

Preventing unwanted encounters with wildlife also protects animals in our community. This includes sealing entry points that would allow an animal into your home, securing garbage bins and bird feeders, and not leaving out pet food.

Wildlife belongs in the wild. We can do best for our wild neighbours by respecting their habitat and taking steps to live in harmony and avoid unwanted encounters.

Our community cares about wildlife. Together we can make sure wild animals live their best lives.

Sharon Miko
President & CEO

Impact Reports

Ottawa’s caring community supports animals in need, helps loving families stay together and builds the next generation of caring people. These results and stories are all possible thanks to our community.

Oct. to Dec. 2024 Report

July to Sept. 2024 Report

April to June 2024 Report

All Hands on Deck: Summer at the OHS

Summer is a busy time at the Ottawa Humane Society. Waves of kittens need our help, we receive far more wildlife than usual and we support a wealth of stray animals in returning to their homes — all while finding perfect matches for Ottawa’s homeless animals.

It’s also a pivotal season in our efforts to build the next generation as we run summer camp programming throughout July and August. A few unexpected cancellations have left open slots in our camps — unheard of for our summer camps — sign your kid up to take advantage of this rare opportunity!

The joke among our team is that busyness is business as usual at the OHS. It’s true that we’ve always got a lot on the go, but I’d propose there is nothing usual about the work we do. In just the past couple weeks alone we’ve provided orthopedic surgery for a dog who was in a car accident, found a forever home for a bunny who was born at the OHS more than a year ago, urgently removed a face-full of quills from two stray dogs, and provided for several stray momma cats who needed somewhere safe and loving to give birth and raise their kittens. This is on top of meeting the daily needs of the steady stream of stray and surrendered animals being admitted to the OHS. Our team is excellent — and their ability to pivot, every day, to make sure we can deal with all the usual AND the unusual — is inspiring. I’m grateful for their dedication every day.

I’m also grateful for you. It takes many hands and many hearts working together to make this level of care possible and ensure there is shelter and support always ready for Ottawa’s homeless animals. The animals rely on a caring community at every turn. This community makes up our staff, volunteers, adopters, supporters and so much more. You are part of this community, and thanks to you, no matter what this busy summer brings, we’re ready.

If you’re looking for more ways to get involved in life-saving work for Ottawa’s animals, there are many ways you can make a difference:

Join our incredible team of more than 800 volunteers who help in every part of our work;
Apply to join our compassionate team — we’re in serious need of veterinary technicians and other key roles;
Adopt one of the many pets waiting for a new family, ready to dive into your heart and home;
Send an email to Premier Doug Ford to help secure better protections for animals across the province; and,
Right now, all donations are matched by a generous anonymous donor. If you’ve ever thought about giving, now is a great time to have even more impact.

Summer is just getting started. Many more animals will need the OHS and the love of a caring community in the next few months. Thank you so much for being there and making these life-saving stories possible.

Sharon Miko
President & CEO

2024 Media Releases

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