Search Results for: stewardship

Not currently recruiting.

We are looking for positive and enthusiastic volunteers to join our team. Come help us call donors to thank them for supporting the animals, share the heartwarming animal stories we experience at the OHS, and ensure donors know the value in the difference they make each and every day! Volunteers will be responsible for various tasks that may range from phone calls, handwritten letters, handling mail/paperwork, and working in the Raiser’s Edge database. Apply today!

PAW Stewardship Volunteer Requirements:

• Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.
• Volunteers must have strong communication skills and be able to make calls quickly and efficiently.
• Volunteers must be comfortable initiating and engaging in conversation with donors.
• Volunteers must be detail oriented.
• Volunteers must have strong computer skills and experience with data entry.
• Volunteers must be able to enter call records and notes in our database.
• Volunteers must have good customer service skills.
• Volunteers must be comfortable bringing any issues or complaints during calls immediately to Manager: Donor Relations to triage.
• Volunteers must be able to work with minimal supervision, once trained.
• Volunteers must commit to the same weekly shift of 3-4 hours per week, for a minimum of one year.

OHS volunteers help give Ottawa’s animals a brighter future and make our community a more humane place for all. If you are interested in joining our volunteer team, and making a difference for Ottawa’s animals, please review the volunteer opportunities and follow the application instructions.

Please note: Applications will not be processed for programs that are not open for recruitment. We have a limited number of available openings, and applicants must meet the volunteer requirements to be considered for an interview. We thank all applicants for applying, however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

It’s a possibility none of us wants to consider: what if we pass away before our pets? What will their lives be like in a future without you?

Most of us consider our pets to be members of our family. After all, they are living, sentient companions who reside in our homes and our hearts, and who are dependent upon us for their own survival. It is imperative to their well-being and our own peace of mind, that we have a plan for our pet’s futures if the unthinkable were to happen: if we weren’t here to care for them.

For many of us, planning for our pet’s futures means talking with friends and family members to find a fitting home and a caretaker who is able and willing to take on the responsibility of having, and loving, our pets. Often, this is arranged formally and included in a will to ensure our wishes will be carried out. Within a will, pet owners can make additional arrangements, such as specific provisions for their pets. It’s important to know what legally can and can’t be done in these situations.

For anyone who doesn’t have an easy solution to this difficult problem, the Ottawa Humane Society’s Pet Stewardship Program may be the right place to turn. This program provides peace of mind by allowing pet owners to entrust their pets to the OHS, ensures that their pets will be placed in a loving home, that veterinary care will be provided for the rest of their pet’s lives, and that their wishes for their pets will be carried out.

If you are interested in learning more about your options for planning for your pet’s future, you are  invited to attend our free Planning for Your Pet’s Future seminar at the Ottawa Humane Society on Tuesday, May 8 from 6 – 8 p.m. This seminar will be co-presented by the OHS and D. Bradley Evans, of Grandmaitre Virgo Evans Law Office. Bring your questions and allow us to help you find peace of mind by understanding your options in including your pets in your Will.

If you have questions, or wish to RSVP for this free event, please contact our manager: legacy giving at 613-725-3166 ext. 268, or e-mail legacy@ottawahumane.ca.

Andrea Boone
Manager: Legacy Giving

For All They Have Given Us: Seniors and the Ottawa Humane Society

I meet a lot of people in my role at the Ottawa Humane Society. And because seniors are such ardent supporters of the OHS, a disproportionate number of the people I meet and talk to are seniors.

Many of the seniors I meet support the OHS because they remember the joy of a beloved pet.  But many do not currently have pets, worried that a pet might outlive them, or outlive their capacity to care for a pet. This makes me a little sad because it seems to me that many of those I talk to really want a pet and perhaps need the companionship even more than they did in younger days.

At the OHS, we think that almost everyone’s life can be enhanced by a pet, and so we have put or collective minds to reducing the barriers and worries for seniors.

One of our solutions was to launch our Cats for Seniors Program to match a senior cat—defined as over five—with a human senior. To promote the idea, the OHS offers a discount on the adoption fee.  This program is win-win as the cat that is more challenging to adopt gets a loving home, and a senior gets a new companion. Older cats are more often quieter and more laid back than their younger cousins and less likely to climb the drapes than a rambunctious kitten—a major plus for many seniors.  And, of course, an older cat is less likely to outlive a worried owner.

Another solution is our Pet Stewardship Program, whereby the OHS will care for the pet of an owner who has passed away or is incapacitated and find a new home for the pet, subject to the owner’s instructions, and overseen in the long-term by the OHS. This can provide tremendous peace of mind for anyone who doesn’t have a friend or family member who is willing and able to take on a dog or a cat should something happen.

For the more adventurous, there is the option of becoming an OHS foster volunteer. Instead of the long-term commitment to a dog or cat of their own, seniors can temporarily care for pets in their homes while the pet recovers from an illness, or otherwise become adoption-ready. Fostering may be the perfect solution for seniors who travel or are otherwise unable to make a long-term commitment to the responsibility of a pet.

And what if a senior is living in a retirement home or long-term care facility? The OHS has thought of those seniors too, through our Brightening Lives Animal Visits Program. In fact, since 1980 OHS volunteers have been visiting these facilities, bringing the joy of animal companionship to residents.

And to celebrate it all, and all that seniors bring to our lives, to the OHS and to our community, we host an annual Seniors’ Day event at the OHS every September.

Bruce Roney
President and CEO

For many, planning an estate and writing a will are “someday” tasks. There’s no shame in it — estate planning can be challenging. But, if you need an extra nudge, maybe your pet can help you find the will to get started. 

No matter what the future holds for you, the best way to provide your pet with loving care is to record your wishes for your pet in your will. If you have a friend or family member to care for your pet, speak with them, and together develop a plan that can be included in your estate plan.

If you don’t have someone who can care for your pet, you may be interested in the OHS Pet Stewardship Program. This program provides lifelong care for your pet if something happens to you.

When writing your will, you can also provide for homeless animals who don’t have anyone to protect their futures. A legacy gift is a powerful way to make a difference in the lives of animals and leave your legacy to the animals in your community.

So take that first step and I think you’ll agree: whether it’s for your pet, or the pets who have no one else, pulling estate planning off the backburner provides a loving future for our animal friends and peace of mind for you.

If you would like to learn more about including your pet in your will and estate plan, please join us for our free Plan for Your Pet’s Future webinar on Wednesday, March 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. You can register by contacting me at 613-725-3166 ext. 268 or legacy@ottawahumane.ca.

Andrea Boone
Manager: Legacy Giving

We sure do! Every day, we see the difference YOU can make in the lives of animals. They come in with broken bodies and hearts and it’s your generous support that gives them a second chance at life.

Not currently recruiting.

The Ottawa Humane Society’s Volunteer Department is looking for volunteers who are interested in working closely with our events team on select office/administration projects and donor stewardship initiatives at our Development office (9 Capella Court). All tasks will support OHS signature events, community events, the OHS wedding program and other fundraising initiatives (e.g. Warm Hearts Raffle). Administrative tasks may include:

• Data entry;
• Telephone calling to thank donors;
• Photo-copying and laminating;
• Document collation;
• Mail outs;
• Other clerical duties as assigned.

Office Volunteer Requirements:

• Volunteers must have strong computer skills (Microsoft Office);
• Experience with data entry or in a administrative role is preferred;
• Volunteers must have excellent customer service skills;
• Volunteers must be highly organized and have high attention to detail;
• Volunteers must be comfortable taking direction;
• Volunteers must work comfortably in a team setting;
• Volunteers must be consistent and reliable;
• Volunteers must be able to make a minimum 1-year commitment;
• Volunteers must be able to commit to a three hour weekly shift;
• Volunteers must wear business casual attire.