November 29, 2024
Twenty Sick Cats Need You
Right now, we’ve got a quarantine room filled to the brim with sick cats like Sprinkle and Sparkle. The kitties are fighting through upper respiratory infections (also known as cat colds). The infection makes them congested, sneeze constantly and gunks up their adorable faces with goopies.
Sprinkle and Sparkle can almost always be found cuddled up together. They always greet me with a chirp and a purr, putting on a brave face even if they aren’t feeling their best.
I shudder to think of what these cats might have faced if they weren’t at the OHS. I can’t put into words just how grateful I am for our team who cares for these cats each and every day, nursing them back to health and ensuring they can have a happy tomorrow with a family who loves them.
Our staff and volunteers are a part of our life-saving team, and so is our caring community of donors. This past week, on top of these sick kitties, we’ve had anywhere between 400 to 500 animals in our care on any given day. Whether found lost and alone, entrusted to us by a family who made the heartbreaking decision to surrender their pet, or for any number of other reasons, these animals came to us with nowhere else to go, and in desperate need of a second chance.
No matter how an animal comes to us and what challenges they may face, we work to give them the best care possible. It costs the OHS an average of $34 a day to provide for an animal. That number represents time needed to keep them fed, clean, healthy, meet their veterinary needs, and to find their perfect forever family.
We rely on the community’s support to provide the daily care every animal needs, and right this moment, we have the best deal on life-saving care: every dollar you give will be doubled. And gift of $34 would provide for not just one, but two animals who so desperately need you. Your gift can help Sprinkle and Sparkle at the same time and even more animals just like them.
The match lasts until Dec. 3 for GivingTuesday — the world’s largest generosity movement.
Can Ottawa’s animals count on you today for the life-saving care they need? I know firsthand that your gift will make a difference for the animals who need you most.
Dr. Shelley Hutchings
Chief Veterinarian