Commemorative Animals in War Pins Raise Money for Animal Centres This Remembrance Day

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society honour Canada’s veterans and the animals that served alongside them with commemorative Animals in War pins this Remembrance Day.

Photo courtesy of The Ontario SPCA.

Proceeds from the pins sold will help the Ontario SPCA animal centres across the province. One dollar from each pin sold will be donated to Royal Canadian Legion branches in Ontario SPCA animal centre communities.

The pin is intended to be worn alongside the poppy and represents the sacrifice made by animals who have served and continue to serve, alongside Canada’s veterans.

The Animals in War campaign was first launched in 2017. Commemorative pins have included a horse, dog, pigeon, cat and a limited edition pin in honour of the women who have served in Canada’s military.

Mules carried artillery, horses transported troops and hauled field guns, pigeons delivered crucial messages, cats served as companions and kept ships free of vermin and dogs served as messengers, medical assistants, bomb detectors and search and rescue workers.

Pins can be ordered at ontariospca.ca/remember.

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Ontario SPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Unit Rolls Into Peterborough

In partnership with the Peterborough Humane Society, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is bringing its SPCA Mobile Animal Wellness Services Unit to Peterborough this week for a three-day spay/neuter clinic to help reduce pet overpopulation.

The 38-foot SPCA Mobile Animal Wellness Services Unit will be stationed outside the Peterborough Humane Society from November 24th to November 26th. Appointments were pre-booked through the Peterborough Humane Society and a total of 75 cats are scheduled to be spayed or neutered during the clinic. That translates into an estimated 4,600 potentially unwanted kittens that will be prevented. 

Photo courtesy Ontario SPCA

The mobile clinic marks the fourth of the year for the SPCA Mobile Animal Wellness Services Unit. After careful consideration and research to determine the safest way to resume mobile spay/neuter services during COVID-19, the Ontario SPCA has resumed operations with new limited contact procedures in place. Animals are picked up and dropped off in a safe curbside process overseen by staff at all times.

Photo courtesy Ontario SPCA

“We look forward to working with the Peterborough Humane Society on this important initiative in their community, and we would like to thank pet parents who have taken the important step to have their furry friends spayed or neutered,” says Jennifer Bluhm, Acting Chief, Animal Protection Services, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society.

"We are extremely excited to be partnering with the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society in bringing this much-needed mobile service into our community,” adds Shawn Morey, Executive Director, Peterborough Humane Society. “Hosting accessible spay/neuter services is vital to help reduce pet overpopulation in our community, and serves as a sample of the permanent services we will be hosting within our new Peterborough Animal Care Centre. We are so thrilled to be able to bring this service to our community." 

To learn more about SPCA Mobile Animal Wellness Services, or to make a donation to help stock the unit with medical supplies and cover operating costs, visit Ontariospca.ca/mobileservices.

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Urgent Animal Care Fund Launched By Ontario SPCA & Peterborough Humane Society To Support Pets During COVID-19 Crisis

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society has set up an Urgent Animal Care Fund with the Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) and other SPCAs and humane societies in Ontario to help animal organizations in the province continue to care for animals and support pet owners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following direction from the Government of Ontario and advice of health professionals, the Peterborough Humane Society and its partners in animal welfare closed their buildings to the public to help slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, many planned fundraising events, such as the Peterborough Humane Society’s annual FurBall Gala, have had to be cancelled.

Photography courtesy Peterborough Humane Society

With adoptions put on hold, many SPCAs and humane societies are facing growing costs as they continue to care for the animals who will now have to wait longer to be adopted. While adoptions are on pause, animals in shelters still need nutritious food, veterinary care, enrichment and daily attention to keep them healthy and happy.

“As Peterborough and the Kawartha’s only open admission shelter, the team at PHS continues to take in and provide care for stray, abandoned and emergency care animals,” says Shawn Morey, PHS Executive Director.

Photography courtesy Peterborough Humane Society

“We have a small animal care team on site daily to provide our animals with the love and enrichment they need and have amplified our enrichment programs to ensure that our animals remain healthy and happy during their extended stay with us,” Morey adds. “With so many owned pets entering the shelter on a day-to-day basis, it is not feasible to place all animals into temporary foster homes.”

“We know that the long-term costs of care for animals in shelters are adding up, and not just for us, but for other SPCAs and humane societies across the province, which is why the Urgent Animal Care Fund was established,” says Morey.

Photography courtesy Peterborough Humane Society

By supporting your local SPCA or humane society, you will help ensure that vulnerable animals in your community are fed, safe and cared for during these challenging times.

To donate to the Urgent Animal Care Fund, visit urgentanimalcarefund.ca.

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The Ontario SPCA & Peterborough Humane Society Kicks Off iAdopt For Holidays Adoption Campaign

The Ontario SPCA and Peterborough Humane Society is asking you to add a special someone to your holiday list—and family. Give an animal the gift of a loving home during iAdopt for the Holidays, a national adoption campaign to find homes for as many animals as possible during a time of year when families are together and can help their new pet settle in.

iAdopt for the Holidays is a program of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society that runs until December 31 at participating SPCAs, Humane Societies and rescue groups across Canada. Last year, more than 3,600 animals from across Canada found their forever homes during the iAdopt for the Holidays campaign. 

“The holidays are actually a great time to welcome a new furry companion into your life,” says Daryl Vaillancourt, Chief, Humane Programs & Community Outreach, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “Together as a family, you can spend time with your new pet and help them settle into their new home. Our focus is finding the right home for every adoptable animal to help ensure the matches we make are lifetime matches.”

Potential adopters take part in the science-based Meet Your Match® program, which matches their personality and lifestyle with the animals awaiting adoption. The adoption process, which is used at all 12 Ontario SPCA and Humane Society animal centres across Ontario including Peterborough, helps ensure adopters are going home with their most compatible match. 

All cats and dogs available through the Ontario SPCA are spayed or neutered, microchipped, up-to-date on vaccinations and come with a gift of one month of pet insurance.

Animals adopted from the Ontario SPCA or the Peterborough Humane Society during the iAdopt for the Holidays campaign will be entered in a draw for a chance to win free pet food for a year from Royal Canin. 

To change an animal’s life during iAdopt for Holidays, visit iadopt.ca.

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Watch: Lakefield's Instagram Dog Celebrity Owen The Griff In Serena Ryder's New Christmas Video

Millbrook’s pride and joy Serena Ryder, who attended PCVS in Peterborough, has just released a new Christmas video called “Christmas Kisses”. The title track from her very first holiday album, the song spotlights rescue dogs from the Ontario SPCA and dog influencers wearing festive styles.

One of the dog influencers starring in the video is none other than Lakefield’s Owen the Griff, who has 73,000+ fans on Instagram.

Owen the Griff

“One of Serena’s people reached out to us via email,” Owen’s owner/”Momager” Lisa Besseling tells PTBOCanada. “It was filmed at a small studio in Toronto. We were really happy to be a part of this and help bring awareness to supporting animal shelters at this time of year.”

Indeed, the fit was great for Owen the Griff, as he has been an important influencer on Our Pet Project, the Peterborough Humane Society’s capital fundraising campaign to build a new state of the art facility in Peterborough to replace the existing one they are in that opened in 1956.

Watch the video below and spread the word about this great video raising awareness for rescue dogs…

We are proud to partner up with and support the Ontario SPCA this holiday season! Thank you to all the caretakers and volunteers for your continuous hard work and passion to make rescue animals' lives a little bit better and brighter. A special thanks to everyone involved in this video, both dogs and humans!

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Peterborough Humane Society Receives 4 Dogs Through Partnership With Ontario SPCA & Year Of The Northern Dog Initiative

The Peterborough Humane Society has recently received four dogs (pictured in this post) through a partnership with the Ontario SPCA and its Year of the Northern Dog initiative, which is helping deal with the overpopulation of dogs in Northern communities.

PHS helps animals find their forever homes, and that includes assisting their animal welfare partners in collaboration with communities in the North.

Northern dog named Ichabod

“We are beyond excited to have been part of this initiative with the Ontario SPCA and look forward to a continued partnership with them and future initiatives," says Peterborough Humane Society Executive Director Shawn Morey.

Northern dog named Braveheart

HOW THE NORTHERN DOG TRANSFER HAPPENED

On Sunday, April 29th, a transfer of 21 dogs took place as part of the Northern Dog initiative. The dogs landed in Thunder Bay and then made the trip to the North Bay & District Humane Society. From there, they were broken up and transferred to Quinte Humane Society, Ontario SPCA Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre, the Northumberland Humane Society and the Peterborough Humane Society.

Northern dog named Jewel

This transfer is the result of a partnership between the Ontario SPCA, various Year of the Northern Dog partners and a remote community near the Manitoba border that wanted to find homes for its community dogs. North Star Air Ltd. provided a flight for the dogs into Thunder Bay where they were cared for by volunteers before embarking on the next phase of their journey.

To bring awareness, attention and action to Northern dog overpopulation, the Ontario SPCA has declared 2018 the Year of the Northern Dog. This evolving initiative will support programs intended to bring awareness, attention and action to the serious animal welfare issue of Northern dog overpopulation.

Northern dog named Morey

"We are going through the process of getting these four dogs altered (spay/neuter), and then they will be up for adoption within the next few days," Peterborough Humane Society's Shawn Morey tells PTBOCanada.

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