Ottawa Humane Society Has Urgent Need for Volunteers to Support Families in Crisis

NEWS RELEASE

Urgent Need for Volunteers to Support Families in Crisis - Ottawa Humane Society

May 15, 2025 — The Ottawa Humane Society urgently needs 30 foster volunteers for its Sheltering Animals From Emergencies (SAFE) program. SAFE provides temporary shelter for pets whose owners are in crisis.

“This week alone, we had to turn away eight pets from SAFE because we don’t have enough volunteers.” said Debbie King, OHS Manager: Veterinary Social Work. “The shelter’s population is rising and many of our foster volunteers already have another animal in their care.”

One of the groups most often accessing SAFE is isolated seniors without a support network, who are facing short-term hospitalization and are otherwise unable to arrange care for their pet.

SAFE pets might stay in the OHS’s care for a few weeks, up to a few months. Foster volunteers help make longer placements possible, providing one-on-one care in their own homes.

“Keeping pets with the people who love them is the whole point of SAFE,” said Sharon Miko, OHS President & CEO. “Without SAFE, our clients might have had to make the difficult decision to surrender their pet because of a temporary hardship. SAFE supports the well-being of the person and makes sure the pet can go home once the crisis has passed.”

The OHS’s population jumps during the summer as more kittens, wildlife and stray dogs need the shelter’s support. SAFE volunteers are urgently needed to support the high demand for the service today and to make more homes available in the summer.

More information about SAFE and sign up for volunteers is available on the OHS’s website.

On top of the SAFE program, the OHS offers a number of supports for pets and their people including a pet food bank, wellness clinics and spay/neuter services. Since early 2025, these services have supported more than 500 pet owners in Ottawa.