oread
新手上路
- 注册
- 2002-01-24
- 消息
- 20,275
- 荣誉分数
- 16
- 声望点数
- 0
January 18, 2005
For immediate release
Today the Ottawa Humane Society officially launched its 2005 awareness campaign, "Year of the Cat." The campaign is geared to focus the attention of the community on the welfare of cats, while at the same time undertaking many in-house initiatives to increase the welfare of cats coming through the OHS's doors.
Bruce Roney, OHS Executive Director, says that over the past decades, huge strides have been made in Ottawa in the welfare of dogs. "We do not see, thankfully, dogs wandering the street; we do not see feral dogs and we do not have litter upon litter of puppies brought to our door. Most dog owners follow the basics of responsible animal ownership, and our work remains focused on the less responsible minority. This, sadly, is not true for our feline friends."
Mr. Roney notes that, all too often, cats are regularly allowed to wander without identification or protection against illness, and that cats are often simply dumped when no longer wanted. Many do not receive veterinary care, and many owners do not know the basics of cat care.
Return-to-owner statistics clearly reflect the different attitude taken by the public between how dogs and cats are regarded. While the OHS returns roughly 65% of dogs to their homes, the return rate for cats is in the 5% to 7% range.
As part of the "Year of the Cat," the OHS plans a host of awareness activities throughout 2005, some of which are geared toward its own staff. "We're not only going to educate the public, but we're going to better educate ourselves about cat issues to ensure that all cats entering the OHS have the best possible chance of finding a new loving home," says Mr. Roney.
Some of the initiatives that the OHS has planned for the "Year of the Cat" include:
* A cat pheromone project to alleviate stress in shelter cats
* Expansion of "Hide-and-Perch box program, an initiative to lower stress of cats in the shelter
* Incentive programs to increase overall cat adoptions, especially during high-volume times (typically spring through fall)
* A "Golden Opportunities" program to increase adoption of senior cats
* Enhanced staff training on the needs of cats
* Cat-specific microchip clinics
* An initiative to assess cat behaviour to help maintain cats' emotional health and to ensure that cats are matched with appropriate owners
* Expansion of foster cat program
* Pilot project to provide education and subsidized spay/neuter services for a low-income housing project
* Research project to identify high relinquishment areas in the City to be better able to focus the organization's educational efforts
By year's end, Roney says that the OHS hopes to see an increase in return-to-owner statistics for cats, increased cat adoptions, reduced disease through improved emotional health and a greater understanding and awareness of cats both inside the OHS and across our community.
For media enquiries, contact:
Sharon Miko, Outreach Manager
725-3166, Ext 261; cell: 277-3125
sharonm@ottawahumane.ca
