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The Oakville Beaver, F r id a y F e b r u a r y 1 7 , 2 0 0 6 - 21 Acts of kindness at humane society's heart Sixty-eight years ago one act of kind ness on the part of a small group of local residents gave Oakville's lost animals shelter. Those concerned citizens initi ated the start of a legacy of giving that has been at the core of the Oakville & District Humane Society (ODHS), and which continues each day in its volun teers, membership, the generosity of donors and through humane education programming. "February is a time of the year when we all are particularly grateful for our loved ones. At the Humane Society, we know that without the enormous hearts of the people in our community, our shelter would be a much different place/' noted Johanne Golder, Executive Director at ODHS. "We are grateful to keep a little bit of Valentine's Day with us every day of the year." Working as a non-profit organiza tion, the shelter relies on annual dog licence fees, cat registrations, a Town subsidy, donations, memberships, adop tions, and fundraising events to support its operations. With only 32 staff (12 full-time, 20 part-time) providing a broad range of services (including ani mal control, adoption, animal care, and education) the shelter depends on a reli able group of volunteers. "We have 130 volunteers actively working at the shelter," noted Golder, who added that with over 5,000 animals coming into the shelter annually, volun teer time is valuable. "The volunteers contribute more , than 12,000 hours a year caring for ani mals and people in our community (for those involved in the Pet Therapy pro gram). Imagine a shelter without that type of support." Support at the ODHS also comes in the form of financial and product dona tions. Whether it be from memberships (single $25, family $40 or life $150), cor porate donations, specialty gifts like those made to the Charlie Fund (used for offsetting medical expenses for injured animals), or pet care and cage sponsorships, all money ensure that the Society meets its mandate of caring for Oakville's lost and stray animals. "The people that bring us their plas tic grocery bags, toys, leashes, and dog and cat food are just as important to the day-to-day operations of the shelter as our corporate donors," stated Golder. "It's the combined effort that makes a difference." Perhaps the greatest act of kindness to date at the Society was the gift of location provided in 1950. In June of that year Margaret Isard sold her land for $1 giving the Society a home. T\vo renovations have taken place since the building of the shelter situated at 445 Cornwall Rd. What began as two ken nels for dogs has now grown to include 40 kennels for dogs, more than 150 cat *cages and a variety of accommodations for rabbits, Guinea pigs, lizards, birds and other assorted locals that find their ' way to the shelter. "At times we are like Noah's Ark here, with every space filled to capacity. That's ^ O A K V I L L E 8 DISTRICT HUMANE SOCIETY the sad part of our history. Our need to help animals in need has never changed. "Much of our work would become redundant if people elevated their level of concern for animals. We believe that humane education is an important part of changing that pattern in the future." . Kindness has become the focal point for all of the humane education pro gramming offered through the Society. It is a proven fact that the way people treat animals translates directly into the way they treat other people. In the fall of 2003 the ODHS asked classes to take this reality seriously with the launch of The Patch Challenge. --' "Mutual respect for all things is an important lesson. If we can teach that to our young than it will became a lifestyle," stated Heather White, Community Outreach and Education Manager. "Thanks to generous donations made by Frank Apa and the Oakville Toyota and Lexus of Oakville dealerships, we have been able to package that message in Patch." The Patch Challenge encourages teachers to invite the ODHS staff into their classroom for a humane education workshop and age appropriate chal lenges. Groups work together to achieve their goal and individual acts of kind ness are recognized. "We have three schools that have invited The Patch Challenge into their classrooms so far and the program runs until June," added White. "We're encouraging every school in Oakville to participate." The Patch Challenge is primarily an in-class initiative, but the Society is ask ing parents and teachers to also be aware of any acts of kindness demon strated by children in or outside of school. Thinking in a positive way towards an animal or another human is part of the challenge. Acting on that thought will be recognized by the Society. "If you know of a child that has demonstrated the true meaning of The Patch Challenge, use the Society' s web site at oakvillehumane.ca to tell us their story," noted White. "In June we will not only be acknowl edging the school that demonstrates the greatest understanding of the Patch message, but also the child that has put the challenge into action." What began in 1936 as one act of kindness has become more than a shel ter for animals. With the strong support of volunteers, members, and donors, kindness has many faces at the Oakville & District Humane Society. Humane education may be the challenge for the future, but for'now, the Society' s soul remains deeply embedded in the heart of a benevolent community. ^F o ry o u rjre e in v ita tio n p le a s e c a ll'. Sharon (9 0 5 )8 1 9-7805 1 4 /E L C O M E -^ P K W V V S in c h 1 9 3 0 g o n w w w .b r id a ls h o w c a s e .c a By Invitation only, so call today! Limited Seating/Limited Exhibitor Space N o E xperience N ecessary - P R E -A P P R E N T IC E S H IP T R A IN IN G AS A TRUCK + C O A C H M E C H A N IC WHAT YOU GET-AND IT'S FR EE!: s « r I i J j A · Employment Readiness Workshops · Level 1 Training at Mohawk College acements i I M | ' www.ymcacareerdevelopment.on.ca THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO DELIVERED IN PARTNERSHIP BY: \ I Ao\ V i \ , v o| ·f i .. YMCA We build strong kids, strong families, strong communities. y e a rss tro n g YKCA s i ss! 5j ll s s / 8sr l)a « !ss c£_sE! Mohawk College