NEWS RELEASE
GUELPH HUMANE SOCIETY
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The Guelph Humane Society (GHS) will be receiving an award from the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) for its work with wildlife in our community.
The award, for Leadership and Innovation in Non-Companion Animal Care Programming, will aptly be presented to the GHS on Earth Day – April 22 – at the National Animal Welfare Conference hosted in Calgary, Alta.
Over the past two years, the GHS has intensified community education about wildlife through social media, their website, and communication with callers and visitors, as well as grown the organization’s program for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife.
The staff and volunteers have taken on this work because of their passion to help wildlife, in addition to their regular roles helping domestic and farm animals at GHS.
“Our animal welfare heroes deserve national recognition, and Guelph Humane Society is one of the heroic Canadian organizations creating innovative new programs to improve animal welfare,” says Barbara Cartwright, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, which created the CFHS Animal Welfare Leadership & Innovation Awards. “We’re inspired by their achievements for wildlife, and we congratulate them on their upcoming award.”
Reason for the award:
Since implementing an enhanced wildlife program two years ago, GHS has dramatically increased the number of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife that it has taken in, while also focusing efforts on public education and elevating how wildlife are perceived in the community.
Borrowing concepts from innovative domestic animal programs, GHS made drastic changes to the way wild animals are triaged. The organization also provides training to all staff on standards of care for wild species, regardless of their role or position, to ensure the team has the skills and expertise necessary to provide a high-level of care to a diverse array of species.
In 2017, the GHS fielded thousands of wildlife-related phone calls from concerned residents and provided short-term care to approximately 1250 wild animals in need of direct intervention due to injury or illness. That number represents a two-fold increase since the improved program was implemented, and includes a number of species considered a population-at-risk.
In addition, GHS implemented a staff- driven wildlife committee that manages a wildlife triage system and is responsible for the care, feeding, and short-term housing of wild animals in the shelter, as well as arranging for their transport to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator via the shelter’s network of volunteer wildlife drivers.
The GHS is also excited to have been selected to present at the National Animal Welfare Conference, hosted by CFHS in Calgary, AB from April 21-24.
The presentation, ‘How a Domestic Animal Shelter Can Help Save Wild Lives’, is being presented by two of GHS’s full-time staff and aims to teach other animal welfare organizations how they too can create and implement a similar program.
“We are very proud of our efforts to advocate for all animals, including wildlife,” says Guelph Humane Society Executive Director, Adrienne McBride. “To be recognized at the national level for our local efforts is very meaningful, both for our organization, and for our community that supports our work. Our goal is to be available to help citizens when they find sick, injured or orphaned animals, whether it is a cat or a wild bird or a skunk.”
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