June 2018

Police officer shares powerful story of battle with mental illness, PTSD and his service dog Kal

Shawn Fougere is a police officer living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In early June, he spoke at the Ontario SPCA’s 2018 Educational Conference about how his service dog Kal has changed his life.

In our latest YouTube video, Shawn shares his emotional story of pain, recovery, and choosing to speak out.“I wasn’t some weak cop who couldn’t handle my job, all of a sudden I realized I was a human being,” Shawn says, “And once I realized that, that’s when I began my recovery.”

You won’t want to miss his compelling story of living with PTSD and the effects it had on his family.

Reduced wait times for Ontario SPCA's spay and neuter services in Stouffville

Book your appointment now and beat the waitlist! The Ontario SPCA Centre Veterinary Hospital in Stouffville is currently booking cats, both male and female for spay/neuter procedures. 

Wait times for dogs are also reduced to 3-4 months!

Pet overpopulation is an ongoing issue and a direct result of animals left unaltered. In an effort to help reduce pet overpopulation, the Ontario SPCA operates two high volume, high quality spay and neuter services. Through these services, we serve the public, shelters and rescue groups, regardless of geography or income level.

Book your appointment today!  Visit spayneuter.ontariospca.ca for more information.

Our doors are always open 

The Ontario SPCA Provincial Education & Animal Centre opened its doors to 230 community members on Saturday, June 2nd, 2018. In partnership with Doors Open Ontario and the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum and Community Centre, the Doors Open event was a great success and our Animal Centre was bustling with people who have never been here before! This was a great opportunity to showcase our animals and create awareness about our programs and services. 

During the event, youth from “Kids at Heart”, demonstrated their support towards our animal enrichment program by making over 200 toys for our shelter cats, and our sweet Lavender and Sparkles found their forever homes. Most importantly, we won over the hearts of those 230 community guests who came to learn about the work we do for animals.

Thank you to all our supporters and volunteers who made this event a success. 

Show your Purr-ride this Month!

The Ontario SPCA Provincial Education & Animal Centre will be showing its purr-ride at the Toronto Pride Festival on Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24. Join us in celebrating kindness and compassion while connecting humans and animals in our community. 

As you enjoy the festivities, be sure to check out our Ontario SPCA booth and show off your Paw Pride with giveaways! There will be ample information about pets and great gift ideas for animal lovers. You can even take the No Hot Pets pledge and let your furry friend cool down in our doggy play pool.

Come show your support for our community!

Can’t make it that weekend? Visit our website to find out how you can still show your support.

Unleash the animal lover at home!

Kids are always asking for a pet, but sometimes forget the hard work and responsibility that comes with being a responsible pet guardian. The Ontario SPCA’s Unleashed Kids Summer Camp is a great way to learn about pet behaviour, health, and care. Campers will have an opportunity to learn about pet enrichment through hands-on experience and will interact with a variety of animals. 

Join us for crafts, games, guest appearances, and so much more! Camp is running weekly from July 16 – August 20 for children aged 9-11. Limited spots are available and they are filling up quickly! 

Visit peac.ontariospca.ca for more information and to register! 

Keeping pets cool during summer months

It’s only June and we’ve already had some very hot weather with many more sweltering days ahead. It’s important in these temperatures to know how to keep our pets cool and comfortable.

Check out the blog Cool as a cucumber: Keeping pets cool during summer months for great tips and tricks to keep your pets happy and healthy during the dog days of summer.