Want to spread holiday joy this season? Here are some great ways to give

As she takes a short break from tending to the city’s most vulnerable animals, Dr. Shelley Hutchings shares the story of a Golden Retriever puppy who was recently brought into the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS). 

“Aspen arrived with a broken leg and clearly needed help,” recalls Hutchings, chief veterinarian with the OHS, a non-profit organization on West Hunt Club Road that cares for sick, injured and homeless animals. “We provided pain relief, medication, x-rays and splinting to get her stabilized; then she underwent an orthopedic surgery to mend her broken leg.” 

Aspen is just one of the many four-legged patients who benefit from the organization’s life-saving work. In the past year alone, the OHS provided more than 2,400 animal surgeries.   

“We typically have 15 to 20 procedures booked per day, and we run our surgery six days a week,” says Hutchings, who has worked with the OHS since 2006. “We do a lot of spays and neuters; all of our animals are sterilized before adoption, including the rabbits. 

“We're also here when emergencies walk through the door; stray animals that are found in the city will come to our care.” 

Thinking outside the box 

Unlike a private veterinary practice where animal owners would brief medical staff about their pet’s symptoms, Hutchings – along with three other vets and a team of veterinary technicians – typically work with animals with no little to known history. 

“We don’t have that history from the owner of, ‘How long has the pet been sick? or ‘Were they vomiting?’” says Hutchings. “We often really have to think outside the box.” 

Another challenge is the high volume of animals passing through the shelter; last year, the OHS worked with 7,703 animals. Hutchings describes it as fast-paced, high-volume work – but emphasizes it’s also very rewarding.  

“I do sometimes get asked, ‘How do you do it? You see such hard cases,” she says. “We do, and there are days that are hard; but I focus on the fact that while we can't change what has happened, we can help change the future.” 

GivingTuesday funds second chances 

For people who love the holidays for more than Christmas lights and parties, it’s also a time to give back to their communities and support charities that work hard all year round. From the Ottawa Food Bank’s annual Holiday Food Drive and the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa’s Holiday Hampers and Angel Tree to the Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa’s Holiday Gift Program, the spirit of Christmas can be shared across the city.  

For the OHS, that means a GivingTuesday campaign, which will run from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, 2025. GivingTuesday is the world’s largest generosity movement, operating on six continents. In Canada, GivingTuesday (through CanadaGives) has become one of the biggest fundraising days, with more than $43 million raised in 2024 for 10,000 charities, including Canadian Red Cross, the Breakfast Club of Canada and the Ottawa Humane Society. Donations made to the OHS GivingTuesday are critical to their day-to-day operations. Hutchings wants community donors to understand that none of the services they provide would be possible without support. 

“We rely on donors for everything we do,” she says, emphasizing that GivingTuesday donations will be matched, so supporters help twice as many animals in need. “Donors secure for us each bowl of kibble, every life-saving surgery—every second chance for Ottawa's homeless animals.” 

Hutchings explains that, on average, it costs the OHS approximately $34 per day to provide an animal shelter, vet care, food, and love. With nearly 400 animals currently at the shelter, she says the costs add quickly, and finding the right home can take time. 

“We’ll wait as long as it takes to find a home for healthy, adoptable animals; there are many animals in our care who desperately deserve to find their person,” says Hutchings. “We have cats and dogs that have been here since the summer, and a rabbit who has spent more than a year waiting for adoption.” 

She adds that donations also help keep pets with their families, by supporting programs such as the pet food bank and accessible veterinary services for individuals in need. 

As for Aspen—who Hutchings affectionately describes as a “star patient”—thanks to the medical intervention from the OHS veterinary team, her future looks bright.  

“Because of our donors, she's now on her way to recovery,” says Hutchings. “She's still recovering in our critical care unit, but she greets us each day with a little bounce in her step and a lick to the face. 

“We'll follow up with her orthopedic surgeon to make sure everything is fully healed according to plan, and then she'll be looking for her forever home.” 

Join the GivingTuesday and other fundraising efforts 

Want to help improve the lives of vulnerable animals? From Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, 2025, you can donate to the Ottawa Humane Society’s GivingTuesday campaign. If you’re part of a charity organization that’s interested in joining Canada’s largest generosity movement, visit GivingTuesday. Looking to help in other parts of our community, too? There's also the Ottawa Mission, Shepherds of Good Hope, Matthew House and St. Joe’s Women’s Centre.