Ottawa Humane Society

What Ottawa Humane Society does

The Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) is a registered Canadian charity (Registration Number: 123264715 RR0001) founded in 1888 and headquartered at 245 West Hunt Club Road in Ottawa, Ontario. It is the only Humane Society or SPCA serving Ottawa with sheltering and outreach programs for all companion animals, and operates independently — it does not receive funds from Ontario SPCA, Humane Society of Canada, Toronto Humane Society, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, or the Canadian SPCA. The organization holds dual national accreditations: Humane Canada's Accreditation Program (April 2021) and Imagine Canada's Standards Program (April 2016).

OHS's operations center on an in-house veterinary clinic delivering spay/neuter, microchipping, wellness, and disease screening services, supplemented by community mobile spay/neuter and a Trap-Neuter-Release program for feral cat management. Behaviour assessment protocols and a Foster-Me-First medical foster program allow treatment-completion animals to recover in volunteer homes under OHS veterinary oversight. The services portfolio spans pet adoption (cats, dogs, small animals, Working Whiskers program), dog training and pet care webinars, child and youth education programs (camps, school presentations, Crest Program), emergency pet sheltering, an emergency pet food bank, lost-and-found services, end-of-life and pet loss support, and a retail sub-brand (Buddy & Belle Boutique).

Revenue is generated through a diversified philanthropic model: individual donations (with $25/$50/$100 tiers), the flagship annual Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run fundraiser, adoption fees ($25-$615 depending on species/age), an annual membership program, legacy and bequest gifts, in-kind supply donations, and the dedicated Compassion Campaign funding a new Community Veterinary Clinic. Adoption services are distributed both from the West Hunt Club shelter and through a Pet Adoption Location (PAL) network spanning at least 10 Ottawa-area retail partners (Pet Valu, Ren's Pets, Chew That, March Road Pet Food & Grooming), with adoption packages bundling Petsecure insurance trials and post-adoption veterinary coupons. Last year, OHS placed 3,414 pets, educated 7,087 children, and distributed over 38,000 lbs of pet food through its emergency food bank.

Name

Ottawa Humane Society

Legal name

Ottawa Humane Society

Website

https://ottawahumane.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ottawa Humane Society is a registered Canadian charity and the sole Ottawa-area humane society providing sheltering and outreach for all companion animals, delivering pet adoption, in-house veterinary services, humane education, and emergency animal support funded through donations, events, and adoption fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare and Shelter Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption programs
• Veterinary clinic services
• Animal welfare charity
• Community pet education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from caring community members supporting animal care and shelter operations, collected via the website donation portal.
2. Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run: Annual flagship fundraising event where participants raise pledges walking or running for animals, including a pet-friendly festival.
3. Adoption Fees: Fees charged for pet adoptions covering cats ($230-$320), dogs ($500-$615), and small animals ($25-$100).
4. Membership Program: Annual membership program providing ongoing support to the organization.
5. Legacy & Special Gifts: Planned giving and bequest program for long-term supporter commitments.
6. Supply Donations: In-kind donations of pet supplies, food, and materials from the community.
7. Compassion Campaign: Special fundraising campaign supporting the community veterinary clinic.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Ottawa Humane Society is a registered charity that shelters and rehomes companion animals, providing pet adoption services for cats, dogs, and small animals supported by an in-house veterinary clinic, behaviour assessment, and community outreach programs. It also delivers community education, dog training, pet loss support, and an emergency pet food bank, funded primarily through donations, adoption fees, and fundraising events.

Product overview

The Ottawa Humane Society is a charitable animal shelter providing animal welfare services rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of animal care services including pet adoption programs (adoption center, Working Whiskers Cat Adoption Program, Adoption Concierge Program, and Pet Adoption Location partnerships with retail stores), veterinary services (spay/neuter, microchip clinics, wellness clinics, trap-neuter-release), community support programs (emergency pet food bank, lost and found services, emergency pet sheltering), educational programming (dog training, pet care webinars, child and youth camps and programs), and fundraising events (Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run, Compassion Campaign). The organization also operates the Buddy & Belle Boutique for pet supplies and provides end-of-life services including pet loss support groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Buddy & Belle Boutique: A retail boutique at the adoption centre selling pet supplies and accessories, with proceeds going back to the animals.
• Working Whiskers Cat Adoption Program
• Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run
• Shirley Kearns Memorial Adoption Centre
• Compassion Campaign

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Services Comprehensive pet adoption program offering cats, dogs, and small animals with services including the Adoption Concierge Program for personalized matching, 14-day limited health guarantee, post-adoption veterinary care coupons (up to $250 for cats), $25+ retail coupons, and a Petsecure insurance trial. Open to Ottawa-area individuals and families.
• Working Whiskers Cat Adoption Program Specialized cat adoption program designed to find homes for working cats.
• Buddy & Belle Boutique On-site retail boutique at the adoption centre offering pet supplies, collars, carriers, and accessories with proceeds supporting the animals.
• Dog Training Programs Group training, private dog training, puppy kindergarten, and dog behaviour workshops for community members.
• Child and Youth Programs Programs including OHS Camps (March Break, PD Day, Summer), School Presentations, Pet Care Crest Program, Youth Pet Sitting, Birthday Parties, and Advocacy Leader Workshops.
• Community Spay and Neuter Services Community-focused spay and neuter services to help control pet populations.
• Microchip Clinics Microchip implantation services for permanent pet identification.
• Trap Neuter Release Program TNR program for managing feral cat populations through trapping, testing, vaccinating, neutering, and returning cats to their colonies.
• Wellness Clinics Veterinary wellness services for community pets.
• Emergency Pet Food Bank Emergency food assistance program helping families in need feed their pets, with over 38,000 lbs of pet food provided last year.
• Lost and Found Services Lost pet reporting, found pet identification, and reunification services for the Ottawa community.
• Emergency Pet Sheltering Emergency sheltering services for pets during natural disasters or urgent situations.
• Pet Loss Support Groups No-cost support groups for individuals who have lost companion animals.
• Pet Adoption Location (PAL) Program Partnership program with pet stores and veterinary clinics making adoptable animals available at multiple retail locations throughout Ottawa, including Pet Valu, Ren's Pets, Chew That, and March Road Pet Food & Grooming.
• Wiggle Waggle Walk & Run Annual fundraising event where participants walk or run with their pets to raise money for the Ottawa Humane Society, held at Hog's Back Park.
• Foster Volunteer Program Program enabling volunteers to provide temporary foster care for animals in need.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,414 pets found loving forever homes through adoption program in one year
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Hill's Pet Food (Food, Shelter & Love Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHill's Pet Food donates pet food for all dogs, cats, kittens and puppies being cared for at the OHS shelter.
• Humane CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational animal welfare organization that provides accreditation to the OHS through the Humane Canada Accreditation Program.
• Imagine CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charitable organization that accredited the OHS through the Standards Program recognizing excellence in charitable operations.
• City of OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for animal care and control by-laws, pet registration, and emergency management coordination.
• Pet ValusecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPet store chain hosting adoptable pets at multiple Ottawa locations including College Square, Innes, Greenbank, Kanata Centrum, and Richmond Village.
• Ren's PetssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPet retailer hosting adoptable pets at Barrhaven, Kanata Centrum, and Nepean locations.
• PetsecuresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPet health insurance provider offering complimentary six-week trial coverage for all dog and cat adoptions from OHS.
• Wild Bird Care CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in wildlife care and emergency management coordination.
• Rideau Valley Wildlife SanctuaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife sanctuary partner for animal emergency management and wildlife referrals.
• Chew ThatsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPet retail partner hosting adoptable pets at their Beechwood location in Ottawa.
• March Road Pet Food & GroomingsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPet retail partner hosting adoptable pets at their Kanata location.
• Association of Animal-Assisted Therapists (AAWA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization supporting animal-assisted therapy programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): U.S. national animal welfare organization operating shelters, veterinary services, advocacy, and grant programs. Adjacent incumbent at national scale; comparable on vet clinic, adoption, and advocacy service mix though operating across the U.S., not Canada.
• BC SPCA: British Columbia's provincial SPCA network operating 40+ branches with sheltering, veterinary, advocacy and humane education. Closest Canadian multi-branch animal welfare operator with overlapping programs (shelter, vet clinic, education, advocacy).
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): The largest U.S. animal welfare advocacy and shelter-support organization; comparable on accreditation standards (Humane Canada is the Canadian counterpart) and on advocacy/education mission, though operates at a national scale rather than city-level.
• Ontario SPCA: Provincial umbrella organization operating multiple shelters, humane education, and animal welfare advocacy across Ontario. Comparable mission and services but at multi-region scale rather than city-specific like OHS; OHS is independent and does not receive Ontario SPCA funding.

Direct peers

• Vancouver Humane Society: BC-based humane society focused primarily on advocacy and education with shelter support rather than owning a large shelter. Comparable peer on mission (animal welfare, advocacy, education) but operates differently from OHS's shelter-centric model.
• Edmonton Humane Society: Edmonton's municipal-area humane society delivering shelter, adoption, veterinary, and community education. Directly comparable single-city, charity-funded animal welfare organization with similar service breadth to OHS.
• Winnipeg Humane Society: Winnipeg's primary animal shelter offering adoption, veterinary, and humane education programs. A single-city Canadian humane society with a funding and operating profile closely analogous to OHS.
• Calgary Humane Society: Animal shelter and humane society in Calgary offering adoption, veterinary, education, and cruelty prevention. Closest analog to OHS in terms of single-city scope, donor-funded model, and shelter-plus-clinic service mix.
• Montreal SPCA: Quebec's primary SPCA running shelter, adoption, veterinary services, and cruelty investigation from Montreal with bilingual programs. Directly comparable shelter/vet model to OHS though serving a different metro market.
• Toronto Humane Society: Major Canadian Humane Society operating a comparable animal shelter, adoption, veterinary, and community education model in Toronto. Directly comparable on services, scale, and funding structure; OHS is explicitly independent of THS funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ottawahumane
• Facebookfacebook.com/OttawaHumane
• Instagraminstagram.com/ottawahumane

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ottawa Humane Society