January 2022 Volunteer Profile: Nancy King

When Nancy King retired, one could presume that taking in and fostering puppies for the Winnipeg Humane Society came somewhat naturally for her. You see, she’d spent 30+ years working at Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg – and much of that time was spent in the zoo nursery, Aunt Sally’s Farm and the Kinsmen Discovery Centre, all of which provided her with lots of interaction with young animals. But not the types of animals most of us would associate with having in your house. She began fostering for the WHS in February 2011. Since then, she’s fostered 143 puppies, including … Continued

2021 December MVP: Angela Morelli

Many Winnipeg Humane Society volunteers may not know Angela Morelli, but one way or another, we’ve all seen her work. Since early 2020, Angela has been behind the scenes as an administrative support for Volunteer Services. Her duties are varied, depending upon the work that needs to be done on any given day. “I assist Kelle Greene and Amy Brake with admin duties,” Angela said. “Some days it might be mostly scanning and uploading. Other days I may need to also make the volunteers’ name tags.” But Angela has played a big role in turning Volunteer Services into a paperless … Continued

2021 November MVP: Cam and Claudia Verwey

When PhD student Cam Verwey needed volunteer hours to get his professional designation, the chance to volunteer alongside his wife Claudia and help animals at the Winnipeg Humane Society was the ‘cat’s meow,’ so to speak. “I’m a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering,” Cam explained. “As registration for becoming a professional engineer, there’s a volunteer requirement. To make up those hours, we thought right away about the Winnipeg Humane Society. We knew they always need volunteers and we’ve always loved animals.” Claudia added that the opportunity to spend more time together and help animals was a bonus. “Cam wanted me … Continued

June Volunteer Profile: Claudia Allen

Those of us who volunteer at the Winnipeg Humane Society have done so because of a love for, and enjoyment of, animals. For Claudia Allen, it’s more of a passion. She’s determined to help our feline friends. “This is not the average relationship with the Humane Society,” Claudia explained. “I run Winnipeg Lost Cat Alert (WLCA). So it’s a community partnership with the WHS in different capacities.” “A program I started, in 2017, was Scaredy Cat Academy (SCA).  I continue to run that with the Winnipeg Humane Society, so we can help cats and kittens that would otherwise not be … Continued

Allison Minkhorst, Debbie Peters, Amanda Steadman, Pat Wherrett

April Volunteer Profile: Gently Used Book & DVD Sale Lead Team

April Volunteer Profile: Gently Used Book & DVD Sale Lead Team (Allison Minkhorst, Debbie Peters, Amanda Steadman, Pat Wherrett)   There’s an old proverb that goes “It takes a village to raise a child.” To paraphrase that at the Winnipeg Humane Society, one could say, “It takes a team to run a book sale.” To the public, it may seem like the WHS annual Gently Used Book and DVD sale is simply a weekend event. But examine it more closely and you’ll soon learn how complicated a project it is – taking months of concentrated effort by dozens of volunteers. Taking … Continued

March Volunteer Profile: Gerry Briggs

March Volunteer Profile: Gerry Briggs Many of the thousands of animals adopted from the Winnipeg Humane Society owe volunteer Gerry Briggs a big ‘thank you’ for helping show them off in the best possible light and, perhaps, helping get them adopted sooner. Gerry comes in Fridays and cleans the windows of the animals’ condos, so that visitors have a clearer view of their next furry companion. “I started doing cat cuddling eight years ago,” Gerry explained, “and I enjoyed it. But I discovered I had an allergy and was getting plugged up.  So I changed to window washing.” While he doesn’t have … Continued

Honouring our Essential WHS Volunteers

Honouring our Essential WHS Volunteers It is National Volunteer Week and we wanted to take the opportunity to thank all our wonderful volunteers and shine a spotlight on the work they do. Our volunteers are the heart of what we do, and we can’t thank them enough. They are passionate about the work they do at the WHS, and we couldn’t do what we do to help the animals without them. More than 700 volunteers put in over 40,000 hours this last year to help the WHS. There are so many different kinds of volunteers at the WHS, from fosters, to … Continued

WHS Education Corner: Becoming an Ambassador Dog

WHS Education Corner: Becoming an Ambassador Dog By: Richard Milbourne, Assistant Manager in Education Some people are shy. Some people get scared easily. Some don’t like to be touched. Some people are really friendly (you know, the ones who always want hug everyone!) and some people don’t always get along. We all have comfortable and uncomfortable social interactions and the same goes for dogs. Every dog has their own unique personality and their own way of dealing with social interactions. Some dogs will stand quietly and can appreciate when you pat them, others may back away from the situation, some will try … Continued

January Volunteer Profile: Don Bowles

January MVP: Don Bowles A retired social worker, Don Bowles’ background has made him a perfect fit for volunteering in pet loss and grief counseling at the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS). “I do a number of roles here but it’s mainly the pet loss grief and Dog Enrichment work,” he explained. “In my three years here I’ve also assisted in obedience training and Cans for Critters, among other things.” Giving back through volunteering is very important to Don in his retirement years. In addition to the WHS, he has several other volunteer positions – both in Winnipeg and at the … Continued

Neuterama 2019 Surpasses Goal

Neuterama 2019 Surpasses Goal Hey everyone! Jessica Thompson, Community Cat Coordinator for the Winnipeg Humane Society and Director of CARE Cat Community Outreach here, wanting to share an update about this past weekend’s Neuterama 2019 event. This year’s event was held on Sunday, January 27th at Machray Animal Hospital. But first up, what exactly is a “Neuterama?” For the last 7 years, my CARE Cat program has recruited veterinary professionals from within our community to volunteer their vital time and skills to spay and neuter cats in need. Without our team of inspiring veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants and students … Continued