Monthly Volunteer Profile: Jareth Blais-Renaud

Jareth Blais-Renaud never had a dog growing up in the Ottawa area but moving to Manitoba for work 14 years ago gave him the opportunity to enjoy something he’d missed. “I never grew up with dogs,” he explained.  “I always wanted one but unfortunately, we were never allowed, for financial reasons. “But then I moved here for work, and I met Michelle, who would become my wife. She had a long-haired Dachshund. I just became so fond of him and fell in love with him so much.” Jareth’s relationship with the Winnipeg Humane Society began simply with a visit to … Continued

MONTHLY VOLUNTEER PROFILE: EVERYONE

KICKING OFF NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK: April 16-22, 2023  All week volunteers will be celebrated across Canada to recognize the work and the value that these individuals bring to supporting great causes. The Winnipeg Humane Society is grateful to its team of over 850 volunteers & foster parents. We thank you for your contribution, your time and talents to make a difference to people and animals in our community!  #WHSHeroes  

TAKE ACTION: Write to your political rep to Stop the Suffering.

We are pleased that our “Stop the Suffering” campaign has received such a positive public response! Many have asked for a letter they can share with their MLA regarding pig welfare. Please copy and paste the letter below, which lists key pig welfare concerns and requests a provincial moratorium on new hog barn construction. Thank you for being a strong voice for pigs in Manitoba!   Your name Your mailing address (so they know you are a constituent) Dear political rep’s name As your constituent, I am writing to share my welfare concerns regarding industrialized pig production in both Manitoba … Continued

Winnipeg Humane Society Appoints First In-House Animal Advocacy Lawyer in Manitoba

The Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) is excited to announce the appointment of Krista Boryskavich as the organization’s animal advocacy lawyer, a first-of-its-kind position for an animal welfare agency in Manitoba. The addition of an in-house animal advocacy lawyer further strengthens the WHS’ vision and mission by executing initiatives that bolster legal and legislative protection for all animals in the province. “This position will be a driving force in helping us improve the welfare of farmed, wild, and companion animals throughout Manitoba. From working to make legislative changes to flagging opportunities to strengthen the voice of animals being used for entertainment … Continued

Monthly Volunteer Profile: Philippe Lajoie

When Philippe Lajoie retired from teaching, he looked for something to do with his new-found time. And if he could bring Biden, his Labradoodle pup with him, so much the better. “I went on a Winnipeg volunteer web site and saw that the Winnipeg Humane Society was looking for somebody in the Education department,” Philippe explained. “I came down for an interview and asked if I could bring Biden to the events. They said fine, as long as he passes the requirements. So, I brought him down and sure enough, he passed and we’ve been doing the Dog Ambassador stuff … Continued

Banning Live Horse Export for Slaughter Updates and Action Items

Last week, Premier Trudeau named Lawrence MacAulay as the new Minister of Agriculture. Minister MacAulay is now responsible for carrying out the ban of live horse export for slaughter overseas. Supporters are encouraged to contact the new Agriculture Minister to demand he follow through on the federal government’s commitment to end this cruel practice. Contact Agriculture Minister MacAulay: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/lawrence-macaulay(33)#contact In June, there were some encouraging announcements for horses: June 20 – Liberal MP Tim Louis vows to introduce a Private Members’ bill that would ban live horse exportation for slaughter federally. June 21 – Senator Pierre Dalphond, supported by Canadian … Continued

Monthly Volunteer Profile: June Catrijsse

With a love of animals since growing up on a dairy farm in Manitoba’s Interlake, you can understand how volunteering at the Winnipeg Humane Society came naturally for retired nurse June Catrijsse. She got her start at the WHS about 20 years ago as a dog walker and over the years has held a variety of volunteer positions in animal care, animal receiving and special events, to name a few. But in January she found a position that let her combine two of her passions – animals and knitting. She is now the facilitator of the Knitting and Purling Group. … Continued

Den Volunteers and their important role in See Spot Read

Our See Spot Read Program, presented by Sylvan Learning, offers children who may be struggling with their reading skills, a judgement free and safe space to strengthen their literacy skills. If you’ve been following the program, you have heard us talk a lot about our therapy dogs and the important role they play. But today, we wanted to take a moment to chat about our Den Volunteers. What is a Den Volunteer? Den volunteers facilitate the See Spot Read sessions. They are responsible for setting up and tearing down the space, engaging children in fun literacy based educational activities as … Continued

Monthly Volunteer Profile: Alison SanFilippo MVP

Like so many Winnipeg Humane Society volunteers and staff, Alison SanFilippo has an unbridled love for all animals. But for Alison it’s a passion around which much of her life has revolved. Her WHS volunteer service dates back almost two decades, she has two rescue dogs and four cats (three from the WHS) at home and, in addition, has her own pet sitting business. “I began volunteering in the old building,” Alison explained. “I’ll be going into my 18th year in October. I started as soon as my daughter was old enough to go to school.” She’s a self-proclaimed advocate … Continued

Vote NO on Bill C-275 

Urgent Action Required! Bill C-275, which threatens to prosecute, jail, and fine animal advocates who expose animal suffering on farms, will soon be voted on in the House of Commons. This Bill aims to protect farms from prosecution for creating disease risk and punish those who speak up for animals. Please use the letter template from Animal Justice below to email your MP (find your MP here):  Subject: Please Vote NO on Bill C-275  To: (Your MP Here)  Cc: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau [email protected], Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau [email protected], Justice Minister David Lametti [email protected], & federal party leaders [email protected], Yves-F[email protected], [email protected]  … Continued