THE WINNIPEG HUMANE SOCIETY

A HEARTBEAT AT YOUR FEET

2010 ANNUAL REPORT

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OUR 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW REPORTS

Board Chairs' Report

2010 was my inaugural year as chairof The WHS board. My commitmentto this amazing organization begannearly 9 years ago. There is a uniquedifference to The WHS that is unlikemany other community groups.Hundreds of volunteers pass throughthe shelter doors each week all witha personal mission of making adifference in the lives of animals. Byand large, these are not glamorousjobs. Their time means a dog getswalked, a cat is brushed, a cage getscleaned, an animal is bathed, fed,played with, the list goes on. Thereare nearly 900 WHS volunteers. Let’sstop to consider this awe-inspiringnumber, 900. If The WHS did not havethese volunteers how could theshelter function? Quite simply, itwouldn’t. Our finely managedbudget could not account forhundreds of more staff.

The animal lover in all of us saddenswhen we consider how manyunwanted and abused pets thereare in this world. Nearly 9,000animals came to The WHS last year.These are not always unwantedpets, though. Far too often a familyfaces the horrible task ofsurrendering a beloved pet due tounforeseen life changes. I amthankful we have a fully functioningveterinary clinic, including privateexamination rooms. These roomsare, on occasion, used for a petowner to say good-bye. This is afterthey have brought their dying orinjured animal to a veterinary cliniconly to learn they cannot afford the

costs.  The WHS believes insupporting all members of ourcommunity. 

This is also why we have our spayand neuter programs, includingSNAP – spay/neuter assistance forthose who are on fixedincomes/social assistance. The WHSis more than a shelter. We believepart of our work is to educate thepublic about the humanetreatment for all animals and howto be a better pet owner. Thisincludes our education programsfor kids and adults, obedienceclasses for dogs, pet first aid, Dogs& Storks (a seminar that helps youprepare your family dog for life withbaby), Yelp line (behaviour advice),See Spot Read (student and dogreading therapy), and more. Findinghomes for thousands of animalseach year is no small task. Especiallygiven shelters throughoutWinnipeg and Canada have beenstruggling with this, too. We all playa part in making where we live abetter place. I know that the staffand volunteers do this each andevery day at The WHS. I amhonoured to be a part of anorganization that is so proudlysupported by the community. 

Take a few moments to read thisannual report and to learn how yoursupport not only helps thousandsof animals each year, but also howthousands of Manitobans areaffected because of the good workof The Winnipeg Humane Society.

Patricia Nesbitt

CEO Report

Last year The Winnipeg HumaneSociety set a new record forvolunteer hours; a staggering totalof 40,057 hours in total. What isequally staggering is that thesevolunteer hours are the equivalentof 17 full-time staff! The costsavings alone are incredible; nevermind having all those “extra hands”to help us in the daily operation ofthe shelter. On behalf of the entirestaff and Board of Directors I wantto offer our thanks to each andevery volunteer. You have indeedmade our load lighter.

As with every year in the life of theshelter some kind of event occursthat sticks out and 2010 was nodifferent. For me, the event of 2010has to be the Gull Lake Dogs. Whata rescue effort we undertook, alongside the Provincial Veterinarian’sOffice, to rescue these poor dogsfrom a life of hell. For all The WHSstaff, the staff from the ProvincialVet’s Office and the many, manyvolunteers who worked with theGull Lake dogs, it was an incrediblysad exercise, but at the very sametime a very satisfying exercise inthat we ended the suffering andparticipated in moving the vastmajority of the dogs on to a newand better life. I will alwaysremember our efforts to get the“Lucky Seven” off to the BestFriends Animal Sanctuary to begina new life of recovery at Dogtown.What struck me the most was howthe people of Winnipeg embracedthese dogs and stepped forward

with the money necessary to getthe Lucky Seven to Utah. Thisendorsement of The WHS’s workwill remain with me for the rest ofmy life.

Another significant event occurredin 2010 with the creation of thenew Department of Investigationsand Emergency Response. Abuseinvestigations were up 11% in2010, hoarding situations arebeing reported more often andemergency pick-ups were up 7%.We recognized that creating thisnew department would provideus with better co-ordination ofinvestigations and emergencyresponse. We have also addedadditional staffing so that ourAnimal Protection Officers andEmergency Responders are not“working alone” during the eveningshifts. Elsewhere in this report youwill be able to read of the activitiesundertaken by other departments,WHS committees and of thewide-ranging activities and effortsundertaken by The WHS. All ofthese activities, as well as the careof and re-homing of thousandsof animals, could not beaccomplished without all of thesupport we continue to receivefrom thousands of people. To all ofyou we extend our sincereappreciation and thanks. We willcontinue to strive to meet yourexpectations.

Bill McDonald

OUR 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW SHELTER

AdoptionsOver 3,600 animals found theirforever homes through ouradoption program, including1,270 adult and senior cats withthe help of our Meet Your Matchprogram. A variety of adoptionpromotions occured through-out the year including a "St. Cat-trick's Day" and a Tabbies andTorties promotion. In October,a large amount of cats in theshelter prompted a “Tabbies andTorties” promotion where adultcats were adopted for $25.

Satellite LocationsPetsmart became our ninthsatellite adoption centre inWinnipeg, joining several BestWest Pet Foods and Pet Valulocations. Together, 254 catswere adopted through thesatellite program. Our adoptabledogs also started paying visitsto these locations in an attemptto give them extra exposure anda better chance at finding theirforever home.

ClinicOur medical team performednearly 6,000 spay and neutersurgeries, including 2,377subsidized surgeries for familieswho needed financialassistance. This Spay and

Neuter Assistance Program(SNAP) booked over 100 moresurgeries in 2010 than in 2009.

Animal ProtectionWe saw one of the worst doghoarding cases when 64 dogswere seized from a property inGull Lake. The WinnipegHumane Society and our AnimalProtection Unit assisted theOffice of the ProvincialVeterinarian (MAFRI) in seizingthe animals. The WHS then caredfor them while legalities werebeing worked out. In the end,25 of the dogs were officiallyhanded over to The WHS forrehabilitation and adoption.Seven of these dogs weretransferred to Dogtown, ananimal sanctuary and NationalGeographic television show inUtah, and we were thrilled tosee the remaining 18 dogs starta new life with their adoptedfamilies here in Winnipeg.

VolunteersAlmost 900 volunteers loggedover 40,000 hours of volunteertime in 2010. This means thereis an 8 to 1 volunteer to staffratio at The WHS. Our volunteerinvolvement is steadily on therise with a 9% increase over theprevious year. From daily animal

care to special event assistance,we rely on our volunteers tokeep the shelter running andthe animals happy and healthy.

BehaviourOur behaviour departmentcreated a dog playgroup forshelter dogs who wereextremely reactive to otherdogs. The group has beenmulti-faceted in its success.We have found that dogsare benefiting from thesocialization, improving theircommunication skills and aregetting great exercise duringthe play sessions. An in-shelterobedience class has also beencreated for adoptable dogswho need to work on theirbasic manners.

EducationEducation continues toremain an important part ofThe WHS. Our Educatorsmade presentations on thehumane and responsibletreatment of animals to 239groups and classrooms andperformed 70 shelter tours.There were also 144 luckybirthday boys and girls whogot to celebrate their specialday with us and the animalsin our care.

Our Mission:To protect all animalsfrom suffering and to promotetheir welfare and dignity.

Your generosity and support made a difference in the lives of thousands of companion animals!Every animal has a story to tell. Some of these stories are many chapters long. While final chapters vary – they do have onecommon thread – you! Your belief and generosity continue to help complete every story. Whether you are a long time reader ofour humane stories or simply nurturing a found passion for the very first time – it is your belief that the treatment of animals is ameasure of a compassionate community and that the animal-human bond is one that inspires and unites mankind.Protecting animals in need goes beyond providing them a safe refuge and a new home. It also means ensuring that we are doingour very best to reduce the number of animals needing assistance. With your help we have been able to make a difference byspaying and neutering every pet before they are placed in new homes, provide sound medical treatment as well as a continuedwork on our educational and development programs.

In 2010: 25,445 gifts were made, 62 Bequests were made, 235 new monthly donors committed to financial support,1,930 people registered and/or bought tickets to our events.

Thank you to the thousands of people who supported us in 2010. You play a critical role in our story and this is a story we areproud to tell.

OUR 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW DEVELOPMENT

Pets & ApartmentsWe marched for pets in apartments at theManitoba Legislature after Manitoba LiberalLeader Dr. Jon Gerrard tabled Bill 218, or“Fluffy’s Law”, an act to make Manitobarental units more pet friendly.Unfortunately, the Bill died during itssecond reading after being opposed bythe NDP government and many Manitobalandlords. As a direct result of Fluffy’s Law,Bill McDonald, WHS CEO, was asked to joina Pet Friendly Apartment Strategy WorkingGroup to continue working on makingManitoba more pet friendly for everyone.

Cat and Dog FurThe WHS continued to lobby for a ban onCat and Dog fur in Canada. Winnipeg’sSouth Centre M.P., Anita Neville, collectedpetitions in support of Bill C-439, a bill thatwill amend the Hazardous Products Act.The bill is set to be tabled at the beginningof session in 2011.

Dog Bite PreventionThe Winnipeg Humane Society once againteamed up with the City of Winnipeg,Canada Post and Manitoba Hydro topromote safe working conditions forpeople who must enter private propertiesthat may house pet dogs. The groupstresses that owners must takeresponsibility for their own dogsconsistently socializing them, giving themexercise and properly training them.

Farm Animal WelfareLife-sized laying hens in a real batterycage were added to our Quit Stalling sowgestation crate display that visits variousschools, malls and events throughout theyear. The WHS continued dialogue withManitoba Egg Farmers and were thrilledto see a new policy put in place that willallow hens to live more humane, enrichedlives. We also continued to advocateagainst fois gras, by informing the publicand contacting restaurants about this cruelpractice.

Quit StallingWe presented the Deputy Minister ofAgriculture with over 10,000 signaturesfrom supporters who wish to ban sowgestation crates in Manitoba. We alsoconsulted with Manitoba Pork on theirresolution to continue their research andprogress on housing sows more humanely.Bill McDonald, contacted Stan Struthers,Minister of Agriculture, to ask for hissupport regarding Maple Leaf Foods’decision to phase out sow gestation stallsby 2017. The response from Mr. Strutherswas favourable in that he supports moreanimal welfare friendly housing systemsfor both sows and egg layinghens.

OUR 2010 YEAR IN REVIEWADVOCACY & FARM ANIMAL WELFARE

OUR 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW HUMANE LEADERS

We sincerely thank thisdedicated group of animalstewards who havedemonstrated theircompassion to the animals. Formore information about ourHumane Leader program,please call 982-3555.

Guardian•Mary Lou and Paul Albrechtsen•Alpha Masonry•In Memory of Linda Fortescue•Dr. Carol J. Harvey•In Memory of Bruce Head•George Mann•Bernice Mueller•Hartley and Heather Richardson

•Wendy Brick andLeigh Young

Protector•Employees of The Canadian Wheat Board

Builder•Alan Burns and Wen-Lin Sun•In memory of Aileen Burridge•In Memory of May Farrell•Anonymous•Health Science Centre-Employees Charitable Fund

•Krista Rempel•Anne A. Toews•Larry Vickar

Visionary•All-Fab BuildingComponents Inc.

•Altymate Construction•Anonymous•Carol Campbell•Cynthia Carr - EPI Research Inc.•Mike and Karen Costello•Mr. and Mrs. D. Cottrell•Anonymous

•Anonymous•Anonymous•Lynne-Anne and Raymond McFeetors

•Barbara McLeod•Ethel Miller•Sheila A. Mymryk•Louise Nebbs•W. John and Ursula M. Rempel•In Memory of Juliette Roadhouse

•Shaw Communications Inc. Staff Giving

•Anonymous•Jean Wasylyshyn•Western Financial Insurance Company

•David and Joan Williamson

Leader•Marilyn Adams•Ron Ade•Jo Alexander•Mrs. Sandra G. Allen and John Unger

•Robert and Joy Antenbring•Joseph and Karen Barnsley•Mr. Magnus H. Bayne•Anonymous•Mr. & Mrs. Maurice and Philomena Berk

•Dr. M. W.and Mrs. Darlene Billinghurst

•James Blatz and Shona Suderman

•Doryce Boddy•Cathy and Grant Bolin•Chris & Brian Boult•Michelle Bradet-Tapper•Gordon and April Machej•Robert and Bertha Butterworth

•Lois Chandler•Anonymous•Ms. Ling Chhor•Marilyn Chrabaszcz•Mr & Mrs R. Chrunyk

•Robert and Gail Cipryk•Albert Cohen•John Corp•Pierre, Joanne and Snoop Daoust

•Anonymous•Anonymous•Fred Debrecen•Anonymous•Tim Dewart andDenise Marks

•Walter and Barbara Ediger•Theresa Fletcher•Maria Forester•Grace Hospital•Ms. Sophie Gaska•Patricia Gaye•Anonymous•Linda Gibson•Anonymous•Judy and Ernie Halligan•Edward Harms•Mr. Mike Heckl•Phyllis I. Hunter•Lorne and Wanda Hyde•Carson Ikonen•Betty Jenkins & Verna Scanes•Margaret Johnson•Jim and Leslie Johnston•Patricia Johnstone•Myra Kerney•Gloria J. Kmiec•Mike Kostiuk•Serena Kraayeveld•Ms Anne Krahn•Philippe Lagace-Wiens•Naomi Levine•James Lewis•Anonymous•Dyanne and Ron Martin•Anonymous•Dal and Sandy McCloy•Bill McDonald & Avis Gray•Anonymous•Eleanor McKenzie•Nancy McQuade andBrian Macri

•Dr. Marc Mollot•Lila Jean Morris•Anonymous•Anonymous•Anonymous•Tannis Pardon•Anonymous•Mr. and Mrs. Peter andAnita Pelech

•Ms. Dawn Phillips•Dr. Anna Szetle•Lawrie and Fran Pollard•Richard & Connie Pope in Mem. of Baron and Charlie

•Lisa Prescott•Quintex Services•RBC Foundation•Frances Marion Reid•Robert andKaren Robertson

•Verna Scanes•Hendrik Scholte•Cindy Scott•Lori Shane•Constance Shrutwa•Annonymous•Mr. & Mrs. Ronald andLesley Sisco

•Dr. Jim Skinner•John and Linda Smith•George T. Snell•Robert and Deborah Stevenson

•Peter Theyer•Paula andWalter Thompson

•Karen Torgrud•UBS Securities Canada Inc.•B. and P. Walsh•Doug Warkentin•Dr. Lynn Webster•In Memory ofSophie Blackner

•Walter B. Witowski•Donna Wonnick•Anonymous•Tracy Zaporozan

OUR 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW STATISTICS

Over 1,200 pets were fostered by caring families where they received the specialized care they needed in a home environment.

Volunteers worked over 40,000 hours in 2010 - that is 5,000 more hours than in 2009!

In 2010, we performed 100 more subsidized spay and neuter surgeries, a total of 2,377 for people who couldn’t afford it.

OUR 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW FINANCES

Three Years•Angela Benson•MichelineBissonnette-Kuras

•Marlene Brown•Anita Brule-Babel•Linda Burton•Sue Caughlin•Lynn Craton•Joseph Darlington•Kristine Dmytrak•Linda Downs•Maureen Drummond•Andrea Dubois•Beatrice Fabo•Laszlo Fabo•Margaret Farmer•Elizabeth Fraser•Samantha Gauthier•Bonnie Greschuk•Jim Harvey•Susan Horodyska•Leslie Hurley•Barry Hyman•Patti Irving•Carole Janik•Kathy Johnston•Nancy Keith•Julie Kopnitski•Lynne Lariviere•Sylvia Libitka•Brenda Locke•Greg Locke•Jocelyn Loewen•Peter Lohre

•Karen Long•Paul Long•Suyin Lummin•Jean Mabee•Shawna Mason•Marian Mathews•Harry Melnyk•Dale Napper•Debbie Nightingale•Kristine Novakowski•Barb Rudiak•Pat Scott•Keith Stathers•Nicole Stornel•Greg Struthers•Margaret Svaling•Gabrielle Thiessen•Norma-Jeanne Vlacich•Sandy Wray

Five Years•Diane Ambrozic•Sandy Anderson•Brandy Aronec•Aimee Betker•Nancy Blackburn•Colleen Bodner•June Catrijsse•Cathy Davis•Krys Del Ben•Darlene Demkey•Claire Dobbin•Kiersten Drysdale•Karen Fraser•Michelle Gagne

•Marilyn Hendzel•Janet Hohm•Gail Holm•Crystal Johnson•Sheri Lebel-Marsden•Catherine McNamara•Janice Pennington•Susan Turner•Joyce Wright

10 Years•Kevin Buckley•David Cameron•Caroline Cantafio•Gail Carter•Ilze Ceplis•Nancy Copeland•Cheri Derlago•Alice French•Cheryl Hodgson•Millie Kennedy•Pascale Lamoureux•Betty Lavery•Bonnie Seepish•Kerry Ward•Kelly Watson

15 Years•Dennis MacPhail•Kim Popkes

Volunteers who celebrated an anniversary between April 2009 - April 2010.

45 Hurst WayWinnipeg, Manitoba R3T 0R3Fax: (204) 663-9401E-mail: reception@winnipeghumanesociety.cawww.winnipeghumanesociety.ca

OUR 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW VOLUNTEERS