Shape the future for Ottawa's animals: Join the OHS Board of Directors
The Ottawa Humane Society is searching for three dedicated people who are passionate about animals to join the organization’s board of directors. The incoming board members will play a key role as the OHS embarks on a new, innovative strategic plan to support Ottawa’s animals and the people who love them.
After consulting with the community in summer and fall 2023, the OHS is preparing to launch its five-year strategic plan in April 2024.
The focus: helping at both ends of the leash — keeping pets and families together.
Expanding and enhancing community services offered through the OHS Emergency Pet Food Bank, Mobile Spay/ Neuter Service and wellness clinics is a cornerstone of keeping pets with families who face financial challenges.
The OHS is aiming to support all families and believes preventing crisis is the best
way to do more for pets and the people who love them.
Supporting attitudes of responsible pet ownership and nurturing views that accept the value and benefit of the connection between people and animals is key to preventing crises and the ensuing heartache. The OHS is increasing educational opportunities and resources necessary to foster these values.
The OHS will be expanding and enhancing its outreach programming to ensure that children, youth, adults and seniors are all equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to care for their pets.
Increasing support for animals in the community is only one element of the OHS’S strategic plan. Going further for animals in the care of the OHS is essential to building
a more humane and compassionate community.
Enhancing support to manage challenging pet behaviours and expanding the breadth and complexity of veterinary services available at the OHS are all essential in building a better future for Ottawa’s animals.
The OHS knows more can be done for animals through partnerships. By working with other animal welfare organizations who have demonstrated a commitment to quality care, more can be done for animals the OHS may not have the resources to accommodate. The OHS supports these partners through grants, animal transfers and spay/neuter opportunities. Working together, the OHS is creating a safety net for Ottawa’s animals, ensuring more have a much-deserved second chance.
The OHS will make great progress for the animals over the next five years, and that progress is only possible with the support of a caring community and a passionate board of directors.
The OHS Board of Directors is the governance body of the OHS and provides the strategic direction, resources and high-level oversight for the organization to be successful in achieving its mission and goals.
Joining the OHS’S board of directors is an incredible opportunity to build an even more humane and compassionate community in Ottawa. The OHS relies on the support and experience of people from all walks of life to best serve Ottawa’s vibrant and diverse community.
To learn more, visit the OHS’S website at ottawa humane.ca/board or email ceo@ottawahumane.ca.
They all wear ice cleats on their boots to prevent slipping. Most are familiar with cold water immersion.
Those who are not are watched vigilantly and have reviewed emergency tactics in case of an accident.
Once that's complete, Heyerdahl makes sure all necessary precautions are in place. He sets out his clothing on a rubber mat that he can stand on after the swim is finished.
His advice for beginners, backed up by Massey, is to take it slow, preparing for the most frigid swimming conditions by building up a tolerance. Ideally, that involves “riding the temps down,” continuing to swim as temperatures drop throughout the fall, or gradually increasing the length of ice-cold showers.
For the coldest swims, he recommends newcomers bring an experienced friend to share the experience and to stay in for no longer than two minutes.
“The body automatically restricts blood flow to the arms, legs and head and it does that to keep your heart alive,” he says.
“It screws up the electrical signals in the muscles, so it shortens up the muscles. Quite often, my hands turn into claws and you have to use your big muscles. The blood flow is restricted from your arms and legs to keep your heart warm.”
Massey says swimmers need to be prepared for the initial cold water shock. The change in body temperature is profound.
“Regardless of whether the water temperature is 15 degrees or colder, the body experiences
a shock and you can have rapid involuntary breaths and an increase in the heart rate,” she says.
Massey says it's vital to enter the water slowly, not diving or jumping in. Kayakers without wetsuits have been known to die from cold water response if they tip over and inhale cold water.
That initial stage can last 30 to 60 seconds. The nervous system responds, she says, and blood flow is redistributed toward the heart. Massey says one way to recognize if a person should continue to swim is if they can
still talk in full sentences without mumbling.
The cold also makes fatigue set in far faster than under warm water swimming conditions. Dippers, those who immerse in cold water without swimming, don't use up as much energy.
“After three to five minutes of swimming, the big muscles become stiffer and the (swim) strokes can become unco-ordinated,” Massey says.
Upon getting out of the water, it's important not to panic, especially while getting dressed when outside temperatures plunge.
Massey says it's paramount that ice swimmers are fully prepared for the exit in advance. If a person leaves via a ladder or steps, they need to maintain enough strength to pull themselves out of the water.
Heyerdahl also has the rubber mat in place to prevent frostbite.
There's a 10-minute phase that occurs when the body feels warm. Then comes the “afterdrop,” the most dangerous time, when the blood gets returned to the heart.
“Nadine (Bennett) always repeated to me that it's not
about what happens in the water, it's about what happens when you get out,” Heyerdahl says.
Typically, involuntary shaking goes on for 20to 40 minutes. Heyerdahl typically sips on a Thermos full of tea as he waits for that stretch to pass and it can take as long as three hours to completely warm up.
Massey says anyone engaging in cold water swimming should take their time before driving away, making sure that heat has fully returned to the body.
“That recovery time is very important,” she says. “It's important that everyone makes sure they are past that point before leaving.”
For all that, both Massey and Heyerdahl insist the benefits are significant.
Numerous studies have shown that extended stretches of cold water immersion can work as cognitive behaviour therapy. By stimulating the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to abdominal organs, the cold water shock can help reduce stress and depression and improve overall well-being.
Massey can also personally attest to the improvement it has made in her life and has heard repeatedly from others about the benefits. Heyerdahl swears by it.
“It fills my brain with serotonin,” he says. “It really is like turning a computer off and on again. I sleep well. I get seven to eight hours every night. I have no trouble with that.”
Heyerdahl has indeed survived the death of his wife. In his own unique way.