Who Are We?

An Introduction from Willow

Hello and welcome to my website; I am Willow, a Maremma sheepdog. In my life so far I have been very lucky; I was born and raised on a farm with my brothers and sisters. We grew up with my parents and my aunt who are working dogs, as I am now. It is our role and our heritage to be livestock guardians, and we are pretty good at it, if I do say so myself!

When I was 2 months old some new people came to see us, and I chose them. It was a little sad to be leaving my family but my new family loved me so much I quickly adjusted. Now I have my own farm and flock to take care of, it is important to me to be with them to keep them safe.

Anyway, back to the point, when I came here I learned that not all dogs, or other animals, are as lucky as I have been. My new furry siblings have told me about the places they came from… they have told me about concrete floors and wire cages, and people that aren’t kind. I really struggled to believe them at first, all the people I have met have been so nice. I met one dog who had spent his whole life in a small cage that he could barely turn around in; he was so excited to be learning to run on grass. It made me very sad.

But I am not one to sit and feel sorry, I like to be doing, and I really want to make a difference. Wouldn’t it be paradise if every animal was as loved and well cared for as I am? So I have herded this group of people together to act as my board of directors – the government apparently only accepts humans to hold these positions, go figure – but we all know who is really in charge! And we have started this organization to make a difference in, and to, as many animals’ lives as we can. I hope you might consider helping me in my mission.

Fulfilling Willow's Mission 

With a desire to fulfil Willow’s mission we started investigating how we could be of most help. We were already fostering cats and dogs for local rescue groups, but felt that it really wasn’t enough. After a little research and discussion we decided that the best way to make a difference would be to continue fostering while doing more to support the existing rescue groups who work so tirelessly.

With some friends we have formed Willow's Rescue. As a group, our first aim is to raise the funds to allow us to become incorporated as a non-profit organization and register for charitable status; we will then use our funds to provide shelter and vet care for abandoned animals in the Ottawa area. We will work with, and foster for, certain groups that have been approved as Friends of Willow's Rescue, contributing to vet care to allow the groups to utilize their resources to help more animals.

We are lucky enough to have some very talented people involved and will be creating educational resources on pertinent animal welfare issues.

The People Lending Willow a Paw…  

Introducing our Board of Directors and Staff Members.

I have always shared my life with furry family. When I was growing up my best friends were Whisky our Labrador and Nutmeg my cat; now I have a very large furry, woolly and feathered family!

In England I volunteered for Cats Protection; since coming to Canada I have fostered animals for various groups. But it wasn’t enough; there are so many animals in need. So when Willow decided that we should take it a step further I had to agree.

I dream of a time when small numbers of willing people are not overwhelmed by the huge number of animals in need; when lack of money doesn’t make euthanasia the only option and when deadlines don’t literally mean dead.

An Ottawa native who grew up with a love for animals, I have always enjoyed the company of pets. I live with my husband and Lily, a quirky Maltese, although I carry a special place in my heart for smaller animals like bunnies, hamsters and guinea pigs.

By day I am a mild-mannered public servant, by night a creative spirit and board member of WPCR. I hope to bring awareness to many animal issues, especially helping animals during times of crisis.

For most of my life I have been fortunate enough to have a pet around. From the first cats I remember our family having (Simon and Tinker) to the current furry family members we now live with. I call them furry family members as that is what they are "members of the family."

I have fostered animals for a few groups here in Canada; the one thing that strikes me is that no matter where you are, there is always a never-ending stream of animals in need of a safe haven.