The Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Christina Von Schindler has joined the WHS as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective May 1, 2025. A lifelong advocate for animal welfare and a dedicated rescue dog parent, Von Schindler has been an active member of the WHS Board of Directors since 2023, contributing her time, expertise, and unwavering passion for making a difference in the lives of animals. Professionally, Von Schindler brings over a decade of leadership experience as Chief Privacy Officer for Shared Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Autho ..read more

If you’ve ever met Ken Faulkner at the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS), it won’t be a surprise that he’s held several volunteer positions over the years. After all, he has been volunteering for more than a decade – and that’s just his current volunteer stretch. Ken started with the WHS many years ago at the former Kent Street location. He wanted fresh air and doggie time and thought dog walking would address those needs. “When I first started, I was looking for something to do,” he explained. “I thought animals need help. Walking dogs got me outside in the fresh ..read more

Canine Enrichment Volunteer Maurice Toutant has fond memories of his family dog as a youngster. He developed his feelings for dogs at an early age. Before his parents agreed to adopting a dog for him and his two sisters, Maurice would dream and wish for a family dog. He promised his parents that he would look after the dog’s needs. When he was 10, his parents adopted Jigger, a black Heinz 57 dog from the former location of WHS on Kent Road. “Bringing a dog into the house didn’t necessarily go smoothly in the beginning,” he said. “It was new ..read more

Do you know that dogs sleep anywhere from 14 to 16 hours a day? With all the lights, sounds, and smells in the shelter, it’s often hard for the dogs in our care to get those much-needed z’s. This can lead to increased stress and decreased well-being. Starting February 10, 2025, we’re piloting a naptime program to help! What does naptime do for dogs? • Relieve stress: Taking a quiet midday snooze can help reduce anxiety and increase mental health. That’s good advice for people too. • Increase health: Naps provide essential downtime for their bodies to heal, recover, and ..read more

Everyone who volunteers at the Winnipeg Humane Society does so because of a deep connection to animals, and we show that passion in the way each of us deals with dogs, cats, rabbits, and other creatures. But Aisha Mahmood’s volunteerism with the WHS is borne from an intense respect for animals. She does not have a regular shift at the shelter, but several times a year she spends her weekends in remote Manitoba communities, volunteering at veterinary clinics organized through the WHS’ One Health program and partner groups. The One Health program focuses on providing much-needed veterinary servi ..read more

The Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the PEDIGREE Foundation to support the organization’s behaviour department, focusing on training for both dogs and new owners. “Behaviour training is a critical piece to a shelter dog’s well-being. It offers them mental stimulation, enrichment, and builds their social skills to get them ready for adoption,” says Yvonne Coe, Director of Behaviour and Animal Care, adding that training people is equally important to build their confidence as a pet parent. “This funding will help us ensure we are setting both people and their ..read more

*The statement and links contain details that may be disturbing to readers.*  The Winnipeg Humane Society is deeply heartbroken and outraged by the findings of Project Artemis, which have led to serious charges of animal cruelty against two alleged perpetrators. This case is a stark reminder of the cruelty that still exists and the need to speak up for the most vulnerable among us.  Our organization was originally founded as the “Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Women, Children and Animals;” advocating for those without a voice. Today, we carry on this legacy not only for ani ..read more

Coming from a life-long love of pets and growing up with dogs, volunteering at the Winnipeg Humane Society came naturally for Canine Behaviour Assistant Hayley Stillwell. “I’ve always had pets. Always had dogs in my life,” she explained. “You see a lot of things online about animals that have been mistreated. You can’t do anything about these things happening elsewhere, but you can do something about the ones that are in your vicinity. I told myself I can volunteer at the Humane Society and I can walk dogs. From there it went to working with the Compassion Team.” Five years ..read more

The Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) and Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) are launching a joint campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of spay/neuter, not just for pets, but for people and the community. “When people think about spaying or neutering their animals, they tend to think about it from a reproductive perspective. But there are a whole host of other upsides to animals having this simple, yet effective procedure, ranging from increasing their lifespan to eliminating undesirable behaviours to protecting other people and pets in the community,” explains Dr. Gina ..read more

Celia Rodd began her Winnipeg Humane Society volunteer experience four years ago with a very benevolent purpose—she’s doing it for the kids. A retired pediatric endocrinologist, she spent her career treating children with diabetes, stature issues, or puberty problems. Over the years, she became keenly interested in children’s literacy. “I was the Founding Chair of the Early Literacy Program at the Children’s Hospital,” she said. “I knew that getting children to learn to read well by the time they’re in Grade 3 sets them up to be productive adults. And if you don’t have those reading skills mas ..read more