Saturday, July 26, 2008

Humane Happenings

by Dolly Loftus



Robbin - Our "certified" groundskeeper at work


Life at Desert Haven continues to be good despite the monsoons and short-handedness among the animal care givers. One reason is Molly Williams, a special education teacher, who year round does the laundry for our critters.

The beautification of the grounds continues with donations from locals and also people who read our website and blog. The donation is usually in memory of a loved one, either animal or human who has passed away. Trees and statuary are the most popular items. We have two statues of St. Francis: a large one donated by Ardell Scartaccini and a smaller one donated by the family of Amanda Parks in her memory. There are many memorials to Jerry Aubin, co-founder of the organization, and Sally Schnetzer, a long time board member. They are mostly trees and benches which make it nice to sit and view the spectacular Caballos.


Walkway to the Cool Cat Neighborhood



Jerry Aubin's bench

Sgt. Maj. Dominic Zito and his wife Barbara donated a large hand-sewn flag in memory of Jerry which flies over the grounds on special days. The Soil Conservation District donated trees which serve as a wind break in the pet cemetery. C. J. Ellis of Caballo RV Park donated picnic tables for the RV sites and picnic area.


"Central Bark" in summer bloom


We have also received other decorative items, such as, bird baths, wagon wheels, bird houses and other decorative yard art. We can always use more; we have some very creative workcampers.



We extend a special “thank you” to Cindy and Bob Gabriel for their very generous donation in memory of Annie, Eliana’s precious dog who died accidentally several weeks ago.

The Cash for Clubs program will end, as it does every year, at the end of July; consequently, we urge anyone who has been saving Bullocks receipts to bring them as soon as possible to Paws & Claws, so we can tally them and redeem them before the deadline. Bullocks receipts received by us after the deadline can not be redeemed and will be discarded.

This week’s wish list: volunteers to help a few hours a week at Paws & Claws thrift shop, Dog Walkers and Kitty Cuddlers at Desert Haven. The kitties are in need of a good brushing. We have plenty of brushes on hand. Pet food and treats, in particular, dry and canned cat food. To contact us, please call 575-894-2778, 575-894-1694 or visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com

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