Thursday, October 28, 2010

Week of 10/24/10 Humane Happenings

By Eliana Aubin

Life is very busy at Desert Haven Animal Refuge these days, as Sierra County small domestic animal sanctuary is being prepared for the winter. Dog houses and kitty condos are being provided with extra insulation and warm blankets. Rugs of all sizes stored throughout the summer are being cut and made to fit inside the several canine and feline housing areas, to protect the little fur-guys and girls from the cold cement flooring. With cold weather almost here, DHAR animal care providers have already started to mix canned dog and cat food with the dry food that is served early each morning and again in the evening, to all the residents of Dog Town and The Cool Cat Neighborhood. It takes a lot of bags and cans of food to feed an average of eighty (80) dogs and cats every day. Our readers have been great and we trust that they will continue to help us provide for them in some way.

At this time, Desert Haven is home to a large number of small breed dogs. We especially need “Little Bites” dog food or any dry dog food specifically made for their small mouths. Desert Haven is also a sanctuary for doves, both white and domesticated ring-neck. Peacocks, chickens and roosters, guinea pigs and rabbits also live at DHAR, in their respective habitats and aviaries. Aside from fresh veggies donated by the local grocery store –Bullocks Shur-Save of T or C, and also alfalfa donated by Jeanette Galliard of Albuquerque, they eat scratch corn, bird and sunflower seeds and also rabbit pellets.

Do any of our readers have a small tractor and a blade he or she could use to level two or three work camper RV sites at the small RV campground? RVs seem to have grown even longer the past few years and a couple of the sites need more leveling so that they can easily accommodate the larger RVs. Work campers from all over the US are integral part of the Desert Haven volunteer crew and it’s crucial that the sanctuary continues to be able to accommodate their larger size RVs whenever necessary.

We need two extra helpers on Tuesdays, to help in the Desert Haven office for a couple of hours: one with some simple bookkeeping knowledge to assist Freddie in the morning, the other would be familiar with computer spreadsheets and with some working experience with the program XL. For the past several months, Larry Seaman has been kind enough to keep the spreadsheets up to date until another volunteer takes over.

CPA James Bagwell deserves a huge thank-you from all animal loving folks involved in some way with the Sierra County Humane Society and Desert Haven. Mr. Bagwell’s main office is in Las Cruces, but he also does business in Sierra County from his T or C office. For the past three years, he has handled our animal welfare organization’s taxes and his efforts and expertise have taken a tremendous load off the shoulders of the office staff as well the SCHS board of Directors.

Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com and http://DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com. Meet us at www.Facebook/com/deserthaven. Our mailing address is POB 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942.


Thursday, October 21, 2010

Week of 10/16/10 Humane Happenings

By Eliana Aubin

Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe; T or C, New Mexico
Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe is perhaps one of the busiest shops of its kind in the area. Our crew takes in household goods, clothing, furnishing, electronics and small appliances. Volunteers sort through what is donated and keep for display inside the shop high demand items, together with what they consider the best quality and the most unique.

Most of the folks who patronize Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe are very complimentary of the non-profit, volunteer operated resale shop. Many mention the shop’s atmosphere, its character and also the large variety of unusual and often hard-to-find items offered at great prices. They often comment on the friendliness and helpfulness of everyone who volunteers there. Patrons are even more supportive when they are made aware of the reason for its existence. Many tell us that they understand the amount of physical work and dedication that it takes to operate a second hand shop this busy. Most also understand that it takes many transactions to make this type of shop cover the costs of not only its overhead but most especially the entire operation of Desert Haven Animal Refuge and the Sierra County Humane Society.

All the profits generated at P&C help fund community service programs sponsored by the Sierra County Humane Society. Among others, Humane Education through the Adopt-a-Classroom program is available to elementary and middle school students whose teachers choose to participate in the program at the start of each school year. The Society also sponsors the sterilization of dogs and cats through its Spay-Neuter and Spay-a-Stray programs. Last but not least, Desert Haven Animal Refuge - Sierra County’s no-kill domestic animal sanctuary – is almost entirely supported financially by P&C Thrift Shoppe.

We always need extra helpers at the shop which is open each week from Wednesday through Saturday. Interested in helping revamp the display areas and keep them neat and attractive? Decorate the front windows? Help bring larger donated items inside? Help sort through donated items? Contact us at 894-2778.

This week’s wish list: canned dog food – a large tent, enclosed cabana, carport or storage building. We have space for a size 15ft by 15ft or 12ft by 20ft. We desperately need the extra protected floor space to be used as storage & sorting area for Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe and to display for resale most donated furniture and large item.

Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. and http:''DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com. Meet us at www.Facebook/com/deserthaven. Our mailing address is POB 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942.