Week of 6/15/11 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Sharon Stoffels

Desert Haven is extremely grateful for the most generous contribution of several key individuals this past week. Albuquerque resident Sharon Stoffels, a computer software specialist at Sandia Labs, made yet another visit to Desert Haven to take care of some glitches in our office computers. Before Sharon left DHAR that day, the office had a much needed printer, a brand new CPU tower and a few other amenities to help make our office function more efficiently. We can’t thank this professional lady enough for her on-going generosity and the contribution of her precious time.

Bar-2 Sand and Gravel generously donated enough crusherfine to completely resurface the several large canine play yards in Dog Town. We especially wish to thank Jered Bartoo for his significant contribution. Bar-2 Sand and Gravel has been a long time contributor to our animal welfare organization and we appreciate it immensely.

What a great surprise we received in the mail this past Tuesday! A former Desert Haven work camper sent us the funds to cover the costs of replacing the sagging and rotten wooden flooring in the Snack Shack in Birdland with a strong, easy-to-clean cement floor. She and her husband have been staunch supporters of our organization over the years. Her generous contribution may even allow us to replace the broken-down refrigerator with a good used one. We can’t thank this couple enough for their on-going generosity over the years. She and her husband have modestly wished to remain anonymous but we know them as exceptionally kind and generous people.

Do you have a few hours of free time each week and would like to volunteer for a good cause? We need someone to help us walk the dogs or care for the felines early in the morning. We also have a couple of relatively small painting projects in the works. It would be great if they could be completed before the monsoon season arrives in our area. Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe also needs extra helpers during business hours. Would you enjoy organizing books? We have a great selection of books in our P&C Book Nook, but no one to keep it sorted. Come by P&C and see for yourself what you can do to help. At DHAR, we currently need the help of several young folks to spread the crusher fine inside the dog’s yards some morning.
Desert Haven is open for visitors every Tuesday or by appointment. Call 575-894-1694 for more information. Check-out our web site at: www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com , our blog at http://DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com and www.Facebook.com/deserthaven

Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

The Sierra County Humane Society continues to collect Bullocks receipts. Josephine Varnum has picked them up from the Bullocks drop-off box at P&C Thrift Shoppe and the T or C Library, also at the Williamsburg Post Office ever since the program went into effect many years ago. She tallies them for us and redeems them at Bullocks on our animal welfare organization’s behalf. PLEASE: do not cut off the bottom section of your receipts for any reason. If you do, they cannot be redeemed and we must discard them. Josephine deserves a huge thank-you from everyone who loves animals for being so helpful for so many years. We receive a large number of receipts every week and it helps cover some of the costs of both the SCHS Spay-Neuter and Spay-a-Stray programs. Bullocks grocery store in T or C is very community minded indeed. Sierra County dogs and cats, including feral cats who have a caregiver to watch over them, benefit from the program, courtesy of our organization. We also thank all the nice people who save their receipts and their friends for our animal welfare organization.

We also collect aluminum cans. We have a Can Corral adjacent to P&C Thrift Shoppe in TorC, across the alley from Family Dollar. We routinely take a truck load of cans to a local recycling center and the money collected also helps fund our comprehensive spay-neuter program.

Do you like to paint? If so, we have just the project for you – it’s not a big project, perhaps a couple of hours at the most, and it can be a very enjoyable! We need to get several kitty-condos painted, each one in a bright and cheery color – and hopefully before the monsoon season starts. The paint was recently generously donated by Walmart. Once the project is completed, the kitty condos will be moved back into the Feline Dorm inside the Cool Cat Neighborhood at DHAR. This summer and until our long-term crew comes back from vacation or from their summer play-grounds across the US, our Desert Haven kitties would love a couple of hours of your time on any morning of your choice? At 8 AM, the weather is cool and the “Neighborhood” is active with felines of all sizes and temperaments who love any extra attention. You prefer dogs? We have them too and they all want your attention and to be walked by your side if you will give them some of your time – and what great exercise it can be for you too!

Interested in finding more about us or any specific program we offer? Call our SCHS office at 575-894-1694. Desert Haven is open for visitors every Tuesday or by appointment. Check-out our web site at: www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com and www.Facebook.com/deserthaven.

Week of 5/25/11 Humane Happenings

Catwalk resident enjoying the day

by Eliana Aubin

This summer, The Sierra County Humane Society is appealing to friends and supporters of our animal welfare organization to help us locate the funds and manpower needed to resurface the very rocky ground of several doggie play-yards with a layer of crusher fine. After almost ten years of constant use by all the little rescues who have found a haven at the sanctuary before being adopted, the rocky grounds badly need resurfacing.

Our other priority project this summer is to replace the dry-rotted and badly sagging wooden floor inside the 12 by 12 ft service area (The Snack Shack) inside Birdland by a strong and easy-to-clean concrete floor. The used shed was donated in 2002 by a local resident, then moved to the sanctuary - courtesy of Jerry Gustin - to serve as storage and service area soon after Desert Haven rescued its first large flock of white doves their elderly owner no longer could care for. The doves soon shared the 10by30 ft Birdland aviary – custom- built and donated by Gustin Enterprises - with several no longer wanted Easter Rabbits and also dozens of abandoned guinea pigs. Birdland continues to be home to rescued peacocks, hens and roosters, guinea pigs, white and domesticated ring neck doves, some of them handicapped and requiring special care. Alice, Desert Haven’s elderly Rabbit, was dropped off at the sanctuary in 2002 - soon after Easter. Alice’s favorite daily treat is a slice of apple. Here at DHAR, the elderly fur-girl receives her slice of apple every day.

Walmart recently donated to our organization several gallons of brand new, good quality paint. We plan to use Walmart’s generous – and timely- donation to re-coat the individual cat condos inside the Cat Patio and the Feline Dorms. The paint job on the first condos dates to 2001. Cat lovers, do you enjoy painting? If so, connect with Eliana at 575-894-2639 - possibly before the first monsoon rains. It’s cool and pleasant enough on a Tuesday morning to paint in a comfortable environment.

Interested in visiting Desert Haven to visit our little rescues? We have dogs - and cats - of every size and temperament – all love the extra attention. Foxy Girl is our latest rescue. She is an active and loveable, absolutely gorgeous young boxer. Now sterilized and her shots up-to-date, Foxy Girl is ready for adoption. Interested? Call us at 575-740-9412. Desert Haven is open for visitors every Tuesday or by appointment. Check-out our web site at: www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. and www.Facebook.com/deserthaven.