Week of 6/16/12 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Mary Roden (left) delivers canned cat food to Desert Haven

Summer is here. It’s as hot as it’s ever been in our area of the Southwest. We are in the middle of a severe drought as everybody knows. We must take precautions not to dehydrate and not become overexposed to the heat. We morally must have the same consideration for our animals. The normal body temperature of dogs and cats is actually higher than humans. It runs anywhere from 101 to 103 typically. One can see it’s just as important to help them keep their body cool as it is ours. They need shade throughout the day. They need plenty of fresh water. Please be as conscious in keeping your animals cool as you would be for yourself and your children during these extremely hot temperatures.

 Please save your Bullocks receipts for our organization. We have several drop-off boxes around town, including one at Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe, located across the alley from Family Dollar in TorC. We also collect aluminum cans. You can drop your aluminum cans directly into the SCHS Can Corral, located next to Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe. In this especially sluggish economy, our small team of active volunteers has had to work even harder and be even more creative in order to raise the funds needed to keep helping the community as we have done for years. Since 1991, our organization has provided spay-neuter rebate certificates to Sierra County residents, regardless of their financial status. With the current demand far exceeding the organization’s available resources, we are no longer able to continue in the same manner that we have in the past. Having a companion animal sterilized needs to be part of the responsibility of pet ownership.

 Mary Roden became involved several years ago with our non-profit animal welfare organization. She understands the needs of our organization and generously comes to the rescue whenever she can. This past week, when she heard our plea for canned cat food, she delivered to Desert Haven enough to feed our kitties for many weeks to come. We also thank Don and Barbara Heller who regularly drop-off dog and cat food at the sanctuary. The kitties loved their fresh-cut catnip, courtesy of Barbara Heller. Don’t throw away your used long-handle brushes or brooms. We recycle them to clean the cement floors in the animal and bird habitats. Small heavy-duty brushes, large bottles of bleach and Odor-Ban are always welcome too. We offer volunteer opportunities at Desert Haven and Paws&Claws thrift shoppe. Contact us at 575-894-2639 or at weR4pets@gmail.com for more information, or visit Desert Haven on Tuesdays, between 9 AM and 4 PM. Check us out at http://www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge and http://www.Facebook.com/deserthaven. Write to us at POB 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942.