Week of 10/20/13 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

This week, the Sierra County Humane Society wishes to thank Earl of San Francisco California and long-time anonymous benefactors from Victoria Texas, for answering our appeal for radiating heaters to keep the furry residents of the No-Kill animal sanctuary warm during the coldest winter nights.

Our little Vickie

 Vickie is the oldest canine resident of Dog Town. She came to us as a very small puppy, during the summer of 2003. She has been abandoned by her unscrupulous owner, together with a large number of other dogs and puppies in the middle of the desert around Cuchillo, NM. Just before law enforcement officers had the chance to visit the property after receiving complaints of hoarding and lack of proper sanitation there, the man hauled them off to the desert. Vickie survived her ordeal – barely - by walking all the way back to a house at the outskirts of the little town. The couple who discovered her brought her to the sanctuary.

Vickie

 

 Vickie is getting on in years now. Desert Haven is her home and she is everyone’s special little girl-dog. She and the other furry residents will benefit greatly from the generosity of our friends from California and Texas. We are grateful!


89 years old Edith Mathew visited the sanctuary on Tuesday, to drop-off several bags of dog food and bird seeds. Grand-daughter Gina Thomas and great-grand- son Daryl accompanied her. DHAR staff member Charlotte gave them a tour of the facility. “I am very glad I was able to do this (purchase pet food for the sanctuary residents)” said Edith before she left. What a grand lady!

Wish list for this week: Canned dog and cat food - Bird and sunflower seeds. Rabbit pellets – Odorban - Clorox bleach - Dishwashing liquid - Disposable rubber gloves. We also need volunteers at Desert Haven and P&C Thrift Shoppe.

The sanctuary is open for visitors every Tuesday. Enjoy a tour of the facility and take time to meet the furry & feathered residents and all the dedicated volunteers who care for them. Contact us at 575-894-2639 or e-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/deserthaven and www.facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe.

Week of 10/13/13 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Charlotte with Dusty Cat aka Flipper

We read of heartbreaks and sadness in this world. The evening news report sad stories with sad endings. Locally, The Sierra County Humane Society routinely deals with animal cruelty, neglect, abandonment. Dogs and cats are treated like throw-away items. Dogs are left behind, still chained in vacant back yards when their owners move. Cats are locked inside no-longer occupied houses. Volunteering for an animal welfare organization in this area can be emotionally demanding.

There is a silver lining we wish to share with our readers - a beautiful story and the most recent: a nice lady comes to Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe and inquires about possibly donating some winter-bedding to Desert Haven, our organization No-Kill domestic animal sanctuary. She is invited to visit Desert Haven on a Tuesday when it is open to visitors. The following Tuesday, Keri- the nice lady - arrives at Desert Haven with the bedding, just as she promised. She receives the grand tour of the facility. It includes visiting the Neighborhood, home to the feline residents.

Dusty Cat aka Flipper

There, Keri's attention is soon directed towards a soft tan tabby known at the sanctuary as “Dusty-Cat”. He reminds her of one very special fur-kid she had shared her life with some years back. Her beloved kitty - “Flipper”- had gone out one day and never returned home. Keri tells how heartbroken she was and how she mourned the loss of Flipper.

Dusty-Cat comes to investigate the visitor. Another mention of Flipper and the little guy immediately jumps into her lap and starts begging for attention. He then grabs her hand with his front claws and pulls it close so he can give his routine soft “love bites”. The staff is no stranger to Dusty-Cat’s attention-begging habits. Keri’s heart stops: Dusty-Cat not only looks like Flipper, but he also displays the exact-same habits of her long-lost beloved Flipper. Could it be? Could Dusty-Cat be Flipper? His file is opened: “2009 - a friendly stray, who came to stay", it says. More time is shared between Keri and Dusty-Cat-Flipper. Everyone now is convinced: Dusty-Cat is indeed Flipper. How he survived in the desert, walked over six miles to the sanctuary grounds? Only Flipper knows!

Charlotte cuddles Dusty Cat aka Flipper

We need volunteers at Desert Haven and P&C Thrift Shoppe. Contact us at 575-894-2639 or e-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/deserthaven and www.facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe.

Week of 10/6/13 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Vicki with her new squeaky toy

This week, the Sierra County Humane Society wishes to acknowledge the guardian angels who keep Desert Haven Animal Refuge on top of their good-will list. We made an appeal for dog treats in one of our recent Humane Happenings article. It was answered by local friends and also by kind people from as far as Victoria, Texas. Within the past couple of weeks, several local folks dropped-off dog treats inside the Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe Donation Box. Our DHAR friends from Texas sent, via FEDEX, several large boxes of Walmart dog treats. What overwhelming feeling for those of us “in the trenches”, to realize that we are not alone. There are many kind folks who do what they can to help out small animal welfare organizations like ours, even when these organizations are not located in their own neighborhoods!

Dianna and Eliana

The past few weeks, Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe has received an exceptional number of boxes of carefully packed contributions that any antique store, any high-end boutique in any city would pride itself to display in their own place of business. For example, we now proudly display an extensive collection of railroad items, from miniature railroad cars to real-life equipment. We are unpacking large number of boxes of old and antique dishware and houseware, some from Old England. We receive boxes of one-of-a-kind items that are usually found mostly in exclusive big-city shops. Our Paws&Claws volunteers plan to get all these amazing treasures tagged and displayed before the start of the Christmas season. The overwhelming generosity we witness through such contributions indicates that many people care enough about the cause we represent that they will donate their very best to the non-profit store that helps fund our organization.

 Do you have a couple of hours of free time a week to give? We need YOU to help us make a difference in this corner of the world. We need help at Desert Haven and at Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe. We need help building an agility course inside DHAR Playland, also a kitty tower, look-out or Kitty hideaway. Contact us at 575-894-2639 or e-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/deserthaven and www.facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe.

Week of 9/29/13 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Laura and Mike

 
This week, The Sierra County Humane Society Board of Directors wishes to acknowledge Laura and Michael - General Operations Coordinators at Desert Haven Animal Refuge.

In the fall of 2012, Mike and Laura drove all the way from Michigan to spend a few months as work-campers at Desert Haven. They had sold their home, left the stressful rat race behind in search of a simpler, more fulfilling way of life while moving closer to Mike’s grown children who reside in NM - a huge step that brought them to Desert Haven Animal Refuge.

Last fall, a couple of months into their commitment, Mike and Laura made such a strong impression on the Sierra County Humane Society Board of Directors that they were invited to fill the position of General Operations Coordinator at the sanctuary. The SCHS Board directs the overall operation of the organization, which includes Desert Haven and Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe. We are now October 2013 - Mike and Laura have made Desert Haven and Sierra County their home. They have become an integral part of Desert Haven’s managing team.

Laura with Prince

Both Mike and Laura are exceptional individuals with strong work ethics and valuable skills. They work well as a couple, sharing the oversight of the daily operation of the sanctuary. As part of her commitment, Laura also helps operate Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe in TorC. Among other talents and skills, Michael is a first-class handyman. He handles the maintenance throughout the entire property - not an easy job especially when our limited resources must always be taken into account every time repairs or needed upgrades are made.

This week’s wish list: a variety of dog treats for our Desert Haven canines who all seem to have their own favorites. Are you a handyman with time on your hands? We need YOU to help us build an agility course inside Playland at Desert Haven, also a kitty tower, look-out or Kitty hideaway. We need YOU to volunteer a couple of hours or more a week at the sanctuary. We need YOU to help at Paws&Claws during business hours. Contact us at 575-894-2639. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/deserthaven and www.facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe.

Week of 9/22/13 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

 
 It’s been an unusual couple of weeks for the Sierra County Humane Society, which also operates Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe and Desert Haven Animal Refuge. The monsoon floods of 2013 will be remembered for a long time to come in many households, especially those with livestock and companion animals to save from the raging waters and the destruction left behind.

During those times, we received an unusually large number of phone inquiries regarding lost or found dogs and cats. Most were wondering if their companion animal had perhaps found his or her way to the sanctuary or perhaps had been dropped-off there by a good Samaritan. Sadly, it is apparent that some animals left outside during the heavy rains and subsequent flooding of entire sections of Sierra County communities apparently became disoriented and could not get back to their home.

Please spread the word that anyone who abandons an unwanted dog or cat in a neighborhood, near the edge of the river, on the side of a road, is guilty of Animal Cruelty. Some folks even leave the area and abandon their pets behind. One can only wonder what’s wrong with such folks. There is a place anyone can drop-off their unwanted animal at. It is Sierra Veterinary Services which also operates the adjacent City Shelter through a contract funded by local taxpayers. Anyone who lives in TorC or Sierra County can utilize the City Shelter’s services, no questions asked.

Desert Haven is open to the public every Tuesday, from 9AM to 4PM. If you are interested in adopting a dog or cat but you have not had any success yet, contact us at 575-894-1694 or e-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com. If none of our Dog Town residents melts your heart, you may find your special companion on our DHAR Adopt-a-Pet-Referral bulletin board and running list, which are both updated weekly.

We need YOU to volunteer a couple of hours or more a week at our sanctuary. We need YOU to help at Paws&Claws during business hours. Contact us at 575-894-2639. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/deserthaven and www.facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe.

Week of 9/15/13 Humane happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Charlotte; Desert Haven Adoption Coordinator

This week, we wish to share a story: A person was driving on HWY 187 on her way to TorC when she noticed a dog walking along the busy road at a steady pace, then crossing it and walking back at the same pace, back and forth. As she drove by the female dog, she wondered why this dog was there, pacing the road as she did. Hours later, on her way back, she saw the same dog, still walking back and forth on that same road stretch.

This time, she knew she had to stop. Perhaps the poor animal was lost. Most likely, she had been abandoned on that road, somewhere in that general area. She realized the dog would not stay alive for much longer, walking on the busy road as she was. She picked her up. She could not take her home, since she already had a house full of companion animals, so she asked for help at Desert Haven, located a few miles away. The paws on this girl-dog were flattened and raw, obviously from her extended period of pacing the road back and forth in an attempt to wait for her owner to come back for her.

Charlotte, DHAR Animal Care & Adoption Coordinator, had to break the news to Christine, the good Samaritan: “No room at the Inn at this time”. However, she immediately offered the help of our animal welfare organization in other ways, through both DHAR Petfinder and Facebook pages and also the weekly HUMANE HAPPENINGS column in our local newspapers. Charlotte also oversees the Adopt-a-Pet Referral program, which helps individuals who need to give up a pet connect with folks who want to share their home with one.

This story has a good ending: the very next day, thanks to everyone involved, the otherwise doomed female dog found a forever home – the perfect match for her and a gentleman who had been looking for one just like her for a while. Christine, who saved a life by getting involved – needed to find a new home for several kittens and cats and Charlotte connected her with folks who were looking for cats and kittens. Contact us at Desert Haven at 575-894-1694 or e-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com