Week of 6/21/14 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Mary Jo and Denny sort through donations to Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe

 Summer is here! At this time of the year, Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe and Desert Haven Animal Refuge are experiencing their seasonal dilemma: the need for new volunteers through July and August. Our animal welfare organization routinely networks with other local non-profit agencies and everyone shares the same dilemma: not enough volunteer helpers. This is the time of the year when local folks enjoy vacation with family and friends, week-end outings at the lake, camping trips in the Gila Wilderness. Consequently, new helpers at currently needed, both at Desert Haven and Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe in TorC.

Want to know more about us? Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, also www.Facebook.com/DesertHavenanimalrefuge and www.Facebook.com/Pawsnclawsthriftshoppe. Contact us at 575-894-1694 or 894-2639. You can also visit Desert Haven any Tuesday, between 9 AM and 4 PM. You are welcome to stay for our Tuesday “Breaking Bread” Pot Luck lunch at 1 PM. If you prefer to volunteer at Paws&Claws, visit during business hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 10-4PM. We are also open the first and second Tuesday of every month. Eliana (P&C manager) and Denny (P&C Assistant manager) make an exceptionally strong team. Their team effort at the store is finally showing.

Paws&Claws sincerely appreciates the business of a variety of routine customers from all over, including Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces and El Paso. Our store is fortunate to also attract out-of-state travelers who are visiting our area. We must be doing something right indeed, when these worldly and often very selective customers give our store such good scores about our customer service, the variety of the items we sell and, as importantly, our bargain prices. When these customers find out where the P&C profits go, they are even more supportive.

This week’s wish list: stringed tags /pricing labels and safety pins to use at P&C; At the sanctuary: Large bottles of Odorban; Heavy duty Shop Vac in good working condition; Leaf blower – preferably gas operated; Remnants of indoor-outdoor carpet for our current Cool Cat Neighborhood project. Thank-you all for your continued support.

Week of 6/15/14 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Wild Goose Rd. at Desert Haven

For a number of years now, the Sierra County Humane Society (SCHS) has raised funds in many ways to benefit its Spay-Neuter and Spay-a-Stray programs. The SCHS “Pennies for Pets” program is managed by Josephine. She routinely collects donations from our organization’s Doggie Banks located in several local businesses. Tim manages the collection of Aluminum cans which are deposited in the “Can Corral” located next to Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe in TorC. Tina and her husband Randy have recently volunteered to help Tim transport and redeem the cans as needed.

Your Bullocks receipts can bring much needed funding for our organization’s Spay-Neuter program! Save them and ask your friends to save them too! You can drop them off at Paws&Claws, either inside the shop or through the special “Bullocks Receipts” slot located on the front of the large P&C Donation Box. We also have collection boxes at the Williamsburg Post Office and the TorC Public Library. For every bundle of one thousand dollars worth of Bullocks receipts tallied by Josephine, our home-town Grocery Store donates $2 to our organization. It adds up and our Spay-Neuter program benefits greatly from the generous contribution Bullocks routinely makes in this way to our non-profit organization.

A young, smart, housetrained female blue heeler needs a new home. She is sterilized and her shots are up to date; Call 575-497-0310. Lydia at 575-740-3496 needs to find a good home for several black-white kittens. A very small terrier and a young Jack Russell need a new home; Call Cassie at 575-740-5310. A pair of peacocks is available for adoption at Desert Haven; Call 575-894-1694 or contact us at Adoptapet4life@gmail for more information.

This week’s wish list for the sanctuary: heavy duty Shop vacuum in good working condition; leaf blower – preferably gas operated; several remnants of indoor-outdoor carpet for one of our Cool Cat Neighborhood’s priority projects.

Check-out our web site at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. Chat with us on www.Facebook.com/DesertHaven and also www.Facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe Facebook pages. Desert Haven is open to visitors every Tuesday, between 9AM and 4 PM.

Wek of 6/8/14 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Eliana Aubin and furry friend

The Sierra County Humane Society operates the Adopt-a-Pet Referral program. It is geared to help out residents of Sierra County who need to give up a companion animal, but hesitate in dropping-off their beloved dog, cat or bird at the T or C City Shelter located on Date Street.

This is how it works: folks who need to give-up a companion animals have the opportunity to be placed in direct contact with others who would like to adopt a specific companion animal or bird directly from the owner. As always, we remind the animal owners to carefully screen anyone wanting to take the animal off their hands. After all, it is public knowledge that too many unscrupulous individuals are traveling throughout our state and beyond in search of “Free to Good Home” dogs and cats. The companion animals obtained in this way are often sold for profit to Research Labs in and around our state. Just as tragic, others end-up at the hands of Dog Fighters. They are used as Bait Dogs to help train Pit Bulls to kill. Let’s not fool ourselves: Dog fighting - although illegal – is still anchored right here in Sierra County.

Through our organization’s Adopt-a-Pet Referral program, we publicize the information on both our Facebook pages at www.Facebook.com/DesertHaven and www.Facebook.com/PawsnClawsThriftShoppe, also in our weekly Humane Happenings article, generously printed by this newspaper. We also post it on our Desert Haven Petfinder page. As always, we keep that information handy whenever someone inquires with our organization about adoptable animals or birds. Contact us at 575-894-1694 or e-mail us at Adoptapet4life@gmail.com.

Several very young black-white kittens need a home. If interested in adopting one or a couple of them, contact Lydia at 575-740-3496. Perhaps you prefer to adopt a very small terrier, or a young adult Jack Russell. Contact Cassie at 575-740-5310. Do you have a large aviary or a fenced area safe from predators? We have a pair of young adult peacocks available for adoption. Contact us at 575-894-1694.

This week’s wish list: Heavy duty Shop Vacuum in good working condition. Leaf blower – preferably gas operated. Indoor-outdoor carpet remnants.

A huge thank-you goes to Camille of Florida, for maintaining our professional looking web site www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. since 2006.

Week of 5/24/14 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Kitties new toy

The mission of the Sierra County Humane Society is to protect and care for the abandoned and mistreated companion animals of Sierra County. When we expect it the least and need it the most, Good Fortune usually finds a way of landing on our doorstep.

The Sierra County Humane Society has received a huge boost recently. It is generally difficult for any non-profit organization to find volunteer help. It is even more difficult to find quality volunteers and experienced professional staff. The bulk of the work we do depends on a capable and caring but non-professional volunteer staff. It is a rare bonus to receive volunteers who have a background in the Animal Welfare profession. This fortunate situation is where we are finding ourselves in. With the arrival of two very qualified individuals who recently moved to Desert Haven from Tucson AZ, we currently have an excellent quality staff made up of both back-ground and non-background Animal Welfare people.

Are you interested in adopting a young, very small Terrier mix? Perhaps you prefer to give a loving home to a young adult Jack Russell mix? Contact Cassie at 575-740-5310. Cassie is moving and can no longer keep her little ones. Through our organization’s Adopt-a-Pet Referral program, we connect individuals who need to find a new loving home for their companion animals with those who would like to adopt one. Contact us at 575-894-1694 or e-mail us at Adoptapet4life@gmail.com.

Check our updated web site at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. Chat with us at: www.Facebook.com/DesertHaven, and www.Facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe.