Week of 8/21/16 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Anthony from Tractor Supply loads the "IAM4PETS" Toyota pick up

Fall is in the air and Desert Haven Animal Refuge is preparing for the Winter ahead.  All summer long, the staff at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe has collected well-worn pillows, comforters and blankets for the fur-babies at the No-Kill sanctuary. In the Cool Cat Neighborhood, the pillows fit the individual condos perfectly. The comforters and blankets are great inside the igloos and the Kitty Motel, all of them located in the Cat Walks and Cat Patio. Also coming from Paws & Claws: well-worn sweat shirts and pants, etc, that we add to the kitties bed areas for more comfort. Thanks to the thoughtful people who donate these items to Paws & Claws specifically for the fur-babies who reside at the sanctuary, our Desert Haven team is able to keep all our little ones warm and cozy through the coldest months of the year.

This week’s wish list: milk bones and canned dog food for the residents of Dog Town - also canned cat food for the Cool Cat Neighborhood. Our felines appreciate their cat treats. Their most favorite ones are those that are soft inside. Apparently, the hard-all-around treats taste too much like regular cat food to be considered special treats to them.  We are also looking for a good used swamp cooler and lawn mower, chain link, wire and wood fencing and posts. If you can help, call us at 575-894-2639, e-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com. We can pick up if needed

Larry and Kevin unload the Tractor Supply donation

This week’s kudos go to Tractor Supplies Co. The attractive and customer-friendly store opened early this year in the “old” ALCO building on Broadway. The store recently donated high-quality dog food to Desert Haven. Thank you, Anthony, not only for ensuring that the pet food contribution went to our organization but also for loading the heavy bags into the IM4pets Toyota truck. The little truck is almost 29 years old now, still running, still proud to donate all of its spunk to our animal welfare organization. Its owner continues to maintain it completely at her expense, including the gas it takes to run it, all of it to benefit the organization. 

Check-out our www.Facebook.com/deserthaven  Facebook page for more information - and photos - on the latest contribution from the Tractor Supply Co. contribution.  

Visit us at www.Facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe 

Check-out our web site at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com.   Our mailing address is: Desert Haven Animal Refuge, POB 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942.

Week of 8/14/`6 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

 This week, the Sierra County Humane Society is reminding its members and animal loving friends who reside or vacation in our area to save their Bullocks receipts for the animal welfare organization and Desert Haven Animal Refuge, the no-kill animal sanctuary that it owns and operates. Bullocks Grocery Store is well-known throughout this area to be one of its strongest community oriented businesses.  Not only Bullocks is valued for being customer oriented, but it also financially supports local 501-c-3 non-profit organizations such as ours with its Cash-for-Clubs program.  The program has been in existence for many years now. When you save your Bullocks receipts for our animal welfare organization and you drop them off at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe, the Williamsburg Post Office or the TorC Public Library,  Josephine, our organization Charter Member and long-standing volunteer, routinely collects them.  She also tallies them for us.  We receive $2 per each thousand dollars worth of Bullocks receipts that we receive. The money collected helps fund the organization’s spay-neuter and spay-a-stray programs. 

We also collect aluminum cans. Our can corral is located adjacent to Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe. Kevin, Jack and Larry ensure that the cans are routinely transported and redeemed for $$ at a recycling center. The money collected also helps fund the SCHS sterilization program. 

Applications for the SCHS Spay-Neuter program continue to be made available at the TorC Police Station since our organization started the program in 1991.

This week’s wish list: Canned cat food – dog milk bones and treats - swamp cooler and lawn mower in good working condition - someone to help install a sink and replace a window in the kitchen of the Eagle Point mobile home. If you can help in some way, let us know. We can be reached at 575-894-2639 and at weR4pets@gmail.com.  Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe and www.Facebook.com/DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.  Our mailing address is: Desert Haven Animal Refuge, POB 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942.

Week of 8/7/16 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

 The Sierra County Humane Society & Desert Haven Animal Refuge has been in existence since 1989 and 1999 respectively. The entire operation of the non-profit animal welfare organization is funded by the kindness and generosity of private and business entities who believe in helping us help animals-in-need in our area. 

With the weather getting cooler, the team at the no-kill sanctuary is starting to work on the several projects outlined since earlier this year. The fenced addition to Scruffy and Lucy’s exercise yard is in full swing. Jack, Kevin, Larry and Keith worked together last Tuesday afternoon. They have already made huge progress. While they are installing the chain link fencing, perhaps a local handy person could donate time to build the two gates that we need to install on each end of the yard extension.  Someone may prefer to donate a tall gate or two to help complete the project.   

Several major projects are on our priority list at the sanctuary: we need to  install a sink and replacing a window in the kitchen of the Eagle Point mobile home.  We have both the replacement sink and window.  We now are looking for the very handy person to take on either one of the two projects.  It was started many months ago, but never completed. Without the sink and the window, the mobile home can’t be used.  Another major project is the Rainbow Bridge Pet Cemetery sign located in front of the property and facing Hwy 187. An especially violent wind storm destroyed the sign sometime last year. Soon afterwards, a local artist committed to create a colorful sign for our animal welfare organization. It’s been many months and there is no more word – and no sign - from the artist.     

We need volunteer help at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe (www.Facebook.com/PawsnClawsThriftShoppe). The business is owned and operated by our animal welfare organization. It is located adjacent to Family Dollar in TorC.  Please save your Bullocks receipts for us. They can be dropped-off at the store during business hours. The funds generated when we redeem them at the Bullocks grocery store help fund our organization’s Spay-Neuter program.

Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, and www.Facebook.com/DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.  Contact us at 575-894-2639. E-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com.  Our mailing address is: Desert Haven Animal Refuge, POB 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942.   

Week of 7/24/16 Humane Happenings

The 2016 Sierra County Humane Society newsletter has been mailed and already, the response is heartwarming. We try our very best to send a newsletter every year, usually earlier in the year, inviting our members and animal loving friends to continue to support our organization in any way they can. Our non-profit animal welfare organization receives no funding from local, state or federal government. We operate independently, just as any other animal welfare organization in the US. We work very hard at bringing the revenues needed to make a difference. Private and business contributions are crucial in helping us help animals in need in our area. We also bring in revenues from our hard work at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe, the non-profit business owned and operated by the organization. These combined revenues directly support our community oriented programs, including Desert Haven, the companion animal sanctuary that the organization also owns and operates. 

This week, we wish to thank Sharon who works at Sandia Labs in Albuquerque.   Sharon, together with her father Bill of Elephant Butte, has been one of our organization’s most steadfast supporters. Over the years, among other strong shows of support, Sharon has made a point to keep our entire organization computer system updated with the latest software and hardware upgrades – all of it on her own time and at her own expense. Her computer technical expertise, along with the time & energy she regularly and selflessly donates to our animal welfare cause, has been an important part of the success of our organization.  Sharon, we are grateful. 

This week’s wish list: fencing material, steel and wooden posts, wood and plywood, etc. to help build a much needed addition to one of the exercise yards that is currently occupied by several large, energetic canines.  For more information, contact us at 575-894-2639 or e-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com.  If you prefer to send a contribution earmarked for the project, our mailing address is: Desert Haven Animal Refuge, POB 638, Williamsburg,  NM 87942.   

Desert Haven is open to visitors every Tuesday, from 9 AM to 4 PM or by appointments.   Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/DesertHavenAnimalRefuge and www.Facebook.com/PawsnClawsThriftShoppe.