submitted by Christy Johnson
Having been involved in animal rescue for over 20 years, the opportunity to volunteer at Desert Haven Animal Refuge was a perfect fit for me. So much so that my husband and I traveled 900 miles to come and be part of this amazing place.
Reba, Gene and Stephen Wagner along with Freddie Loveless and Desert Haven's founder, Eliana Aubin, work tirelessly to improve the lives of Sierra County's 4 legged residents. I can honestly say that I have never seen such a dedicated and compassionate group whose sole purpose is to provide and care for animals, nor have I ever seen animals in such fabulous mental and physical condition as I have been privileged to observe here.
People who generously give financial support to animal welfare organizations are often touched by the solicitations on television or by direct mail from the Humane Society of the United States or the ASPCA.
Unfortunately, the ASPCA primarily works for animals in the New York area and the Humane Society of the United States rakes in millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans to pad the pockets of highly paid executives. Not one cent is given to small, local Humane Societies who struggle daily to provide for the animals in their care.
If you truly care about the plight of the animals in your community, don't be misled by the marketing blitz of large, national animal organizations. Please give your support to those on the front line who are actually making a difference in Sierra County at Desert Haven Animal Refuge.
Christy Johnson
1 comment:
Hi Christy - I work at the Humane Society of the U.S. As you point out, our organization is not affiliated with local animal shelters or humane societies. We were founded in 1954 to tackle broad animal cruelty issues such as puppy mills and dogfighting, issues that shelter staff and volunteers aren't well positioned to address because they are busy providing a safety net for homeless animals in their communities.
Our work also extends to farm animals, wildlife, and animals used in research.
I encourage you to check out the resources we offer to the animal sheltering community. The website www.animalsheltering.org provides a wealth of information on everything from adoption to volunteer programs to sanitation and disease control. We publish a bi-monthly trade magazine for animal shelters and rescue groups (more info on the website above) and host a large educational conference called "Animal Care Expo" every year.
The HSUS has also worked hard to expand the professional development options for this field. Humane Society University, our educational arm, offers workshops and self-paced online courses on a range of topics. Check out www.humanesocietyuniversity.org.
And if humane education is a focus of your group, you'll find great resources on topics like dog bite prevention and basic care of dogs and cats through Humane Society Youth - www.humanesocietyyouth.org.
Many HSUS staff members like me have worked in animal shelters, and we applaud the hard and important work that you do.
Post a Comment