Week of 6/25/11 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Jack Hogue with a gentle caress for the kitty "supervisor"

The past few days, we have been welcoming several new volunteers at Desert Haven and Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe: local residents Monica Dudbudinger, Diana Bellhouse, also Bill Mc Lain of Florida who recently settled at the sanctuary, followed by Leonard & Karen Chambers of Sioux Falls SD. Already, the new work campers are settling down at the sanctuary and visiting the neighboring communities. RV’ers from all over who commit to help out for a while at DHAR not only give much precious time to help the cause of animals in Sierra County, but they also contribute to the local economy in the same way that tourists do.

Local businesses and private residents continue to support our efforts in many ways. Among other contributions to Desert Haven from local businesses, St Cloud Mining regularly donates kitty litter for the sanctuary’s “Cool Cat Neighborhood”. The residents of Birdland & Animal House eat fresh veggies and fruits every morning, thanks to the generosity of Bullocks Grocery Store. We regularly pick-up damaged and open bags of pet food and other needed items from Walmart, free of charge to us. Bar-2 Sand and Gravel came through for us again this year, with a substantial contribution of crusher fine that will soon be used to resurface several play yards in Dog Town. The on-going generosity of private residents, both local and from out-of-the-area, continues to warm our hearts. Together with generous anonymous donors, Don &Barbara Heller of Elephant Butte, Mrs Robert Wagner, Susan Newman of Animas Creek Nursery, Claire Dishman, Donna Duncan and her family, Carl Bonner and his folks in memory of their beloved family dog duke, also Mary Roden who makes a point to help insure that there is always enough canned cat food for all the residents of the Cool Cat Neighborhood to enjoy at breakfast time every morning. Large or small, each donation is crucial to the success of the sanctuary and the well-being of its residents. Thank-you everyone.

Early Monday morning July 11, a crew of several able-bodied volunteers will gather at Desert Haven to resurface several play yards in Dog Town with crusher fine. The project is expected to take less than a couple of hours and be completed long before the end of the morning. The more help we have, the quicker we will get the job done. Can you give a hand? Do you have a heavy duty wheelbarrow or a sturdy hand cart you can lend us for that morning? Contact us at 894-2639.

Desert Haven is open for visitors every Tuesday or by appointment. Call 575-894-1694 for more information. Check-out our web site at: www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. , our blog at http://DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com and www.Facebook.com/deserthaven.