Week of 12/7/11 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Israel receiving donations at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe

This is the time of the year when we are asked to donate to this cause or that charity. The act of giving fills us with joy. And when the recipient responds with gratitude, we find satisfaction. Whether we donate to a local cause or a national charity this holiday season, we will experience the most joy and satisfaction when we know that our hard-earned money lands where it’s most needed and where it will do the most good.

With so many animal welfare organizations all over the US, competition for funds has become intense. We need to add to that the scam artists posing as charities,and we will understand how easily our contributions could fall into the wrong hands. So before we write our check, let’sdo our homework. We want to know how our money will be spent and if the organization is in good standing with the IRS. A good rule of thumb: at least 75% of our donation should go to the cause we want to help. That leaves 25% of each donated dollar earmarked for administrative costs, such as salaries and fundraising.

The Sierra County Humane Society has an even better long-term record. In 2010, our tax returns indicated that we spent only 4% in administrative costs, a far cry from many well-known animal welfare organizations that as a rule spend the majority of our donations on their extensive fundraising activities, not to mention ther high salaries of their managing staff.

When our donated dollars stay in Sierra County – known to be one of the 17 poorest counties in the entire US by the way– every dollar that we give for the worthwhile cause of our choice can be accounted for. By donating locally, we can follow, first hand, were our contribution goes and how it benefits the organization of our choice, simply because it’s right here in Sierra County.

The Sierra County Humane Society needs your generous help this holiday season. Desert Haven, Sierra County’s no-kill domestic animal sanctuary, needs your support. Your contribution to your local animal welfare organization is vital to the good work that we do to help companion animals down-on-their-luck. Please be generous this holiday season – help us help them. Every dollar counts and is accounted for.

Please send your contribution to SCHS & DHAR, Post Office Box 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942. You can also donate on line via PayPal (link is always available from the home page of our web site) or via Causes, which is also available on Facebook.

We also need warm bedding and used pillows for the little ones in our care. Dog treats are always needed and appreciated. We have already started heating the Inn at Dog Town at night - it's freezing right now, and there is another snow storm on the way, with expected temperatures of around zero. We are not used to these extremes and neither are our little rescues. This is the Desert Southwest after all. The costs of heating Dog Town is very high. We will soon have to find another - much more economical - way to heat the insulated building, in order to make it more in line with our budget. Any advice anyone? Until then, we are appealing for help in keeping all our little ones as comfortable as we possibly can during these unusually cold temperatures.

We also need volunteers at Desert Haven and Paws& Claws Thrift Shoppe. Contact us at 575-894-2639. Checkus out at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. , www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com, www. facebook.com/deserthaven and www.facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe