Week of 5/25/12 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

 The Sierra County Humane Society was organized in the fall of 1989 by a small group of volunteers who wanted to make a difference in the lives of companion animals in Sierra County, especially at the city owned shelter which at the time was an antiquated building operating in a way a growing number of residents considered primitive and a disgrace. The handful of determined and resilient individuals-with-a-vision, who stood together to make a difference, worked hard for many months to create the incorporated, 501-C-3 non-profit charitable organization that everyone knows as the SCHS. The Sierra County Humane Society will be 23 years old in November of this year. Thanks to those few strong and determined individuals who stayed on board through thick and thin, huge and seemingly insurmountable hurdles were overcome along the way, as the small organization gained stability and momentum.

 In 1999, a 5 acre desert property was acquired and Desert Haven Animal Refuge, Sierra County No-Kill domestic animal sanctuary, became a reality. The mission of the animal welfare organization continues to be: Prevent cruelty to animals. Provide sanctuary to care for unwanted, abused, neglected and abandoned companion animals in Sierra County. Place animals into loving and caring homes. Create public education that increases the awareness of humane treatment and the necessity of spay-neuter of all companion animals. All of this unselfish Work-of-Love is being accomplished by volunteers. Contrary to what some uninformed individuals still claim, we are not funded by taxpayers or by any other organization, not even larger humane societies such as the Humane Society of the US or ASPCA. Each and every animal welfare organization throughout the entire country operates independently and must locate its own sources of funding. The SCHS operates with funds generated by minimal yearly membership fees, contributions from animal loving supporters, and through fundraising activities such as Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe.

 If you believe in the work that we do on behalf of companion animals-down-on-their-luck, join our efforts! If you can’t give some of your time either at Desert Haven or Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe, become a member of your local animal welfare organization. Donate locally, and you will be helping change the life of local animals in need!

 You can pick-up a membership form at P&C Thrift Shoppe when it is open for business, from 11am to 4 PM, Wednesday through Saturday. Visit Desert Haven on Tuesdays, between 9 AM and 4 PM. Contact us at 575-894-2639 or at weR4pets@gmail.com. Check us out at http://www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge and http://www.Facebook.com/deserthaven. Write to us at POB 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942.