Thursday, November 29, 2012

Week of 11/21/12 Humane Happenings

The “TorC Guild” recently generously donated to the Sierra County Humane Society (SCHS) a beautifully made 70’ by 50’ quilt, to be used as a fundraiser for the 501-c-3 non-profit organization. Janice is new to this area, and already, she is a member of the animal welfare organization. Janice is also quickly becoming a reliable helper at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe, the gift & thrift store operated by SCHS volunteers and located next to Family Dollar in TorC.

What a difference she is making already! Thanks to Janice, an abundance of Christmas items are now routinely displayed at the front windows and also throughout the store. Our local and out-of-the area patrons are making a point to comment on how clean and inviting the store looks these days. A pat on the back goes to our entire P&C team: Charlie & Elaine, Mike & Laura, Tina, Sharon, Stephen, James, Janice and Eliana. Janice is now making plans to display the donated quilt at several local banks and businesses until the 20thof December, when the lucky winner of the raffle will take it home.

This week, our priority wish list includes roofing material. We have several leaky roofs in need of repair at the sanctuary. We can also use old truck mud flaps, perhaps some old rubber bottom carpets and area rugs. We use these to make effective doggy-door flaps for the exercise yard dog houses and also all indoor-outdoor kennels inside Dog Town. The cold nights of the winter season are here and we are intent on keeping our little rescues as warm as possible, with the limited resources at our disposition.

A huge thank-you is in order for a special local Viet-Nam Veteran. This kind and generous man told us he appreciates our efforts to help and protect unwanted companion animals, so he is donating for sale by our animal welfare organization many of his military treasures and collectors’ items.

We can be reached at 575-894-1694, 575-894-2639 or weR4pets@gmail.com.

Visit us at http://www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge and www.Facebook.com/deserthaven.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Week of 11/18/12 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Jody Koch 
 Fifty-four years old Jody Koch passed away recently. Jody was a Lifetime member of the Sierra County Humane Society and she also served as a board member for many years. Jody was known all over the area to help out whenever and wherever needed. Having to deal with the constant challenge of being confined to her wheelchair never seemed to stop her from doing what she felt she wanted or needed to do to help someone out or be actively involved in a worthy cause. People who patronized Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe a couple of years ago can remember her at the counter - a friendly, courageous lady who earned everyone’s respect and admiration, She was very much loved by those who knew her and she will be sorely missed.



Janice


Welcome to the area and to our organization, Janice, who recently moved to Elephant Butte from out-of-state. This creative and energetic lady is taking on the Christmas decorating of the front windows at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe. She is also insuring that the entire storefront looks as attractive as possible. Many of our shoppers are already commenting on how attractive the store looks.



 Thank you, Stephen, for all your help at P&C. You are invaluable to all of us who volunteer there. We also appreciate the help of all the Desert Haven’s work campers who spend their valuable time at P&C recycling the donated items that are coming in daily.We continue to receive many positive comments regarding the interesting and unique items available for sale, the quality of our merchandise and of our clothing. The friendliness of all our P&C helpers is routinely mentioned by many of our customers. We could not achieve all this without the volunteers who work hard every day to make things happen and keep the shop as neat and as attractive as possible. We could not achieve all this without our wonderful supporters who donate to us some of the nicest and most interesting items, as well as antiques and unique pieces of Americana. Thank you everyone!

 We can be reached at 575-894-1694 or weR4pets@gmail.com. Visit us at http://www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge and www.Facebook.com/deserthaven.

Week of 11/1/12 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

  What a beautiful weather we are having at this time of the year in our Desert Country! Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe, located in T or C, is seeing new – and very positive - shoppers weekly. Sandy and husband Eric recently relocated to this area from San Diego. Judy is from Ohio. She moved here two weeks ago. Jeffrey and family came last month from California. He is already employed locally. Diane, 5 years old Isabel and nephew Justin moved here from Philadelphia in October. They all are complimentary of our non-profit store. They are also impressed with the friendliness of our volunteers.

Elaine and Charlie are also newcomers to this area. Both are from Back East. They settled at Desert Haven a few months ago and quickly became an integral part of our volunteer team, both at the sanctuary and at the store. Their willingness to help out whenever and wherever needed, their positive energy and “can-do” attitude have already made both of them a huge asset to our animal welfare cause. Thanks, guys.

Over 10 years ago, when we were planning to put-up a chain link fence around Rainbow Bridge Pet Cemetery, someone donated to Desert Haven a cement mixer to help with cementing the steel posts into the ground. We need to use the machinery again, but it needs a new motor. Could any of our readers help us locate a ½ HP low RPM torque electric motor? One of our handy Desert Haven work campers - Mike - is an accomplished machinist who can bring the cement mixer back to an almost as-new condition, if we can locate a motor for it. Call us at 575-894-2639 if you can help.

 Do you have talent and experience in Arts & Crafts, along with a couple of hours a week to help your favorite animal welfare organization? We need someone to sort, tag and price sewing and craft items donated to P&C. We can be reached at 575-894-1694 or weR4pets@gmail.com. Visit us at http://www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge and www.Facebook.com/deserthaven.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Week of 10/27/12 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

This week, we wish to thank our animal loving friends for their on-going donations to Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe. The operational success of the Sierra County Humane Society, which operates the store, would be greatly diminished without the benefit of these contributions. We especially appreciate our supporters’ understanding of our request for them to drop-off - during business hours only - the furniture pieces as well as the large items and boxes of items that they can’t fit inside the donation box. We realize that this creates some inconvenience for some folks and we apologize. But we believe that items dropped-off at Paws & Claws are sincerely intended for the benefit of our animal welfare organization, not of some unscrupulous individual who has no qualm about stealing from a non-profit. Every Tuesday morning, the Desert Haven team unloads from the IM4PETS Toyota truck all the items that were put aside during the week for use there. Paws&Claws is invaluable to our service oriented organization.

IM4PETS Toyota truck, still working hard for Desert Haven after 24 years!
Sharon is the official Caretaker at Desert Haven. This down-to-earth “Jill of many trades” relocated from Maine to the sanctuary several months ago. Not only she shares in caring for our little rescues, but she is also responsible for the operation and upkeep of Rainbow Bridge Pet Cemetery. The past few weeks, Sharon has been busy winterizing the water lines throughout the five-acre property in anticipation of the cold winter nights.

Do you have talent and experience in Arts & Crafts, along with a couple of hours a week to help your favorite animal welfare organization? We need YOU to sort, tag and price donated arts & craft items for P&C Thrift Shoppe. Interested in helping us expand our Adopt-a-Pet Referral program? Join our team! We need a liaison between folks who want to adopt a pet and people who need to give-up theirs. Do you want to help give local companion animals another chance at a good home? Let us know. No computer needed, but a phone is a must. Contact us at 575-894-1694 or weR4pets@gmail.com.

Visit us at http://www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge and www.Facebook.com/deserthaven.