Week of 4/12/15 Humane Happenings

 by Eliana Aubin

Our rescue, Vickie, and her stuffed fur-buddy!

Once again, the scourge of DOG FIGHTING is showing its ugly head in our New Mexico communities. More and more lately, a significant number of pet owners have contacted the Sierra County Humane Society or made a point to bring-up their concerns to the manager at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe, when their beloved dog suddenly disappeared directly from their “secured” fenced yard, usually in plain daylight. Gates were left open and the dog owners assumed at first that this was the “works” of mischievous young kids-with-nothing-better-to-do than disrupt their neighbors’ lives. The concerned pet owners scoured their entire neighborhoods and beyond to locate their beloved fur-companions and bring them back home safely - but no luck: their fur-baby had disappeared forever. Here we are, way into the 21st Century, and the scourge of DOG FIGHTING continues to plague our NM communities. Please share the following quote with your friends and neighbors. It may save innocent little lives in the process.

QUOTE FROM A DOG FIGHTER “The hardest thing is to get enough dogs and cats to use as bait during training. One good source is to check the local newspapers for ads that offer a pet dog or cat for free. My wife dresses up neatly and collects them for me. Sometimes, she takes our youngest kid with her. If that source is running dry for a while, I just hire local gang kids to fetch me dogs and cats. They scour the backyards and alleys and take whatever number of animals we need. They make sure that they leave the doors or gates open, so people just believe that they accidentally left them unlatched and that’s how their animals got out and got lost.” 

Please report any suspicious activities immediately to the local law enforcement agency by calling DISPATCH at 575-894-7111 – You can stay anonymous if you wish. With the help of vigilant animal loving neighbors, Sierra County and its small communities have a much better chance of getting rid of the scourge of Dog Fighting.

Visit our web site at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. Like us on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/deserthaven and www.Facebook.com/PawsnClawsThrift Shoppe. Contact us at 575-894-2639, 575-894-1694 or weR4pets@gmail.com. Write to us at P0B 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942. Help our organization protect companion animals in Sierra County! Get involved!

Week of 3/20/15 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Chaco

 

 The past couple of weeks, several local individuals contacted the Sierra County Humane Society at 575-894-1694, each one inquiring about adopting a specific type of small dog from Desert Haven, the no-kill sanctuary owned and operated by the non-profit animal welfare organization. The average request lately has been a dog no older than a year old at the time of adoption and also no more than 25 lbs when mature. Apparently, most landlords will accept cats and small, well-behaved dogs in their rental units.

 Aside from keeping the organization’s Petfinder page at www.Petfinder.com/deserthavenanimalrefuge up-to-date, we operate the Adopt-a-Pet Referral program. It gives the opportunity for the owner of a no-longer-wanted companion animal or bird to connect with someone who is looking to give a good home to one fitting that description. The program is needed, worthwhile and also totally free to Sierra County residents. For more information, visit Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe and ask for Eliana or Denny. You can also call us at 575-894-1694. E-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com, or adoptapet4life@gmail.com.

Sandra is from Dallas, TX. She and her husband are vacationing in our community, enjoying its amenities, including our bath houses. At our suggestion, they will also visit several Old West towns before leaving our area. While shopping at Paws&Claws, Sandra asked “Is this your store?” - “No, I just volunteer here. The store belongs to the Sierra County Humane Society.” Her response: ” It’s a wonderful store. There are many things here that I would want to take with me, but we are leaving next week-end on a plane from ABQ - no room to take anything with us.” Her comment is worth sharing with our readers and everyone who supports our animal welfare cause. Sandra also plans to post her experience on our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe once she gets back home to Texas.

This week’s priority wish list:
Canned dog food, dog treats, canned cat food, also Sunflower seeds.

“Thank- you”, Sharon of Albuquerque, Gina Thomas & “Grand-Ma” of TorC, Sandra & Michael, Desert Haven’s closest neighbors, and other generous folks who answered our plea for these currently most needed food items.

Need more information? Interested in helping out in some way? Write to us at P0B 638, Williamsburg, NM 87942 or connect on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DesertHaven. Thank you.