Featured Pet: Sasha

Sasha, our featured pet this week, is one of the sweetest and most gentle kitties at Desert Haven. Born in 2002, Sasha came to Desert Haven after her owner moved out of the area, abandoning her. At the time, Sasha was in her last term of pregnancy. Soon after, she delivered her kittens under the porch of the mobile home that was now vacant. For several weeks, Sasha had to search for food throughout the neighborhood just to survive and keep nursing her kittens. Finally, a neighbor discovered the kittens and took most of them in to be adopted out to his friends.

Sasha is a sweet, gorgeous long-haired cat who enjoys the company of adults and who will easily be coaxed to sit on your lap and let herself be groomed. She will sit up for you after she gets to know you, just to get a treat or two. Sasha was in foster care for a while to improve her self-confidence and she has adapted very well to the normal life of a typical cat at Desert Haven. She enjoys looking out the boxed window of the Cat's Place in Desert Haven's Cool Cat Neighborhood, enjoying the peacefulness of her surroundings. She accepts and even thrives in a household with other adult cats, as long as she receives her share of cuddles and attention.

If you have room in your heart and your home for this adorable girl, contact Desert Haven at 575-894-2778.

Featured Pets: Taco & Bell; Urchin

TACO

BELL

Taco and Bell are both canine victims from the Hatch Flood of the summer of 2006. Taco is a young Terrier-Chihuahua mix and Bell is a Terrier-mix. Although not of the same litter, they are life-long buddies. Their previous owners were displaced by the flood that ravaged the town of Hatch when several levees broke after days of very heavy rains (similar to the New Orleans flood, but on a much smaller scale.) Over a hundred homes were destroyed and their inhabitants lost everything.

Taco and Bell's owners took their little dogs with them when they were evacuated but, after several weeks, they realized that they could no longer care for them and relinquished them to Desert Haven.

Both are lap-dogs who thrive on affection. They are both sterilized and have all their shots.

For more information, contact Desert Haven at 505-894-2778.

URCHIN : Great News - Urchin/Sandy reunited with original family! Read the story here: http://deserthavenanimalrefuge.blogspot.com/2007/03/week-of-march-4-humane-happenings.html

Urchin is a young female miniature Poodle who is slowly but surely getting better. This little one was found wandering in the snow near the Rio Grande River one freezing morning. The rescuer stumbled on her by accident. He was checking for tracks in the back of his shed near the river and found a shivering ball of dirty, overgrown, matted hair full of stickers. Urchin was terrified but too weak to run away. She was so traumatized that she did not let her rescuers come close for a long while. The man brought her home with him and called the Animal Control officer immediately while his wife contacted Desert Haven. Although we did not have the volunteer staff to care for another dog at the time or available space at Dog Town, we accepted to take her in. We knew that this dog would be put down immediately if brought to the city shelter.

One of our staff members has fostered Urchin since her arrival. For several weeks after her rescue, Urchin would stay under a bed and would not leave the safety of her new hideout until late at night, when the house was quiet and everyone asleep. She would then eat some food and drink water from the bowls in the kitchen nearby, relieve herself on a puppy pad especially for her, and go back to her hiding place. Now Urchin is socializing with the two other little dogs at her foster home. Although a little shy with strangers, she responds well to affection. She is neatly groomed and has been sterilized. Her shots are now up-to-date.

Urchin is ready to move on to a caring home where she can find the life-long love and security that she so badly needs and deserves. To contact Desert Haven or Urchin's foster mom for more information, call 505-894-2778.