Week of 7/12/10 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin


Recently, the Sierra County Humane Society and Desert Haven received several phone calls and visits from distraught local residents who were looking for their missing companion animals. The great majority of them had suspiciously disappeared from their own fenced yard. An interesting bit of information came to light: many of the missing dogs resided around the Palomas Circle area near Williamsburg.

The most recent disappearances involved a young Black Lab, also a Great Dane, an Akita, two young Rottweilers, a Springer Spaniel and three German Shepherds, two of them full blooded. Also a Poodle and Basset Hound went missing from their yard recently. Anyone possibly knowing the whereabouts of one or more of the missing dogs should consider contacting the Sierra County Humane Society at 575-894-2778. We will make every effort to reunite the missing dogs with their owners.

This subject is a vivid reminder to animal loving folks that dog fighting is still a real threat in our area, although it has seemed to have gone more underground within the past few years and consequently more difficult to uncover and prosecute locally. Several of the perpetrators, one of them a local business owner at the time, moved out of the area for a while. Sadly, some are now quietly returning. Decent folks have a moral obligation to be watchful for and report to the proper authority suspicious activity anywhere in Sierra County, including the locations where Pit Bulls are suspected of being bred for fighting. Should you wish to do so, you can also contact our organization at 575-894-2639 with your information.

This week, we received a note from John Mulcahy, a recent visitor at Desert Haven. John is Executive Director of the Sierra County Economic Development Organization. His note, which thanked the Desert Haven staff for letting him come out and see the sanctuary, included a generous donation and the following words: “..…….Thank-you even more for your vision and commitment to create such a wonderful place and for bringing together a group of the most caring people in the county. Bless you all. You are doing the right thing.” Thank you, John. Your kind words are heartwarming.
This week’s wish list: Volunteer helpers at both Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe and Desert Haven - sturdy garden tools - fiberglass sheets - plastic water resistant paneling – roofing and construction material - canvas and small tarps - large plastic containers with lids - large dish pans for use as water bowls for the residents of Dog Town. We desperately need a table saw in good condition.
Interested in knowing more about us? Contact us at 575-894-2778 or 740-4100. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com and www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com.
Become a fan of DHAR at www.Facebook/com/deserthaven

Week of 7/5/10 Humane Happenings

The Fourth of July week-end has come and gone, together with its traditional festivities and fireworks. Throughout the long week-end, both Caballo and Elephant Butte Lakes were packed with vacationers. During the week-end and for several days afterwards, the Sierra County Humane Society and Desert Haven Animal Refuge received phone calls from owners of dogs who had disappeared during the week-end series of fireworks events. As of the writing of this article, many of the lost dogs were still unaccounted for. Many dogs and cats are terrified by fireworks and they try to run away from them. Those who get lost often cannot find their way back home on their own. Many never find their way home and ultimately die. The ones who end-up at the TorC City Shelter on Date Street and who have identification tags or chips can be reunited with their families within a few days. Unfortunately, the great majority of lost dogs and cats do not have proper identification and are never heard from again. If you share your life with a companion animal, please insure that your little dependent has a collar and current identification tags. Without that information, your little one, even if found, is doomed to become another statistic.

Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe and the Sierra County Humane Society are not affiliated in any way with Sierra Animal Shelter, a for-profit business that is funded by your tax dollars. Consequently, we must generate, through private and business donations and especially through the hard work of our thrift shop volunteers, all the funds needed to operate the Society’s community oriented programs as well as Desert Haven Animal Refuge. At this time, P&C Thrift Shoppe is currently feeling a severe volunteer shortage. Several dependable long-time helpers are now on their summer vacation. We need extra help to replace them until the end of summer.

Do you believe in what we do for the animals of Sierra County and wish to help us in some way? Are you able to give at least two hours a week at P&C Thrift Shoppe during business hours, which is from Wed through Sat? You may prefer doing office work at Desert Haven on Tuesday mornings. Perhaps you enjoy working directly with animals and want to help care for them at the sanctuary? Your time is valuable and we can use it. To quote John Muir “The time that you spend here will not take away from your life. On the contrary, it will enrich it”.

Contact us at 894-2778 or 894-2639. Check us out at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com.
Become a fan of DHAR at www.Facebook/com/deserthaven.

Week of 6/25/10 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

John Mulcahy with Freddie and Eliana at DHAR

This past Tuesday morning, Desert Haven Animal Refuge had the pleasure of a visit from John Mulcahy. John is the new Executive Director of the Sierra County Economic Development Organization. As he was strolling around the sanctuary and visiting the residents’ habitats, DHAR’s official tour guide, Freddie Loveless, explained the Sierra County Humane Society’s 21 (twenty-one) year history and the reasons behind its foundation. John commented:” I am inspired by what you have accomplished here. I am inspired because what Desert Haven is doing is so obviously right. It’s the right thing to do.”

To quote a saying taken from John Mulcahy’s Facebook page “You have not started living until you have started giving”, the volunteer members of the team at Desert Haven understand this saying very well, as they give of themselves at the sanctuary to help make a gentler and kinder world for all of us, including the creatures who share this Earth with us.

This week, we wish to remind everyone who shops at Bullocks and who wishes to support us in some way, to please save all their receipts for our organization. Bullocks receipts can be dropped-off at Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe, the TorC public library and the Williamsburg Post Office. Our non-profit organization redeems them routinely for cash – $2 per thousand dollars, courtesy of Bullocks Grocery Store. The funds collected through the Cash-for-Clubs program (Bullocks receipts) help keep the Society’s spay-neuter and spay-a-stray programs in existence. We also collect aluminum cans. They can be dropped-off in the Cans Corral adjacent to Paws&Claws.

MD”Doc” Kucera has been a dedicated – and very much appreciated - volunteer Administrative Assistant at Desert Haven for several months now. His deteriorating health has recently forced him to resign from his position at the sanctuary. Although we will greatly miss seeing both him and his spirited furry buddy “Harley” every Tuesday morning, we understand his difficult decision to totally concentrate on his health and well-being until his health gets back on track. Filling Doc’s position as soon as possible is crucial to Desert Haven and the SCHS. If any of our supporters has a couple of hours and some general office and computer skills to give to a worthy cause on Tuesdays, please call us at 575-894-2778.

Interested in knowing more about us? Check us out at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com, and become a Facebook fan of DHAR at www.Facebook/com/deserthaven.

Week of 6/21/10 Humane Happenings

Our work camper, Mel, talking to Mosey, resting comfortably in the shade at Dog Town.

Hot, hot, and hotter! Soon, the monsoon season will be here and with it the summer rains will drench our Desert Southwest and bring much needed relief. Until then, the Desert Haven team is using all the resources at its disposal to keep the furry and feathered residents as comfortable as possible throughout the day in this torrid heat.

With no large shady trees providing needed protection from the three- digit desert heat, our crew has to resort to other means of providing shade for the little ones in its care during the current series of uncomfortable heat waves. We have found out that tarps, mostly the smaller sizes, can successfully cover specific areas inside the sanctuary - in Dog Town especially - providing effective shade during the most intense heat in any given day. If anyone wishes to help us keep tarps handy for shade, we would certainly be most grateful. As many of our active members and supporters are aware of, the resources of the Sierra County Humane Society and Desert Haven are very limited and every donation, either in kind or monetary, is used carefully and effectively.

Nice shot of our work campers Mel & Eve - Mel with Missy and Eve with Dutchess (tough getting doggies to "smile" for the camera"!)

We also thank the generous folks who kindly drop-off bags of pet food at Desert Haven on Tuesday and to Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe whenever it is open for business (Wednesday 1 PM-4PM, Thursday and Friday 10AM-4PM and Saturday from 10-3 PM). At Dog Town, not counting the larger breeds, we currently care for seventeen small to tiny canines, which is an increase of four since last week, when we rescued four new tiny furry little guys and girls. All these little ones require dog food geared to their small to very small size. Although Desert Haven purchases the “Purina Little Bites” brand for its small army of adult little dogs, any brand specializing on small breeds is most welcome. Treats of all types are a regular part of our dogs’ diet - except rawhide bones, as many of our canine residents tend to fight among themselves over treats that are not totally eaten in one or two bites. If you wish to donate pet food or treats to the dogs and cats of Desert Haven, you can drop-off your contribution directly at the sanctuary on Tuesday or at Paws & Claws when open for business. Please don’t leave anything in front of the store unless you wish to take the risk that unscrupulous characters will likely steal your donation before anyone on our crew can secure it. For more information on our animal welfare organization and Sierra County’s no-kill domestic animal sanctuary, contact us at 575-894-2778 or 575-740-4100. We can also be reached at POB 638, Williamsburg NM, 87942, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com and at www.facebook.com/deserthaven

Week of 6/14/10 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin


Maxwell

Aside from being home to 37 cats, a large number of domesticated ring neck and white doves, several peacocks, chickens and roosters (most of them miniature), many guinea pigs and one older rabbit, Desert Haven Animal Refuge is also home to 30 dogs of all sizes. There is Maxwell, a very handsome shepherd who has been living at Dog Town for several years now. He was a very young pup when found wandering along a deserted section of the Rio Grande, together with his brother who was also suffering from exposure and malnutrition. There is Vicky the Boxer, also rescued one summer a few years back from the desert near Cuchillo. Vicky shares The Canine Cottage and its play yard with her buddy, Sparky, a young and playful bird dog.

Sparky

There is Mosey the gentle Rhodesian Ridgeback, who shares a play yard with Skye, the heeler. There is also Chowder the heeler-mix and his playmate, Shadow, a handsome, slender black lab. There is old Missy and her sister Duchess, both life-long partners who continue to enjoy each other’s company as they are growing old. Buddy the border collie, Emma the boxer-american bulldog and Ranger the husky share a large play yard.

Copper

There is Copper, a young sheba-inu, also old Jack, a German Shepherd. Then there are the little ones: Penny the chihuahua and Ruffles the terrier are playmates in their foster home at Desert Haven. Tina and Brendle are both Chihuahuas. Sassy and Taffy are Chi-weenies. Rosie, Pippy, Zena are terrier-mix. Tootsie is a fox-terrier. Oscar is a Chihuahua. Sallie is a miniature Pincher. They all live together and share several indoor condos, also the Puppy Play-Yard, the Puppy Club House and its kiddy swimming pool. And now there are the five puppies left from the litter of seven tiny pups abandoned at the entrance of DHAR several weeks ago. They are: Madison, Raider, Corey, Riley and Jasmin. The other two have been adopted already.

This week’s wish list includes dog food for Desert Haven’s adult little dogs. Currently, Dog Town at Desert Haven has twelve (12) small adult resident dogs and their mouths can’t handle the regular size dog food. At this time of the year, we also need several extra dog walkers who can help walk our furry little ones one or more days a week during morning animal care. For more information on how you can support our animal welfare organization in some way, or to adopt a companion animal, contact us at 575-894-2778 or 575-740-4100. We can be reached at POB 638, Williamsburg NM, 87942, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com and at www.facebook.com/deserthaven

Week of 6/8/10 Humane Happenings

By Eliana Aubin


Eliana and Luke

This past couple of weeks, Desert Haven Animal Refuge has been taking strong measures to give the residents as much protection from the heat wave as possible. The resourceful crew is working hard to keep the animals and birds as cool as possible. Misters and fans are cooling the inside kennels in the Inn at Dog Town and in the Cool Cat Neighborhood. Large tarps are now providing extra shade inside the several doggie play yards. The kitty plastic pools in Dog Town, recently donated to the sanctuary by Shelly & Kevin Salazar of KNS Painting, LLC in Albuquerque, NM, are a hit with all the furry little guy and girl dogs who can’t seem to get enough of the water and can often be seen wading into it and splashing it with pleasure.

As we lovingly care for our little rescues, our hearts break for the neglected dogs and cats in this area. It’s a sad fact that dogs are still seen chained out-of-doors, even in this torrid heat? Without an adequate water source or proper shelter, dogs left outside suffer needlessly and some of them even die – an agonizing and lonely death.

Our organization continues to receive phone calls from folks who wish to report animal cruelty, abuse, or lost or abandoned dogs. Contrary to what some of our readers watch on “Animal Planet”, animal welfare organizations in New Mexico are not legally connected with the Law Enforcement. Consequently, they cannot physically trespass on private properties to rescue domestic animals in distress. This is the duty of the local Animal Control Officer - a public servant whose job is to investigate and properly handle complaints from the public. Anyone witnessing animal neglect or cruelty has the moral obligation to contact Dispatch at 575-894-7111. You can stay anonymous if you wish. Dispatch will then connect with the Animal Control Officer on duty.

Don’t just stop there. Either request a follow-up or call Dispatch again to find out what has been done. Animal cruelty or neglect is punishable by law and we trust that folks who witness it do what is morally right. If there is no follow-up and you realize that nothing is being done, contact our organization at 575-894-2778 or 575-740-4100 or 575-894-2639 and we will then do what is in our power to insure that the law is followed and the animal rescued.


Fun time watching Tuesday AM activities

This week, we appeal once again to our readers for puppy food. The rescued puppies are eating no less than 7-8 lbs of food each day and their food intake keeps growing along with their size. We need dog walkers at DHAR in the morning. For more information on how you can help, or to adopt a companion animal, contact DHAR Animal Care Coordinator Reba Wagner at 575-740-4100.

We can be reached at POB 638, Williamsburg NM, 87942, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com and at www.facebook.com/deserthaven

Week of 6/1/10 Humane Happenings

Entrance to the Cool Cat Neighborhood


By Eliana Aubin

This week, the Desert Haven Animal Refuge volunteer team wishes to thank St Cloud Mining for the business’ on-going support of Sierra County’s No-Kill domestic animal sanctuary. For many years now, St Cloud Mining generously donates much needed kitty litter for the sanctuary’s felines.

DogTown at DHAR is full to capacity at this time. We wish to acknowledge the continued support of Don Howell of T or C, Mary Roden of Caballo, Susan Newman of Animals Creek Plant Nursery, Rod Heier of Caballo Lake RV Park as well as the contributions we receive anonymously, either at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe or Desert Haven.


Canine Cottage and new wading pool

This week, the kindness of Katie Semones of Monticello is allowing us to purchase small swimming pools, also Purina and Pedigree puppy food, the food of choice for our youngest and smallest canine residents. The continued success of our modest but effective sanctuary depends on everyone, from the kind folks who volunteer their time to all those who contribute in some way to help make this operation possible.

It is said that when you take a man’s time, you take part of his life. At this time of the year, our animal welfare organization is appealing to local folks who appreciate what we do and are interested in helping us succeed. The vacation season is here. In normal times, both Paws & Claws and Desert Haven volunteer crews are already small. Now, the volunteers left have to divide time and energy between the thrift shop and the sanctuary. The shortage of help continues until fall, when everything returns to normal and our winter visitors and seasonal work campers return to our area.

Do you appreciate what our animal welfare organization is doing? Do you have at least a couple of hours on your hands each week and a desire to do something that uplifts your spirit and makes you feel productive? Perhaps you enjoy working directly with animals? Do you prefer surrounding yourself with people? Walking with a dog or two by your side is known to be therapeutic and also good physical exercise. We don’t just rescue dogs and cats at Desert Haven, but also doves, peacocks, guinea pigs, rabbits, hens and roosters. For more information on how to help us in some way, contact us at 575-894-2778, 575-740-4100 or write us at POB 638, Williamsburg NM, 87942. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com and at www.facebook.com/deserthaven

Week of 5/23/10 Humane Happenings

Central Bark in bloom

by Eliana Aubin

Birds of Paradise and desert willows in full bloom against barn wood fences and Old Tucson style buildings - song birds nesting in budding mesquite trees - desert sage and greasewood bushes growing in large green clumps along the walking trails – wild flowers everywhere - and up above, the blue New Mexico sky with not a cloud in sight – springtime has settled at Desert Haven Animal Refuge, Sierra County’s no-kill domestic animal sanctuary.


Cool Cat Neighborhood in bloom

When mixed with a team of caring folks who want to make a difference, the entire atmosphere at the sanctuary takes on a spiritual feel. Spring at DHAR is truly one of Nature’s wonderlands, and the folks who visit the small sanctuary at this time of the year seem to appreciate it fully. They never fail to comment about it.

“What impresses me the most here is the collective synergy and great cooperation from the entire group” said local resident Steve Spaw on his very first visit to the sanctuary this past Tuesday, accompanied by Freddie Loveless and Reba Wagner as tour guides. “Everyone knows what the mission is and is happy with it. Everyone gets along well and that is also very impressive – a well-run and happy ship”.

This week, the Sierra County Humane Society wishes to thank “the Friends of Blue”, for the generous – and anonymous - donation made recently to Desert Haven in his name. Blue is a dog lost or abandoned in the Elephant Butte area some time ago. Some residents took pity on him and made food and water routinely available to him. Soon, he became known through the small Elephant Butte community as “Blue”. Several times now, anonymous donations to DHAR have been made in his name. What a kind gesture made in the name of a lost or abandoned dog to help other lost or abandoned dogs who find their way to DHAR.

Kudos go to Rod Heier of Caballo Lake RV Park, Don & Barbara Heller of Elephant Butte and Mary Roden of TorC for dropping off at Desert Haven food or money to purchase food for the birds and animals in our care. We also appreciate the recent donations made by John Lyall of Tijeras, NM, Joan Brewer, a former – always remembered with fondness - DHAR work camper who now lives in Connecticut, Mrs Richard Wagner of Elephant Butte in memory of her late husband, Susan Newman of Animas Creek Nursery, Mark Humble of To C. We also wish to thank Cecilia Perez of El Paso who adopted “Chiquita” from DHAR last year and who continues to remember the sanctuary in her charitable endeavors. Large or small, every contribution to Desert Haven is a token of appreciation for all the good work that is done at the sanctuary by a small and dedicated group of animal loving folks who want to make a difference in this world. With many little mouths to feed, the Desert Haven volunteers certainly put every donation to good use. Puppy food and treats continue to be in very high demand at this time.

This week, we especially wish to acknowledge the wonderful couple from Albuquerque who not long ago unloaded at Desert Haven several small and large – brand new - swimming pools for the residents of Dog Town. We set them up in the several doggie play yards this past Tuesday. Some of the little guys in the Pooch Play Yard did not wait long to jump in and wade in theirs as soon as it had been filled with water. They seemed to have so much fun in their large swimming pool that DHAR Animal Care Coordinator, Reba, who was watching them, promised to catch them in action whenever she had her camera handy. Her photos will go on our blog (www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com), and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/deserthaven). Interested in volunteering at Desert haven or Paws & Claws thrift shop? Contact us at 575-894-2778, 575-740-4100, or write to us at POB 638, Williamsburg NM, 87942.

Week of 5/16/10 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Desert Haven received another seal of approval a couple of weeks ago. The former mom of one of Dog Town’s newest residents, a boxer mix named Emma, recently visited the sanctuary with a friend, Yvonne. They wanted to spend time with the dog she had to give up when her living arrangements changed drastically as she started her first semester at NMSU in Las Cruces. Yvonne is a local resident of TorC and a strong supporter of Desert Haven. Seeing Emma settled and happy in her new environment in the company of several constant playmates inspired her former mom to leave a donation to help DHAR cover some of her daily care.

While at the sanctuary, Yvonne questioned Reba, DHAR's Animal Care Coordinator, about ongoing and future projects. When she heard that we had been planning to expand several indoor-outdoor kennels, but the lack of adequate funding to cover the costs of the needed materials precluded us to start on that important project, Yvonne made a donation to help us get it underway.

We have something new and exciting we'd like to share with you! It's the new Sierra County Humane Society toolbar - once added to IE or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to Sierra County Humane Society - at no cost to you (and you may even save money as the toolbar provides coupons and deals as well!). The toolbar also has a search box and each time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to Sierra County Humane Society.

http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/sierra-county-humane-society.

And please pass this along to all of your friends. The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference!

We continue to need dog food and especially puppy food for the several Aussie mix pups rescued at DHAR a few weeks ago. We are grateful for each and every bag of pet food that kind folks drop-off either at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe, located next to Family Dollar in TorC, or at Desert Haven on Tuesdays, when the no-kill sanctuary is open for visitors.

We can be reached at POB 638, Williamsburg NM, 87942, also at 575-894-2778, 575-740-4100. Check us out at www.DeserthavenanimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com,
and www.facebook.com/deserthaven.

Week of 5/9/10 Humane Happenings

Morning walk to the Old West Trail

By Eliana Aubin

Spring has arrived in Sierra County, and with it the threats of rattle snake bites. We take rattle snakes seriously at Desert Haven Animal Refuge, Sierra County’s no-kill domestic animal sanctuary. DHAR work camping residents Skip Higgins and Helen Hasty, with the help of Stephen Wagner, gave the canines living at the sanctuary their yearly rattlesnake vaccine shot. We started this routine inoculation last year. Even though the cost was significant, we felt that the extra yearly medical expense would further protect our furry little dependents while they lived at the sanctuary.

Twice a day, the dogs of Desert Haven are given the opportunity to exercise and run together in groups outside of their Dog Town play yards. The Old West Trail is their official community playground at the sanctuary and they are walked there on a leash mornings and evenings. Once arrived, they are unleashed and set free to investigate their surroundings, socialize and play there together to their little heart’s content. It’s a fun time for them and we want them to be safe in this desert landscape.

The Old West Trail is an all-fenced patch of land about one acre in size and located inside the Desert Haven property. It is covered with desert vegetation and small bushes. The crew maintains several wide trails throughout the entire fenced area, to allow the dog walkers of DHAR to get as much physical exercise as they wish while they spend quality time with the dogs playing under their watchful eyes. The rattlesnake vaccine protects a dog who is bitten by a rattler and it gives that little guy a fighting chance.

This week, we especially wish to thank Bullocks Grocery store for its on-going support of our organization. Through its “Cash for Clubs” program, Bullocks offers our non-profit organization the opportunity to earn funds when we redeem Bullocks receipts collected for us by customers. We have collection boxes at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe in TorC, the TorC public library and Williamsburg Post Office. Bullocks also lets Desert Haven pick-up boxes of fresh veggies and fruits every week. Our volunteers serve them every morning, all cut-up and ready-to-eat, to the feathered and furry residents of Birdland & Animal House. All of them have been rescued at some time or another since Desert Haven opened its doors in 2002 and if animals could speak a language we understand, each one would have a sad story to tell. We supplement their diet with alfalfa, bird and sunflower seeds and chicken scratch.

This week’s wish list: small – easy to empty - swimming pools for our resident dogs. We can use seven pools for their seven play yards. The high winds have damaged some of our roofs and if you have roofing material you no longer need, please drop it off at DHAR or Paws & Claws. We have the volunteer manpower, but we need the material to make the needed repairs. Puppy food for the seven furry little guys and girls abandoned at DHAR’s entrance a couple of weeks ago is also a high priority. We can be reached at POB 638, Williamsburg NM, 87942, also at 575-894-2778, 575-740-4100. Check us out at www.DeserthavenanimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com, and www.facebook.com/deserthaven.

Week of 5/2/10 Humane Happenings

Old Sophie with her pet parent, Danny

By Eliana Aubin

Sophie came to visit Desert Haven Animal Refuge last week. She was accompanied by her human friend and caregiver, Danny Springer. Danny is a local artist who owns and operates “Floor Covering” in T or C. Sophie is an older dog who has lived most of her life outside and at the end of a chain on someone’s property in Hillsboro. Sophie’s lonely life was doomed to end at the end of that chain, but she had a guardian angel - Jan Haley - also of Hillsboro. Jan rescued Sophie and convinced DHAR, full at the time, to take the older dog in. She promised to contribute to her care, both financially and in person. Jan stayed true to her word and became Sophie’s sponsor and official protector. At the sanctuary, Sophie started a brand new life, never again to be lonely, hungry or lacking loving human attention.

Everyone assumed that Desert Haven would be Sophie’s home until the end of her natural life. Exposed to many cold Hillsboro winters without adequate shelter, Sophie was suffering from arthritis, among other ailments. At DHAR, she now resided in the VIP play yard, connected by a doggie door to Gene’s Dog House, a fully enclosed porch that was reserved for Desert Haven’s special needs dogs. Aside from the sanctuary volunteers’ loving care, Sophie also enjoyed the company of a roommate, another gentle older canine resident. Sophie’s life had finally turned around and good things were happening to her now.

Several weeks ago, Sophie was adopted locally. As she quietly walked from one Desert Haven volunteer to another during her visit that Tuesday afternoon, she was wagging her tail, obviously remembering each and every one of them with fondness. During that time, Danny shared with the group some details of her new life. Aside from fish and rice seasoned with fish oil, one of her favorite meals, old Sophie also appreciates a piece or two of banana bread, to satisfy her sweet tooth. The old girl is indeed living the good life these days and her entire composure shows it. Sophie is now a happy dog.

Sophie and Danny are planning an Art Auction to be held at Ralph Edward Park. The auction is to raise funds for Desert Haven Animal Refuge, to help rescue and provide care for other dogs like Sophie. For more information, contact Danny at 505-203-1241.

Please consider helping us feed and care for the seven very young pups very recently abandoned at the entrance of Desert Haven. They and the other residents at the sanctuary need the on-going support of our animal loving friends. Write us at POB 638, Williamsburg NM, 87942. Call us 575-894-2778, 575-740-4100. Check us out at www.DeserthavenanimalRefuge.com, www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com,and www.facebook.com/deserthaven.

Week of 4/26/10 Humane Happenings

Someone decided to discard a litter of seven not-yet-weaned pups this past week-end. They were abandoned at the entrance of Desert Haven Animal Refuge, huddled together in a small cage. When finally discovered, the little ones were very hungry, cold and scared. They look like Aussie mix.

Abandoning an unwanted companion animal is now a crime in New Mexico. Desert Haven is a small sanctuary with very limited resources. Consequently, it is neither physically nor financially able to take in every companion animal some owners refuse to take responsibility for and decide to literally “dump” on the sanctuary’s doorsteps. Every abandoned dog or cat for which we have no room for creates unnecessary hurdles for the crew as well as for the animals already settled there. We cannot possibly take in all the unwanted domestic animals in Sierra County, and we must make difficult choices. If we did not, we would not stay in operation and be able to continue to help the community very long.

Since they have already abandoned one litter of pups, the owners of the female dog who recently delivered them should have her sterilized before she gets pregnant again and continues the tragedy of bringing into the world even more unwanted pups that they will also abandon. Getting their female dog sterilized would finally stop the indiscriminate reproduction of the “factory of unwanted puppies” these folks have created.

The Sierra County Humane society offers rebates to help pet owners with the costs of sterilizing their companion animals. Applications are available at the T or C police station, Desert Haven and also at Paws & Claws Thrift Shoppe. Once a month, our animal welfare organization also offers a free Spay to one dog or cat owner, courtesy of our local veterinarian Doctor Cardwell.

Sadly, even in this day and age, unwanted pups are born all the time, from unsterilized females owned by folks who either don’t care or who claim they can’t afford the costs of sterilization. Sooner or later, many of those unwanted dogs and cats find themselves dropped-off at Sierra Animal Shelter, T or C and Sierra County Animal Shelter. The service is covered by the tax payers of Sierra County and is totally free to pet owners. The great majority of unwanted animals are euthanized at the local shelter, because there are not enough homes for them all. Others are literally “dumped” here and there, near the river, the lake, some neighborhood, somewhere in the countryside. They are left to fend for themselves and they die slowly and miserably. How can a dog survive long on his own in this desert? Folks who do not sterilize their companion animals are perpetrating the tragedy that T or C and Sierra County continues to be plagued with.

This week, we are asking our friends who believe in our cause to please consider donating puppy food and some of their time to help us feed and care for the seven new pups abandoned last week-end at the entrance of Desert Haven. We can be reached at 575-894-2778, 575-740-4100 or POB 638 Williamsburg, NM, 87942. Check out our web site at www.DeserthavenanimalRefuge.com, our blog at ww.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.blogspot.com, and our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/deserthaven.