PAW PRINT NEWS - Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary

PAW PRINT NEWS
Summer 2010
This photo is of the existing three-sided storage
barn that has been a fixture at Safe Haven
Safe Haven Plans a New since we first moved to the Cronin Ranch in
1996. As old and dilapidated as it is, this
Building
building has served us well. However, as our
needs grow and as demands for our services
increase, we see the need for something more functional and streamlined. This building has
been something that the leadership of Safe Haven has envisioned for a number of years now.
It is time to make it a reality!
The board appointed a Building Committee to come up with a design concept for the new
building, which will sit atop an existing 60’ concrete slab. The purpose of the building will be
to house isolation pens for sick cats and dogs, and strays that come to us without any
paperwork or history. At the other end of the structure we will have wellness pens where we
will hold animals recovering from surgeries, mothers that are whelping, and small dogs and
puppies that come to us in the colder months. In the center of the building there will be an
infirmary where pets can receive vaccines, micro-chipping, etc. This particular area will also
have a dog wash. The whole building will be climate controlled. We hope to have an artist’s
rendering of the building available by the time of our Fall Open House. Watch for updates on
this exciting new building addition that we hope to break ground on in 2011.
An initial rough estimate of the cost for such a facility is $90,000-$100,000. We will be seeking
donations of materials and services from our community, and applying for grants to help pay
for this. Fundraisers will also be held to benefit the building fund. If you have a special skill
or would like to donate to this project, please call 575.527.4544.
Page 2
Summer 2010
CATNIP –
Good or
Bad for
your Cat?
Some cats can’t
get enough of
catnip, but is too much dangerous? A catnip toy
may be one way of getting an overweight cat to
engage in some much-needed exercise. Fluffy
sniffs the rug, shakes her head, then rubs her
chin and cheeks on the carpet. Purring, she
flops to the floor and rolls her body in figure
eights. Springing to her feet, she dashes across
the room, chasing an imaginary mouse. Has
Fluffy gone mad? No, it’s just that old cat
magic at work — catnip. What is it in catnip
that makes cats go, well, crazy? The secret lies
in the leaves which, when crushed, release a
special oil.
Reactions to catnip range from excitement to
relaxation to anxiety. No two cats react in the
same way. When the substance’s scent is
released, it triggers a pleasure center in the
cat’s brain. This chemical is what gives cats
their catnip “high.” Not all felines respond to
this fanciful feline flora, however. “Cats
usually have a catnip gene,” says Dr. Carol
Tice, DVM, of the Cat Clinic in Cary, North
Carolina. “They are either born with the
potential ability to recognize and react to
catnip or they are not.” If your new kitten is
ignoring her new catnip toy, there’s another
potential reason: Catnip has no effect on very
young cats. “The range in kittens is probably 3
to 8 months of age for it to work, “ says Tice.
Catnip also is often called a feline aphrodisiac.
“The behavior induced in some cats by catnip
can resemble some of the behavior you would
see when a female cat is in heat,” says Tice.
Even if your cat does respond to catnip, not all
reactions will be the same. “There’s no typical
response to catnip, though it makes most cats
goofy,” says Tice. “Catnip makes some cats
roll, some nudge, some mellow, some hyper
and some irritable; a normally placid cat may
suddenly become aggressive with other cats. It
may also stimulate the appetite or even reduce
anxiety in some cats as it can have a calming
effect.”
Can your cat get too much of a good thing? Tice
says no: “It’s perfectly safe and not addictive. I
don’t know of any catnip hangover.’“ How long
the effect lasts will depend both on the
individual cat and how much the cat has
inhaled. The effect usually doesn’t last longer
than 15 - 20 minutes.
Grow Your Own Catnip
Sow the seeds outdoors in the early spring, in
lots of sun. Seeds take one to two weeks to
germinate. Catnip can also be grown from
cuttings placed directly in the soil. After a
plant has flowered, cut off four to eight inches.
(The plant will grow back and might return the
next season if the winter isn’t too severe.)
To dry catnip, strip off all the leaves and
discard the stems. Spread the leaves two inches
deep on trays. Set them in an area with good
air circulation. “Stir” the leaves twice a day for
two to three weeks. When leaves become
brittle, crumble and make flakes, store them in
an airtight container. To let your cat enjoy it,
sprinkle it on the floor, perhaps at the base of
her scratching post, or tie some up in an old
sock for a quick toy.
www.SafeHavenAnimalSanctuary.net
A Senior
Lady —
Ms. Tasha
Page 3
One of the long term dogs at SHAS is Tasha. I’ve been walking her for
four years! Tasha (a black chow mix) & Oscar (a bearded collie) were
surrendered together. When Oscar was finally adopted, I knew Tasha
would miss her long time sidekick. She looked for Oscar in every pen
as we walked.
Now in her golden years, Tasha must wonder when it will be her turn
to have a soft bed to sleep on and become a “couch potato” in that
special person’s home. Tasha takes a short time warming up to
By Olivia Solomon
people. Less so with men, since a man was her first owner. Actually,
Tasha loves anyone that gives her attention. That’s why, wherever
Charles (the sanctuary manager) goes, Tasha’s eyes
follow. If he is within eyesight, the leash will pull
towards that direction.
So if you’re a guy or gal and you want a great lady
companion to snuggle up to at night, foster or adopt
Tasha. She gets along with many dogs but does have
preferences.
Tasha will always have a home at Safe Haven but as
she gets older she needs a special person or family to
share the rest of her days with. Isn’t it time to give
Tasha a chance? Are you the one?
Olivia Solomon is a regular volunteer and walks the
dogs for Safe Haven.
Items We Would Love to Have More Of:
Monetary donations always appreciated
Pedialite - unflavored
Galvanized metal buckets
ProForce disinfectant from Sam’s Club
Canned cat food
Clumping kitty litter
Clorox wipes
HP22 and HP27 Inkjet Cartridges
Frontline Plus Flea and Tick products
Laundry Detergent
Wire Dog Crates – Large
Dishwashing Liquid
Sponsor for Quarterly Newsletter
Landscaping Services & Plants
Paving stones
Pine Sol and other cleaning supplies
Carpet remnants
Chain link fencing
Gift cards to pet stores, Sam’s Club or Lowe’s
Home Improvement
Plastic Coat Hangers
Trouser and Skirt Hangers
Aluminum cans for recycling
Large furniture items and household
furnishings
Page 4
Summer 2010
Senior Felines
Chelsea
The Cattery at Safe Haven is home to many cats of
varying ages, colors and dispositions. Among them are
some long-timers who have lived at Safe Haven for a
number of years. These cats are among the most gentle
and personable and we all scratch our heads as to why
they are still with us. Senior in years maybe, but mellow
and just waiting for a loving home. If you or someone
you know is looking for a lap cat to share affection with
you, one that doesn’t need a lot of high maintenance,
then perhaps one of these felines might be just right for
you.
Leslie Presley
Can’t adopt at this time? Consider becoming a sponsor of one of our senior
cats or dogs. Your donation will go towards more creature comforts for these
elderlies.
Speaker
Puzzle from Safe Haven
In late 2008, after losing my beautiful Cavalier
Penny Farthing to cancer, I went to Safe Haven
seeking a small dog. Alas, only big ones ... but
Charles Burns, their great manager, said “I’ve
just left the Shelter … hurry up there … they’ve a
little dog who sounds about what you want. He’s
pretty sick but they’re working on him.”
And there, in a warm room, lay what I knew was
my blueprint dog … sort of. Left eye oozing pus,
nose running with green slime, filthy coat …
certainly too sick to be adopted right away but to
Animal Service Center’s credit they worked
heroically and after neutering and micro-chipping
he was mine.
He’d been on Bataan for a while but though no
one had called, someone must have once loved
and trained him for he proved obedient, Mensasmart and totally housebroken. Lhasa-Poo? Shih-
Tzu Poo? Whatever, a charmer. Did he escape to
follow some doggy floozie? Did his owner die,
leaving no instructions as to his future? Only
blanks … so what else could I name him but
Puzzle? Yorkshire Pippin, another Shelter rescue,
and as tough as my native Yorkshire limestone,
accepted him at once for play and “rassling”. It’s
been nearly two years now and I can’t imagine
being without the sight of him trotting on short
fat legs proudly carrying his ballplayer toy
“Sammy” or his squeaking ferret! In a lifetime
of dogs, aristocratic and other, he is the only one
who decided, and I agreed, that he would sleep
on the bed!
As I said, I can never know Puzzle’s past, perhaps
it’s as well, but I can honestly say he is the best
dog I have ever owned and the only one to make
me laugh aloud. So thanks Charlie B … and Safe
Haven … for my priceless pooch.
By Tessa Nelson-Humphries
www.SafeHavenAnimalSanctuary.net
The
Taming
of the
Feral
She was tiny, weighing less than a pound,
frightened, defensive and confused. She was a
typical feral cat. When you reached for her, she
defended herself by biting, hissing and clawing
with her tiny paw.
I was determined to work with her but found it
prudent to wear leather gloves (which I rubbed on
my face and hair to establish “my scent”). As a
psychologist, I was a student of animal behavior
early in my career, but Wylie defied the rules.
On my weekly visit to the Safe Haven sanctuary I
made it a point to make three mini visits to
Wylie. First to “say hello”, second to feed and
clean her area, and third to attempt to make
physical contact with her. During the week I
went on line to find websites dealing with ferals
(ferralcats.com)…. And read The New Natural Cat
by Anitra Frazier from my own library. One of
the best suggestions, which seemed so natural, is
to be consistent, calm, and reassuring with the
cat, thereby creating a safe and secure
environment.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
 PetCo, 3050 E. Lohman Avenue, Las Cruces
 Pet Smart, 2200 E. Lohman Avenue, Las Cruces
 Animal Hospital of Las Cruces, 3171 N. Main,
Las Cruces
Page 5
I knew food could be used to bring her around, so
I put some dry food on a long-handled spoon and
offered it to her. After several attempts, we had
a successful “snack time”. I found that repeating
movements, i.e. extending a finger toward her
over and over again so that she would no longer
attack it, seemed to work. After carrying out
these movements five consecutive times, we
moved on to another exercise. Similarly, I picked
her up in my two hands slowly so that her feet
did not touch the floor (that is a frightening thing
to any animal). When I could do this successfully
five times, I would cuddle and support her.
During any of these exercises, I was constantly
talking to her in a soft and calm voice. It was
important to be aware of her rate of breathing
and the presence or absence of purring.
Some days you seem to make progress and other
times you feel you have lost ground, but
persistence and consistency and showing love,
leads to success. The volunteers at Safe Haven
have all worked to make Wylie a happier and
more secure kitten. She has a way to go but
we’re teaching Wylie how to play and eventually
to be social with other cats.
Note: Wylie was a mystery arrival at SHAS and
just appeared in the Cattery one morning. SHAS
does not knowingly accept feral cats.
By Paul Hutchins
 Mesquite Animal Vaccination Clinic, Mesquite,
NM
 Denise Cooper, CPA, 1155 Commerce Drive,
Las Cruces
 Target, Las Cruces
 Wal-Mart, Lohman Store
Page 6
Summer 2010
From the Executive
Director
Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary will be
celebrating its fifteenth anniversary in 2011.
Fifteen years of serving our community; of saving
the lives of our animal friends; of finding new
homes for countless unwanted, abandoned and
relinquished cats and dogs.
We who currently have and have had the
opportunity to be involved with Safe Haven, give
thanks for the work that we do for it is truly
rewarding. With the growth of our area and with
the current economic climate, demands for our
services are greater than ever. I often say that if
we had ten times the capacity that we now have,
we would still be filled with homeless pets. This
year we have seen more people relinquishing
their animal family due to economic hardship,
loss of employment and too often the loss of their
home. When families have to move in with other
family members or into apartments, very often
their pets are uninvited. It is a very tough and
sad situation.
Economic hardship has also been felt on
our home front this year. Monetary donations are
down, veterinary bills are up and adoptions have
slowed. Thrift Store sales have begun to pick up
after a rocky first quarter and we thank those of
you who donate your no longer needed
possessions. As many of you know, we do not
receive funding from any government entity and
rely solely on the support of people like you. We
continue to apply for grants but are finding that
those available monies have diminished lately.
For the first time we are including a giving
envelope with this Newsletter. We would ask
that you place in that envelope whatever
monetary donation you feel moved to make to
support this worthy cause. Believe me when I say
that every little helps. Just the price of a movie
ticket will buy 12 cans of dog food. There are
many ongoing maintenance projects that need to
be completed at the Sanctuary. There is
medicine and food to be purchased and our
vehicle is on its last legs.
We continue with our mission here at Safe
Haven, knowing that we make a huge difference
in the lives of so many pets and also knowing that
as we give we shall receive and as we receive we
shall continue to give. We have been giving our
services to this community for going on fifteen
years and now we look to our community to give
back. We do indeed have a wonderful facility
and all of us at Safe Haven thank you for your
generous gift.
~ Lorna Harris
SHAS Board of Directors & Staff 2010
Officers:
President .................... Sharon Perrone
Vice President ..................... Rita Popp
Secretary ...................... Trudy Cooper
Treasurer ........................... Tina Lutz
Directors:
Robin Hutchins
Eleanor Bencomo
Carol Mellen
Executive Director:................... Lorna Harris
Sanctuary Manager: ................ Charles Burns
Thrift Store Manager: ............... Ismael Lujan
Website: ............................... Dorian Rudin
Volunteer Coordinators:
Sanctuary — Carol Mellen — 575-522-5350
Thrift Store — Mary Ann Boone — 575-382-7316
Safe Haven is seeking qualified board member candidates. If you or someone you know can dedicate a few hours
each month to serving, please contact the Executive Director and we will send out an application form.
www.SafeHavenAnimalSanctuary.net
Improvements
continue into the
summer months at
the Sanctuary.
Several
maintenance
projects are in the works at the cattery and also
the feline isolation building. Thanks to the help
of our manager Charles’ father and volunteers we
are making some much needed repairs.
President’s
Corner
We are continuing to work towards our infirmary
building. We are at the design stage and keep
adding and making changes. Ultimately the plan
will go to an architect with our concept and then
to a contractor. The completion of this building is
a very important goal for us to reach.
Large item donations to the Thrift Store have
picked up some, but as you know we can always
use more so please let your friends and family
know. Our rummage sale held May 15th, saw a lot
Page 7
of activity and was a great success. This is
something we will hold semi-annually at the
change of seasons. The next one is planned for
August 28th.
I want to say a special thank you to Mary Ann
Boone for all the hard work she has put in as an
assistant manager. She is stepping down from this
position but will continue to volunteer at the
store. We will miss her expertise as assistant
manager but will still get to enjoy her pleasant
smile at the store.
The Target store here in Las Cruces donates dog
and cat food plus other pet related products to
the sanctuary. I want to extend our appreciation
for their generosity and thank them for being an
important community partner with our
organization. Let them know you are grateful to
them when you are shopping at their store.
~ Sharon Perrone
SHAS Featured Volunteer — Roger Moore
Having retired from
the US Naval Reserve
and from the Physical
Science Laboratory at
NMSU and with time
on his hands, Roger
Moore decided to try
his hand at volunteer
work. He discovered
Safe Haven in 2007
through several
newspaper articles
and decided that
working with the cats
would be not only
enjoyable for him but also beneficial for the cats.
Roger’s duties at the sanctuary involve,
feeding, watering, socializing, sweeping, mopping
and cleaning litter boxes. “When I first started
volunteering, we did not have sufficient help and
I was working three days a week, I now have it
down to one day, with the addition of new
volunteers”. When asked about the personal
rewards he receives from his work with the cats,
he states, “I read somewhere that petting a cat
has a very positive effect on reducing personal
stress and blood pressure. If that is true of one
cat, imagine the positive effect of petting 30
cats. I look forward each week to visiting the
cats.”
When asked if there is a special story he
would like to share with our readers, Roger
recalls that when he first started at Safe Haven,
there was a cat, Pillow, who was in an isolation
building, having been diagnosed with Leukemia,
she had been there for a number of years. After
a trip to the vet, it was determined that Pillow
could now move into the main Cattery with her
larger feline family. For over a year Roger
watched as she became an integral part of the
general cat population and thrived on the
company of others. Then, one day, when he
showed up for work he learned that Pillow had
been adopted. Roger says that Pillow is a true
Safe Haven success story. “She proves that there
is always hope of finding good homes for any of
our cats or dogs despite what sometimes appear
to be insurmountable obstacles.”
We at Safe Haven thank Roger for his
dedication and time spent helping our cat
population.
Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Las Cruces NM
Permit No. 2101
144 Wyatt Drive
Las Cruces, NM 88005
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
HOURS
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
General Info
575-527-4544
Office:
Thrift
Shop
575-541-4942
Mon-Friday – 9 am-1 pm
Sanctuary
575-805-5338
Thrift Shop:
Tues-Saturday – 9 am-3 pm,
Sanctuary:
Tuesday-Sunday – 10 am-5 pm and by appointment any other time
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-Mail: shaspets@yahoo.com
Website: www.SafeHavenAnimalSanctuary.net
Sanctuary E-mail: shascharles@yahoo.com
Please Donate!
I want to help care for animals at our beautiful “no kill” Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary.
$25 ______________ $50 ______________ $100______________ Other______________
Name
Address
City
State
Zip
Your donations to SHAS are tax deductible. Please make your checks payable to:
Safe Haven • 144 Wyatt Dr • Las Cruces NM 88005, or visit the PayPal link on our website. Thank you!