Rescued, My Favorite Breed

REMINDER: Spring is coming and along with that come fleas and ticks. Please get your dog or cat ready and apply flea and tick medicine or get a flea and tick collar. Remember that cats and dogs take different types and using the wrong one can be fatal.

By Christa Stout

Telling tales about wagging tails

How can you tell a good shelter from a bad shelter? By the people who care for the animals, whether staff or volunteers. I stopped by Haven of the Ozarks the other day and was surprised and pleased to see volunteers walking dogs as I was going down the country road to the shelter. Not only that though, the dogs were well behaved, did not pull and when I stopped to say hello, they wagged their tails in welcome. Haven of the Ozarks is one of the shelters where everyone cares for the dogs and cats, not only staff and not only volunteers. When you talk to them, they are so ready to tell you about all of their animals and of course their individual favorites, how they came to be at the shelter and even how they were adopted. One dog that they were all unanimously in love with is one that has been adopted by a wonderful family. Hero is a 180-pound English Mastiff, who was deathly afraid of everyone when he came to the shelter. He was raw from having backed up to any wall to scratch his itch, he even dragged his bottom on the gravel to get rid of the itch. He had been treated by a non-standard vet, so the first thing the Haven did, was take him for a vet appointment with their vet and it turned out that he simply had a yeast infection, something that is very treatable, but also very miserable for the dog. It took a little while to get Hero over his shyness, but getting his infection cleared up did wonders for this boy’s temperament. His adopted family is so happy with him and he is so happy with them, especially since he has an adopted brother, another Mastiff. Good job everyone! Here is a little more about Haven of the Ozarks. They are located in southern Barry County, west of Cassville, in a rural area, where the

Some important links: www.havenoftheozarks.org | havenozarksanctuary@gmail.com So here are two of Haven of the Ozarks’ adoptable pets:

DAWN, a beautiful 9 year old with the biggest smile and smarts that just don’t end. Dawn’s owner could no longer care for her, so she came to the Haven. She loves to be with her people and would prefer a home where she is not alone too often. She loves kids, but is not so fond of cats and would prefer to be the only dog. Dawn is a staff favorite.

KEEKEE, is a sad 4 year old short haired cat whose owner passed away. He is a gentleman who likes people, dogs and follows everyone around. His favorite little trick is to hide under a blanket. He has also learned to mimic your facial expressions while sitting in your lap, pretty talented! KeeKee loves to be brushed and can’t wait to find his forever home.

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dogs are staying mostly in outside kennels, while the cats are staying inside. They have very dedicated volunteers who walk the dogs and do some basic training, as well as a lot of chores such as laundry, etc. They also have a training facility and until COVID-19 hit, a trainer would come to work with some of the more shy dogs. Unfortunately, COVID put a stop to this for a while, but they are hoping to be able to resume when it is safe. They do have a large pool of volunteers, but if someone in this area wishes to spend a little time with some beautiful dogs or cats, please contact them. The shelter staff will work with the volunteers to match the dogs to the volunteer’s skills and desires. Of course, if you are looking for a dog or cat to make part of your family, please visit them and find your future pet, all sizes and kinds. Because of breed specific laws in different parts of the area, they do have quite a number of bully mixes, but like most people in the rescue arena, the staff feels that most have been given an undeserved reputation, because they are mostly sweet dogs who love to snuggle. There is a positive side to COVID, if you can call it that, but the shelter is currently almost at its lowest count of animals, partly due to an increase in adoptions, and partly because there are fewer returns of adopted animals. People are finding out that having a pet waiting for you at home or being with you while working at home is a wonderful thing. n