THE PET PRESS FALL 2020
MEET FORREST PAGE 3
PLUS
RESCUE ROUNDUP ON PAGE 5
A Quarterly Magazine for Rescue Animal Lovers | Compliments of SafeHaven Humane Society
Executive Director Focus Dear Friends, Have you ordered your copy of Dear SafeHaven yet? This book is a treasure to all of us working hard at the shelter because it reminds us of all the happy families that have been enriched by a rescued pet. Each individual story is unique and heartwarming and I urge you to consider purchasing for yourself and perhaps as a gift for your own loved ones. Enjoy this excerpt out of the book about my dog, Scooter, who came to me on my journey at SafeHaven: It was a Friday afternoon at the little shelter. All the kennels were full and I had talked with the team and volunteers earlier that day that we wouldn’t have any room to take any more animals today, but Saturdays and Sundays were our biggest adoption days so by Monday, we should have open kennels again. Around 3 in the afternoon, I got a call from our front desk that a gentleman was refusing to leave without giving us his dog and if I could please come and talk to him and try once again to explain the situation. So I entered the front office area and saw a very determined gentleman with his arms crossed over his chest sitting in a chair. I knew I was in for a fight. I tried to explain again our full kennel situation and I promised that come Monday morning, I would happily be able to help him out and take his dog. He calmly looked at me and said, “I’m not leaving until you take my dog.” You can only imagine what I was thinking now. I was angry that he was forcing his dog on SafeHaven…right this minute. I was angry that he was giving up on his dog…and I was judging him as a terrible pet owner. How could he just sit there and not care at all about giving up his dog of 1 year? So, I asked the dog’s breed to see what kind of space I was going to need to find to house him. He said he was a Mini Aussie. My heart melted a little. I had always wanted a Mini Aussie growing up with Standard Aussies my whole life… but was it really? I asked the gentleman to please bring the dog in from the car. As he came back through the door with Scooter, the dog jumped immediately into my arms and started licking my face. It was love at first sight and I knew instantly that this dog would not need a kennel at the shelter because he was coming home with me. The gentleman quickly signed him over to me and left the building. I just couldn’t believe he didn’t care enough to tell him goodbye. Well, he surely didn’t deserve him anyway I thought.
Scooter was my “heart dog” immediately. He was such a blessing in my life that a few weeks after adopting him, I decided to call his previous owner and “thank” him for giving me such a gift, even if he didn’t seem to think so. He answered and I told him how much I adored Scooter and what a gift he had given me and my family and that I just wanted him to know how loved he was. I asked the question then…”Why? Why did you give him up?” And here is where I had to swallow a lump that began forming in my throat as he spoke. He told me that he had been diagnosed with cancer when Scooter was a puppy so he and Scooter went to Mexico on a motorcycle and sidecar (that is where Scooter got his name because he rode in the side car) and they had spent the last 8 months doing cancer treatments. He had recently returned and had just been to his doctor that fateful Friday afternoon when he was told the treatments didn’t work and he had less than 3 months left to live and he wanted his best friend to be loved and safe. It is all he cared about that day. That Scooter was loved and safe. He needed to do that for his friend who had given him so much. He quickly walked out that day after releasing him because he didn’t want us to see him cry. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was crying into the phone as I promised him that Scooter would be loved…and he so was. Scooter was a mascot at SafeHaven for many years. He visited schools, nursing homes, nursed bottle-fed kittens, helped other dogs to gain trust in humans, and wore his hard hat with pride on the day we broke ground on our new facility. He was loved by all he met and the day I lost him to cancer, my heart broke into a million pieces. Scooter taught me one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned - do not judge people. You just never know the whole story and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank that gentleman for trusting me with his best friend.
Chris Storm, Executive Director
Table of Contents Executive Director Focus.................. 1 Cover Story............................................. 3 Happy Tails............................................ 4 Events...................................................... 5 Foster Care ........................................ . ...6 Development ................................... ... 7 Christmas Tree Raffle ... ...................9 Training Tips ................... . .................11
This limited edition book is comprised of stories from SafeHaven alumni and has been such a fun read for everyone here at the shelter, especially during these uncertain times.
YOUR PURCHASE HELPS MORE ANIMALS. Not only does your purchase of Dear SafeHaven help more animals with a monetary contribution, these stories also help to illuminate our mission and ultimately save the lives of even more pets just like the ‘happily ever afters’ in this collection. These books are only $20 and make excellent gifts! Stop by either the shelter or a Gift & Thrift store and pick up your copy today.
OR we will mail a copy to you for just $3 more! Simply call us at 541-928-2789 to order your copy and begin reading in just a few days. This will give you time to set aside the tissues. Believe us, you’ll need them!
Featured Adoption MEET THE MEOWFIA Dena and Jim Healy, long time supporters of SafeHaven Humane Society, are the proud parents of Forrest and Ginny, two ‘foster failures’ they first met back in 2015. Dena, a current SafeHaven board member recalls the experience and how they decided to keep these two new family members: “It was our first time fostering in the summer of 2015. We already had 3 older cats of our own but took on fostering multiple litters all at once. In the past, friends had told me I would be a ‘foster failure’. I vowed I wouldn’t be. From the moment all of the kittens arrived, I loved it! I enjoyed getting the little balls of fur and raising them to return to the shelter right as they became ‘little terrors’. I spent our evenings hanging out with the kittens. Who needs cable TV when you have kittens to watch?
disability and his front leg and foot were malformed. Forrest and Ginny spent several weeks with us and in that time, the veterinarian determined that Forrest would need to remain an indoor cat due to not being able to run very fast or climb if needed to escape a predator. Ultimately, we decided we could not part with Forrest and Ginny and they have been with us ever since. Last year, we had a catio built just for them so they could access the outdoors and still be safe. They love it and have the best life. We call them the “meowfia” because they are quite the formidable pair. We recommend fostering to anyone out there who’s ever been curious. It was a great experience and it helps the shelter greatly!”
The final litter we had was just two kittens, a brother and sister named Forrest and Ginny who were approximately 4 weeks old. Jim always wanted a six toed cat. Forrest was white with orange markings and the most amazing blue eyes and, of course, at least 6 toes on each foot. We were told he was born with a
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Jim and Dena Healy are also the parents of Doug, a popular SafeHaven mascot whose story is also in Dear SafeHaven and one you won’t want to miss. He has been featured on a Pet Press cover, as well, and is a hard worker at Healy & McCann, PC law firm when he goes to work with his dad.
Happy Tails BLENDING IN PERFECTLY Check out what Enzo’s family had to say about their sweet boy: “We adopted Enzo in May of 2019. This goofball has been a highlight to our family. Not a day goes by that this dog doesn’t make us laugh. Personality? Yep, he’s got it. We nicknamed him Bozo because he’s kind of a big clown. Enzo spends the majority of his days playing in the yard with our other dogs. He LOVES to play ball, going for car rides is one of his favorite adventures (he especially likes to go to McDonald’s to get a burger), and at night he can be caught cuddling with one of the kids in bed. Summer is Bozo’s favorite season - you can find him swimming in the river with his kids or playing in his very own pool. Thank you for bringing this beautiful boy into our lives. He’s been such a blessing.”
“This dog’s life is so rough. Enzo played in his pool the majority of the day and chased the kids around the yard. This dog is loving the sunshine.”
-Stephanie Breshears
DOUBLE THE FUN What’s better than one new kitten during these uncertain times? TWO new kittens to bring joy into your home, along with so many laughs. Hear all about Mango and Mochi, adopted in June 2020: “We love our new family members. Fireball is now Mango and Amaretto is now Mochi. They have been adjusting well to our senior cat, Stinkers (who will be 18 in August). They have grown quite a bit, as well, and love exploring our house. They are very curious kittens! They fit right in with our family! We adore them.” -Rose Zoellner
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Rescue Roundup from the Homestead is coming to a screen near you! After much deliberation, our annual live auction and dinner to benefit the animals at SafeHaven has been moved from an in-person event to an online auction that anyone can enjoy from the comfort of their home. What will Rescue Roundup from the Homestead look like? Anyone can register to join our online auction. During registration, participants will be given a special access link and a bidding number. There will be a Preview Week for you to see all items from October 2nd to October 8th. During this time, all the cowboys and cowgirls can mosey on through the pages of great items. Items will have a display image and a short description. When the item is clicked on, they will see three more photos and more details of the item. The auction link can be shared with friends and family. The more the merrier! OPEN BIDDING WILL BEGIN OCTOBER 9TH – OCTOBER 17TH During this time, folks can easily bid on their favorite items from their phone, tablet, or computer throughout the week. They are so many ways to have fun during this virtual auction! When a bidder is out bid, they will receive either a text or an email letting them know that they have been out bid on their favorite item. From there, they can select an automatic bid or a custom bid. Bidders can also select a
cool feature and select the highest amount they are willing to bid on an item. The program will then automatically bid for them until their max amount is reached. There will be a BUY IT NOW option. Can’t live without that super awesome pet hair vacuum? Buy it now to purchase the item and the chances of you being out bid won’t happen. Looking for a particular themed item or price point? There is a filter feature and a search bar. Like an item and you want to keep your eye on it before bidding? Select it as one of your favorites and go back and check on it later. BIDDING WILL CLOSE OCTOBER 17TH, 2020 AT 10:00PM How can I help? We are looking for awesome auction items. Gift cards, baskets, art, dog items, cat items, you get the idea. We are also looking for supporting sponsors. Share, share, share! Talk it up with your friends, families and coworkers! Register and have fun shopping! Visit our website: www.safehavenhumane.org/roundup I have so many questions, who do I talk to? Contact Steph Lesire at steph@safehavenhumane.com or call 541-928-2789.
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTING SPONSORS: DOUG HEALY
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Fostering In Quarantine Think the kitten in this photo is pretty cute? We do too! And we couldn’t save lives just like hers without the network of our foster parents willing to take on the task of temporarily hosting animals in need. We recently caught up with Anita Dodd, the foster mom of this kitten and her litter mates, and asked how her experience was. This is what she told us: “My daughter Avery and I were having a hard time staying home all of the time during quarantine and we were already thinking about fostering kittens, so we decided it was a good time to start. We took in five 4-week-old kittens. Four of them were already eating soft food, but the runt (solid gray, named Pipsqueak) was still really attached to his bottle for another two weeks. Although the kittens were 4 weeks old, they were the size of 2 week-old kittens so we had to wake up every 3-4 hours and feed them at night. Throughout the course of our first fostering adventure, we noticed that the kittens would go through developmental changes in personality. We loved them all, but we couldn’t consistently decide which one
was our favorite because it would change from week to week. One week, a kitten would be super sweet and the next week it would climb our leg every time we walked in the room or just be feisty. By the time they were all healthy and ready to go back to SafeHaven, we were in love with all of them, and it was so bittersweet to see them go. Now we are watching them as they get adopted into their new homes. Within two days of dropping this litter off, we got the kitten area in our home sanitized and went back to SafeHaven to pick up a new litter of six sweet bottle babies that we are now taking care of, because we enjoyed the last experience so much.” If you are interested in fostering for SafeHaven Humane Society, please feel free to reach out to us. You can find more information on our website or email Scarlett, our Foster Care Coordinator at fostercare@safehavenhumane.com. 6
Planned Giving MS. SALLIE’S LEGACY Planned Giving can be a truly rewarding way to plan for the future and to leave a mark on the world. We hope you’ll consider learning more and becoming a member of our Legacy Leaders program. In doing so, you become eligible to participate in our Friends for Life program, which provides lifetime care for your pets if you predecease them. Additionally, we would be honored to list your name on our Legacy Leaders donor wall at the shelter. We recently sat down and spoke with Sallie, a current Legacy Leader who has already named SafeHaven as a beneficiary to her estate and wanted to share her story. Sallie’s greatest love has always been animals. She loves them all, but cats have always held a special place in her heart. Her first pet and the pet that would start it all was her white and orange cream kitty Felix. “I’ve always been friends with my cats”, Sallie tells us as we chat about how Sallie became involved with SafeHaven’s Planned Giving program. When a friend of Sallie’s passed away, in lieu of flowers being sent to the family, her friend had asked that donations be made to SafeHaven. “I had not heard of SafeHaven and wanted to know more about this place that my friend cared so much for.” Sallie then told us what a surprise she was in for.
Never having to seek out a pet in her life, all her cat companions throughout her life have found her. Walter (pictured below), Sallie’s late cat who lived to be 25, was a true joy in her life. She says that if she wanted to find a great pet, she would certainly come to a place like SafeHaven. We asked Sallie why she would choose to leave her entire estate to SafeHaven, a place that she didn’t know very well at first. Her reply was that she could see that every animal that came through the doors had worth and that SafeHaven gives each animal the respect for the creation that they are. “I’m not very wealthy, but I wanted to give all that I could to the animals, especially the cats, they deserve it. I wish I could give more.”
“I was so impressed with how warm and caring the shelter was! It was so clean, the pets there were allowed to be animals and given the privacy they deserve. Each kitty had it’s own comfortable area. I want to come back as a cat and come to SafeHaven!”
Sallie’s cat, Walter
WHERE SHOPPING & GIVING UNITE Is Fred Meyer your store of choice? Perfect! Don’t forget to link your Rewards card to SafeHaven Humane Society to help save and protect more pets. This program brings in over $1,000 each year and doesn’t cost you any extra! For more information and to link your Rewards card with SafeHaven, simply visit the link below or find the link on our website. www.fredmeyer.com/i/community/community-rewards
Volunteering Update We have some exciting news about our Volunteer program and hope it incites a new love for helping animals among our current volunteers, and also new! SafeHaven is moving towards integrating volunteers into each part of daily life at the shelter and greatly expanding volunteer opportunities.
NEW POTENTIAL POSITIONS INCLUDE: Front Desk, Medical Team, Foster Care, Enrichment and Training Department, Community Outreach, Humane Education and, as always, Animal Care and Gift & Thrift store positions. Due to limited availability and the nature of the tasks in some areas (such as the Medical Team), interested volunteers will be screened and selected based on level of experience. Some areas (such as Humane Education) may require a background check and thus an additional fee to help cover this expense. Let’s get the conversation going! Please email Gage Ziehmn Ardağ, our Volunteer Coordinator leading this new and improved program at volunteer@safehavenhumane.com.
Additionally, are there other areas you would like to volunteer in or ways you’d like to help? The list to the left is by no means complete or exhaustive. We are open to suggestions and new ideas – just let us know what you have in mind! New Volunteer Orientations to Resume in September If you have friends or family who are wanting to start as a new SafeHaven volunteer, we will resume new volunteer orientations in September for the first time since we shut down in the spring due to COVID-19.
You can fill out an application to volunteer on our website at
SHOW HOMELESS PETS THEY ARE LOVED. Some animals find homes quickly, while others wait much longer to find their perfect family. For only $25.00 you can show a homeless animal they are not alone. You may not be able to take them home, but you can still change their world. Once you sponsor a pet, they will receive a paw print on their kennel so everyone will know they are loved. ONCE YOUR SPONSORED ANIMAL FINDS A HOME, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THEIR ADOPTION. If you have any questions about sponsoring a shelter animal, please contact Carly at carly@safehavenhumane.com or 541-926-2924.
RAFFLE SPONSORED BY:
Second Chances Doubled The rise of COVID-19 shook us all and, sadly, put a halt to parts of the lifesaving work we strive towards each day. Unfortunately, one of the hardest decisions we had to make was to cancel a flight of animals, set to arrive at the end of March for their second chance. This was heartbreaking as we knew they were all so close to being saved. We were relieved to learn that all of the pets scheduled for the flight were able to find temporary foster homes and once again, saved until they could ultimately come to SafeHaven. Once it was safe for everyone involved, Transport Coordinator, Katie Storm (pictured left) arranged for our largest transport to date. On June 27th, we were able to accept 117 animals from Oklahoma. For the first time ever, Fetch Fido A Flight was able to fly not one, but TWO planes with animals ready for a second chance. Needless to say, our shelter was full of love and our staff was excited to meet all the new faces. The two flights included dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens all ready for a fresh start here in Oregon. To our surprise, ALL of the dogs and puppies (except those needing foster care) were placed on hold and in their forever homes within the week. The kittens and cats were not far behind in their search for families. What an incredible adventure to be a part of. We are so thankful for this opportunity!
ARE WE THERE YET?
Staff members, Justina and Rachel hold some of the new FFAF arrivals
Puppy Training Tips
You know who’s not sad that we’ve been home more during the wake of COVID-19? Dogs, of course. We’ve truly enjoyed seeing so many families taking advantage of the extra time at home to train and socialize a new animal and have seen adoptions stay consistent. We’re happy to report that at the beginning of August, we surpassed 1,000 adoptions in 2020! But one questions remains - how can I socialize my new dog or puppy from home? There are many new experiences you can give your pet at home to help them become well socialized, happy and healthy pups. We’ve got a few ideas on how to keep Fido exploring and open to new things while you stay safe. 1. Bring your new companion a new household item and praise them for being curious and approaching to investigate. This can be anything in your house that they haven’t seen before. Make sure to vary sizes and shapes of objects. 11
2. Find some new textures for your puppy to walk on throughout the day. Think large cutouts of cardboard, baking trays, wood, or fuzzy blankets! 3. Play dress up and wear different hats. (We think you’ll have fun with this one!) 4. Use the view from your window or front yard to “people watch.” We recommend researching how to teach your dog to “look” and “touch” for some extra training sessions. Sadly, SafeHaven’s training classes have been canceled until further notice. Please check our website or call in 2021 for updated Enrichment and Training information.
Go on, Brag a Little One of the best ways adopters can support animals in need is by sharing their story. By sending updates to SafeHaven, you are directly helping us reach a larger number of potential adopters, donors, and supporters. Not only does your adoption story affect fundraising efforts, but it is also a constant reminder to employees and volunteers here at SafeHaven why we work so hard every day. As you may know, a job in Animal Welfare is not always an easy job. Even on the hardest days, your stories remind us that every minute is worth it to find animals like yours the home they deserve. But it doesn’t stop there! If your new pet came from one of our transport partners, they also are able to use your story to gain support and raise funds to get another transport out and rescue even more pets. Your stories could be a new start for dozens of homeless animals. All you have to do is send your story (and pictures, because if you’re like us, you have hundreds) and we will pass it on. Please also note that your story or pictures may be used on social media. We want to use your story to help tell ‘Happy Tails’ and share the journey animals go on to find their forever homes. If you would like to share your story, but don’t want it shared with the public, we would still love to hear them. A story can go a long way. We understand that not everyone can donate to help homeless animals, but anyone can send their adoption story or update on how their new addition to the family is doing. Please send your adoption story and updates to: katies@safehavenhumane.com or send us a letter in the mail to the address below. SafeHaven Humane Society Attn: Development 32220 Old Highway 34 Tangent, OR 97389
Shop Local, Serve Local, Sustain Local Points for Profit is networking on purpose – with a purpose, harnessing millions of dollars in sales and giving back tens of thousands of dollars to participating non-profit organizations in our community. In Points for Profit, local businesses do more business, local non-profit organizations do more good while building partnerships and sustaining individual communities! It’s easy to get involved. Just start shopping at any one of our business partners listed and start saving receipts. Turn those receipts into SafeHaven and save animals. Businesses include any store at the Heritage Mall in Albany, Albany Animal Hospital, Elmer’s Restaurant, Linn Lanes Bowling, Rife’s Home Furniture, and many more. To see a complete list, check out the link here.
www.pointsforprofit.org/midvalley/sponsors
Community SNUFFLE MATS & CORN HUSKS In August, we received a very fun donation. The Albany Public Library Teen Volunteers hand made and donated snuffle mats for our dogs and corn husk toys for the kitties! For weeks after, these simple toys kept our shelter pets busy while they waited for forever homes. Snuffle mats are perfect gifts for our shelter dogs! They are some dogs’ favorite toys: perfect for brain games and giving treats. A snuffle mat is a brain game made from a rubber sink mat with fleece strips knotted through the holes of the mat. This is where you can hide the treats. Thank you to these generous volunteers who thought of our animals while they wait for forever homes at SafeHaven!
LOCAL BOUTIQUE SAVES HOMELESS PETS We want to send a huge Thank You to Burlap & Lace in Corvallis and Good Karma Bracelets for their recent support and donation of $400 for the animals in our care. Burlap & Lace is a boutique located in downtown Corvallis, Oregon, offering trendy clothes, cute decor, jewelry and unique gifts. They hosted Good Karma Bracelets, a business that creates handmade bracelets to help raise funds for animal shelters around the world. They partnered together to help SafeHaven in a big way. Check out their Facebook pages and businesses and be sure to support those who support our mission.
A LIFESAVING GRANT Another huge Thank You goes to the Petco Foundation for a recent $5,000 grant for our Spay & Neuter Surgery Suite! The investment and support went towards purchasing another anesthesia machine and now SafeHaven’s lead veterinarian, Dr. Candie Corriher, is able to complete almost double the amount of surgeries per day as before. The Petco Foundation offers grants to shelters across the United States throughout each year and SafeHaven has been granted many that have pushed our mission further and gotten SafeHaven to where we are today. 13
Gift & Thrift HOME RENOVATIONS FOR LESS Did you know that both SafeHaven Gift & Thrift stores have brand new items in stock that would be perfect for those home projects you’ve been putting off? We hope you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for to spruce up your kitchen space, extra bathroom, or anywhere else in your home. Companies in our community generously donate excess brand new items and we think it’s a win-win. Not only do YOU get great deals on brand new merchandise, but each purchase helps an animal in need. Our Gift & Thrift stores bring in thousands of dollars each year and allow us to continue saving lives. Plus, it’s fun to find a bargain! If you haven’t been recently or still want to check it out, now’s the time.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Our annual Holiday Open House is scheduled for November 7th this year. Join us for a storewide sale and get in on all of our holiday items and decor. PLUS... Sweet treats, prize basket drawings, holiday merchandise preview, design ideas & much more! You won’t want to miss all of the fun decorations to be found and take advantage of getting started on that Christmas list. This will be taking place at both locations. Gift & Thrift stores will be closed on November 6th in preparation for this day of festive fun.
LEBANON: 914 S. Second St. Lebanon, OR
TANGENT: 33650 OR-99E Tangent, OR
GIFT & THRIFT TEES FOR SALE Have you see these cute SafeHaven Gift & Thrift shirts available for sale? Stop by either location to get yours for only $19. They’re our softest shirt yet and by purchasing, you’re supporting the animals in our care. What could be better?
SafeHaven Humane Society P.O. Box 2018 Albany, OR 97321 Return Service Requested
NonProfit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Albany, OR Permit No. 13
Providing the Place You Love to Come Home to Since 1951 Albany: (541) 924-5616 • 321 1st Ave E, Suite 3C Corvallis: (541) 757-1781 • 455 NW Tyler Ave