THE PET PRESS
SPRING 2022
Meet
Daisy
PAGE 3
A Quarterly Magazine for Rescue Animal Lovers | Compliments of SafeHaven Humane Society
Executive Director Focus Dear Friends: On December 31st, the world lost a one-of-a-kind animal advocate who improved the lives of animals world wide, Betty White. Like many of you, I felt like I had just lost a best friend, a teacher, and a role model. I grew up watching Golden Girls (in fact, I still watch the reruns) and I have forever admired Betty’s infectious smile and pure heart. I can only hope someday I, too, will be known for making the world a little kinder for animals. I heard a song recently called “When I Found You” by Jayne Olderman. It truly brought tears to my eyes. It has been called the Adoption Song. After 20 years of saving animals, a piece of my heart still goes home with each and every one of the animals we help. Their stories shape me, break me, fill my soul, make me cry...and then smile. The song says: “When I found you, I knew you were the one. In your darkest hour, did you know I’d finally come?” At SafeHaven, we rescue many animals in “their darkest hour”. Each holds a different story. Bayou sat in a shelter for 300 days—and then was given 3 days to be adopted or be euthanized. This sweet boy never gave up that someone would come for him. So SafeHaven wasn’t about to give up either - we rescued Bayou. He currently is waiting for his person to come find him.
Bobby and LA are a bonded pair whose owner no longer could care for them. They were so frightened and shut down that we knew the shelter environment wasn’t the ideal situation for them. But they needed us, so they were placed into a foster home to get the love and care they need until somebody “finds them” and knows "they are the ones”. Your support, compassion, donations, and commitment to the animals like Bayou, Bobby and LA, while in their darkest hour, is exactly what makes this world a little brighter, for you, for me, and for the animals who need us. I guess the best way to sum this up would be: “Thank you for being a Friend”.
Chris Storm Executive Director
UPDATE: On Thursday, March 3, Bayou was finally adopted and united with his forever family! Here he is leaving the shelter with staff and volunteers clapping for him and his journey. His new family said, "We love how goofy and friendly he is. You can see how much love he has to offer!"
Table of Contents Executive Director Focus.................. 1 Cover Story............................................. 3 Happy Tails............................................ 4 Events...................................................... 5 Development..................................... . ...7 Community. . ....................................... ...9 2021 Year in Review ..........................11 Seven days a week | Noon to 5 PM
Gift & Thrift...........................................14
at SafeHaven For us, a pet is not “just a dog” or “just a cat,” but rather a beloved member of our family, bringing companionship, fun, and joy to our lives. We recognize that losing this family member can be one of the most painful times in someone's life. That's why we created the Memory Wall at SafeHaven. Honor your pet's life with a tag to be displayed at SafeHaven for decades to come. A memory wall tag is a beautiful, permanent way to honor or memorialize a beloved pet. With a donation of $100, a pet I.D. tag can be engraved in memory of or in honor of a cherished pet and featured on the display near the front entrance of the shelter. You and your loved ones can visit the shelter to see your tag and the animals your donations have helped! Once your tag and donation is submitted to the link below, we will create and hang your tag and email you with a photo of the finished product.
www.safehavenhumane.org/support-us/donate/memory-wall
Sweet Daisy Meet our very special cover girl, Daisy, a 14 year-old Dachshund who now lives with Jason and Holly. We recently learned Daisy's story from Holly and wanted to share with you. "Daisy came to us in January of 2021 after the sudden passing of Jason’s dad, Darrel (pictured below). After Darrel’s passing, Daisy joined our family while her 'brother' Jake, a Deutsch Drahthaar, went to a close family friend that Jake knew and trusted. Daisy lived with Darrel and Jake for most of her first thirteen years of life. Before becoming part of Darrel’s family as a young dog, Daisy lived with a family whose primary language was Chinese. We like to say that she is bilingual! Also in her early years, Daisy was a race dog. While training his other dog, Jake, for hunting, Darrel noticed that Daisy would run alongside Jake and be able to keep his pace. With her showing a need for speed, Darrel trained Daisy to take part in Miniature Dachshund races. Daisy fit right into our household of two cats and an old black Labrador. She was immediately comfortable around Remington, our black lab, as her brother Jake also had a large stature. She didn’t know what to do around the cats, other than chase them. Perhaps because of her past racing days. Daisy’s health took a turn around Thanksgiving last year due to a reaction to flea medication. We were prepared for the worst, but with her tenacity and spunk, she made a full recovery. The majority of her days are spent sleeping under a warm blanket, but when she is up and about, she seems to have endless energy. Daisy enjoys soaking up the sun, being in our laps, and chasing her tail (and the cats!)." ~Jason & Holly Daisy became our Spring cover model when Jason and Holly were high bidders in our most recent fundraiser, the Rescue Roundup!
Happy Tails THE DOG WHO LOVED SAFEHAVEN Fergus came to SafeHaven all the way back in October 2020 as an owner surrender. His journey to finding forever happiness was a long one. There were a few potential families along the way, but it was determined that Fergus happened to really like being at SafeHaven. He was a staff favorite and seemed to thrive in our shelter. (A scenario we don't come across often, as you can imagine.) That was until his perfect someone came along. After 453 days of searching, Fergus was adopted the last week of 2021 and is doing amazing in his new home with Denise Huff. We're so grateful that Fergus had all the time he needed to find the right home. What a perfect way to end 2021. And check out that cheesy grin we all grew to love!
'HATTIE' EVER AFTER "I adopted Hattie in the summer after fostering a cat for several months. My roommate had a tuxedo kitten and the kitten and I missed having another feline presence in the house. I saw that there were several sweet-looking senior cats up for adoption at SafeHaven, so my roommates and I came in to meet them. We explained our situation to one of the staff members. They were so kind and helpful and guided us to some cats that got along well with other cats. One of these cats was our dear Dame Hattie. At first, we did not see her because she was hiding under some blankets. But when we went into the room, she charged out and started demanding pets. She had come in with her sisters, but they had both been adopted and she was the only one left. She stole my heart and we took her home. We worried a bit initially about how Hattie, a very regal older lady, would get along with a bunch of goofy twenty-somethings. However, in these six months, she has really adjusted well to our silly voices, instruments, and other antics. She has a very strict schedule she has made up for herself which we find very funny and endearing. She sleeps in the sun in the living room in the morning, then retires for the afternoon to hang out on the soft blankets while I work from home, then comes back and pretends like she hasn't been loved at all the entire day when my roommates come back from work. This way she grifts them into showering her with affection and turning on the space heater -her favorite- before she decides it's time for bed and curls up next to my pillow. We love all her little idiosyncrasies and we are so glad we have such a pretty, sweet lady to preside over our house." -Danielle Jochums 4
Join us for FIXER UPPER, a virtual spring auction to support the animals at SafeHaven! After rescuing and finding homes for 2,315 shelter pets in 2021, we hope you’ll join us in making 2022 the biggest year yet of lives saved!
THIS VIRTUAL EVENT BEGINS APRIL 20th AT 12:00 PM. Don't miss out on items like Home Furniture, Grills, Plants, Baskets and More!
The link to participate can be found at
www.safehavenhumane.org/events beginning April 20th.
SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY, JUNE 25th
Join us for a Golf Tournament hosted at the Golf Club of Oregon in North Albany! More details and information to come. To register, check www.safehavenhumane.org/events!
Betty White Challenge A TRUE ANIMAL CHAMPION January 17th, 2021 would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday, and some of the many fans who loved her, including anyone who has turned on a TV since the 1950s, decided to remember her by honoring her most beloved cause: protecting animals. As such, the #BettyWhiteChallenge, which implored people to give to a local animal shelter in White’s name, spread on social media. Leading up to Betty’s 100th, the internet was full of images of the beloved actress with animals of all kinds, plus some clips relevant to the fundraising effort. Betty White was famously an advocate for animal welfare for decades of her career. SafeHaven participated in the day by celebrating this wonderful woman and telling stories of how people like her have affected animals like the ones in the shelter right now. We're happy to report this challenge raised $17,529.88 for SafeHaven and 482 individuals donated to her cause! It was the most first time donors we have seen give to one single event.
Development PETS ARE FAMILY SafeHaven Humane Society is committed to working hard to keep families and their pets together. People often struggle financially to afford access to medical care and training services for their pets, leaving them no choice but to surrender their beloved family members to shelters in hopes of giving them access to the care they need. The Pets Are Family Fund is here to bridge the gap and keep pets in their loving homes. This grant is intended for those with financial need. Vale Price rescued Rosie a few months ago to save her from ending up in a shelter. Rosie has had a long journey before finding happiness, as Vale was told Rosie spent the first year and a half of her life living in a puppy mill. Vale fell in love with the sweet girl and has only wanted the best for her since laying eyes on her. When Vale took Rosie in, she had no idea her teeth were so bad. She took Rosie to a veterinarian for shots, microchipping, and a general checkup, and it was then the vet explained she is an overall healthy dog, but her teeth were rotten and needed to be removed. The estimate for Rosie's dental came out to over $1,000, a fee Vale just couldn't afford. SafeHaven's Pets Are Family Fund was able to help Vale get Rosie the care she needed. Vale writes, "I'm Rosie's new mom. I rescued her from going to a shelter. She was
overly obese, had rotten teeth, and her nails curled into the pads of her feet. I have had her five months. She has lost 24lbs and is doing great on weight loss. However, her rotten teeth were breaking off and I could tell she was in pain. I'm on a limited income and could no way save for the removal of her teeth. I could do part of the teeth extractions though. I contacted Gage, who manages SafeHaven's Pets Are Family grants, and I explained the situation to her. I was so grateful when she said they could help me. I cried with thankfulness and my baby girl will be pain free. It meant the world to me. I made her surgery appointment, took her in, and they pulled eight very otten teeth. Surgery went well and she is now totally recovered. I have a new dog! She's happy, no pain, and just a spunky girl. She can play with toys now. She loves her squeaky Lamb Chops. She means the world to me. She is the sweetest girl. It's so great to have a grant that can help people with a step up. I couldn't of had her teeth pulled without this grant. We're so grateful. Words can't tell you how thankful I am for this support. Rosie has a new look on life."
Pet Drawing Fundraiser Recap
VALENTINE'S DAY FUNDRAISING We want to send a huge thank you to everyone who donated and participated in our annual Valentine's Day Pet Drawing Fundraiser! Check out our volunteers hard at work and some of the outstanding results. If your photo was hand-drawn, we are saving them for you to pick up here at the shelter until the end of March. This event raised $1,240 for the animals at SafeHaven while they wait for awesome owners who love them enough to want a custom drawing of their cuteness!
PAID FOR ADVERTISEMENT
What the Heart Knows THE SEARCH FOR INDY/INJI Love. When you find it with someone, your life feels complete. When that person is gone, they stay with you in memories and, sometimes, maybe a bit more. Love works in mysterious ways. It can even lead to an unlikely and unanticipated adoption.
daily two-hour commute to his work at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, they moved to Independence in 2006. Two more dogs came after Indy and Monty, and at least seven cats added even more happiness to their home there.
On October 15, 2021, Whitney Ware arrived at SafeHaven on a mission. Her deceased husband had called to her in a dream the previous night and told her to go to SafeHaven. “Indy is waiting for you there.” At first, we thought, “Well, that's interesting." Then we found out there is a great deal more to the story. Twenty years ago, Whitney and her mother were dedicated SafeHaven volunteers, fostered animals and served on the Board of Directors. Whitney adopted two SafeHaven dogs, Indiana and Montana. Both dogs had long, happy lives and passed away in 2012. “Indy was my special boy and I still miss him dearly.”
Sadly, on February 18, 2020, Ron suffered a heart attack and passed away in the hospital the next morning. What do you do when the love of your life is gone so suddenly? You do what seems impossible at that time. You keep on going with life and living.
In 1999, Whitney met her future husband, Ron, at a friend’s party in Corvallis. It was love at first sight. For the first six years, they lived happily in Brownsville near Whitney’s family. But to save her husband’s
Whitney continued to work as clinic receptionist at Central Veterinary Hospital in Monmouth, as she had for the past 14 years. Then, the challenges of Covid restrictions caused Dr. Lindsay to close the clinic’s doors in August, 2020. The following March, Whitney’s parents urged her to move back to Brownsville. The house that she and Ron had owned and loved, ‘the Waterfall House’, was available to purchase again.
What the Heart Knows The pull was irresistible. Whitney, her two dogs and seven cats settled into life in the Waterfall House in Brownsville. And yet, something important was missing.
Crazy or not, Inji was supposed to come home with me.” The rest, as they say, is history, or “his story”, according to Whitney.
“A close friend of mine lost her husband to nearly identical circumstances, a ‘widow maker heart attack’. She often speaks of having long, comforting conversations with him in her dreams. To my dismay, I’ve not experienced that yet myself. The closest I’ve come is this strange dream I had back in October, when I dreamed that my grandmother was telling me that Ron was waiting to tell me something. I woke up in the middle of the night all eager to hear from him! When I did manage to go back to sleep, I spent that dream rushing around trying to find Ron, only to briefly hear his voice from a distance telling me to visit SafeHaven again, because Indy was there waiting for me. I woke up confused and feeling a little cheated of some ghostly reunion, because Indy himself had been gone for almost a decade. But the gentle urging stuck in my head all day, and by late in the afternoon, I couldn’t resist typing ‘SafeHaven Humane’ into Google and browse a bit. I mean, I wasn’t about to adopt another pet. I had two dogs and seven cats already -- plus my niece, Carmen had decided to move into my home. It would be crazy-pants of me to add another furbaby to the mix. Wouldn’t it? As I expected, there was no Indiana Doppleganger to be found in SafeHaven’s virtual dog kennels. But, being the daughter, grand-daughter and great-granddaughter from a long line of crazy cat ladies, I couldn’t resist taking a peek at the cats being sheltered there. And that’s where I saw Inji -- that’s Turkish for “pearl” -- a petite Himalayan or Ragdoll cat with matted fur and enormous cerulean eyes. Inji is a senior gentleman of 15+ years, who was relinquished to SafeHaven due to a family crisis. Even the best of shelters isn’t a good place for a senior cat, and the moment I saw that silver fox’s face, I knew what I was supposed to do.
“Inji has settled into life at the Waterfall House nearly seamlessly. He has claimed Carmen’s room as his very own realm, and Carmen’s bed is really his (he allows her to share her side of it, but only if she doesn’t try to hog his blankets!). He has his own fancy water fountain and his own PetSafe electronic litter box -neither of which are ever sullied by the rest of the felines of the house. He tolerates the dogs when he must, and when he makes his demands known for it, room service delivers cans of his favorite flavors of Sheba wet food delivered to his bowl. He gets manipedis on a regular basis and his coat is brushed until it is gleaming silk. Spoiled, maybe? Absolutely not! He’s the prince of the house, so he receives what he is rightfully due with a dismissive wave of his tail. We are his servants, and he ensures that we know it.” Well done, Ron. 10
2021 Year In Review
FINDING HOMES
2,315 ANIMALS GOT A SECOND CHANCE One person’s unwanted animal becomes another person’s beloved family member. And that is the mission at SafeHaven Humane Society. You can hear it through the halls and around the shelter... “as long as it takes.” That’s because each animal that comes through our doors gets to stay until they find their forever home, no matter how long it takes.
CINNAMON, ADOPTED MARCH
2021
These adoptions don’t just happen, however. They happen because our supporters choose to tell their friends and family about SafeHaven and the wonderful animals available for adoption. They happen because our followers on social media engage and share the animals available. They happen because we have an incredible network of volunteers, foster parents, and donors who choose to give support to those who have no voice of their own. For so many reasons, SafeHaven is able to find a home for thousands of animals each year and, for each reason, we are thankful. So, from the 2,315 animals that are now resting happily in their new lives, Thank You! Thank you to everyone who donated their time, dollars, or supplies to keep the animals well cared for. Thank you to anyone who has attended a third party fundraiser at one of the many establishments in our community that generously give back. Thank you for sharing our posts on Facebook and tagging your friends in our stories. We can keep going but instead, let us say Thank You for thinking of the animals who needed us.
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1,150 DOGS 1,145 CATS 20 SMALL ANIMALS
LEVI, ADOPTED APRIL 2021
1 AUGUST, ADOPTED JUNE 202
2021 Year In Review
OPENING HEARTS
1,128 773 Pets Saved From Cats & Kittens Other Shelters
Pet Food Distributed
EDUCATING MINDS
Received From The Community
19,400Lbs.
763 VOLUNTEERS
CONTRIBUTED
62,691 HOURS OF SUPPORT
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Community ROUNDING UP Thank you North Albany IGA Supermarket for choosing SafeHaven as the nonprofit of the month for their Roundup For Charity fundraiser! During January, 100% of all the roundup donations were given to SafeHaven, totaling $2406.20. North Albany IGA has been a long time supporter of SafeHaven and this is the second time they have featured SafeHaven as their Roundup Charity of the month!
SPREADING THE WORD On February 16th, we were invited to The Historic Carousel & Museum in Albany for a Volunteer Open House. We were there from 10 AM to 2 PM to answer any questions community members had about volunteering at SafeHaven. It was great to get out in the community and talk to people about volunteering to help the animals!
SPIRIT ESPRESSO FUNDRAISER Visit Spirit Espresso for your daily cup of Joe on Friday, April 8th and 20% of the whole day’s proceeds will be donated to SafeHaven Humane Society! This is the fifth year in a row that Kelly Robbins, owner and SafeHaven Board Member, has hosted this fundraiser that has generated thousands of dollars for the animals at SafeHaven. Thank you Kelly! Visit Sprit Espresso at 1710 SE Geary St, Albany, OR.
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Gift & Thrift IT’S RAINING CATS & DOGS Spring Cleaning tips from SafeHaven’s Gift & Thrift Stores We all love animals here, but could do without a bunch of dust bunnies! Here are three great spring cleaning tips for pet owners. BREATH OF FRESH AIR! Deodorize carpets, couches, and your pet’s bed with baking soda. Sprinkle over the area, let rest for 10-20 minutes and vacuum it up. Want to add a little extra fresh boost? Try adding your favorite essential oil, that is also safe for pets, to the baking soda before dusting it over the area you wish to clean. Did you just come home to a Lavender field? Your guests will think so and look how relaxed Fido is!
CAT BOX OVERHAUL. Weather permitting, empty out your litter box completely, scrub out and spray the box with dish soap and rinse with a hose. Don’t forget to clean the outside of the box and the lid. Dry it well and add new litter. Remember, cat’s don’t have owners…they have staff. Make that box shine! DO YOU HAVE “DOG GLITTER” EVERYWHERE? Get that stubborn pet hair that the vacuum just can’t seem to pick up. Try using a damp rubber glove to collect pet hair from your furniture. Are you and your pet the adventurous types? Rubbing your car seats gently with a pumice stone will get that tricky hitch-hiking hair out of your car. Want to boost that freshness? Add a 10-15 drops of essential oil in a glass spray bottle, mix it with rubbing alcohol, and give those seats a couple of spritz! Viola! You’re ready to hit the road again.
BONUS TIP
Looking to minimize clutter or thinking about tossing out the old and bringing in the new? Our two locations accept gently used items that may be taking up space in your home. Visit our website www.safehavenhumane.org/shop for more info! Spring into action and bring your items in. Imagine the great feeling of a clean, uncluttered home all while helping homeless dogs, cats and even bunnies!
SafeHaven Humane Society P.O. Box 2018 Albany, OR 97321 Return Service Requested
NonProfit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Albany, OR Permit No. 13
Call us today to help you and your fur babies find your new home
Albany: (541) 924-5616 321 1st Ave E, Suite 3C Corvallis: (541) 757-1781 455 NW Tyler Ave
