Spring Pet Press 2023

Executive Director Focus

Dear Friends,

I am asked quite often what my favorite thing about my job is and I always reply that I love working with the animals, but I equally love working with people. You truly can not do one without the other. Being in a career where I get to assist, learn from, and help both people and pets is truly a dream come true for me.

For those of us who love animals, we know how important pets are in our lives. They lift our moods, lower our blood pressure, and help us improve our physical health. According to a large scale Harvard study, loneliness is almost the main factor that harms human health and happiness in the long run. In this sense, a pet that loves you with unconditional love, regardless of your financial and social status, physical or mental condition, can greatly improve the quality of life for a person.

So, as SafeHaven continues to grow and expand the services it provides to both the pets in our care and to the community we love in 2023, we brainstorm ways that both pets and people will benefit the most. Here are just a few ways SafeHaven has kicked off expanding services in 2023:

We listened to our community about the need for low cost spay/neuter services. In February, we opened up a waiting list for spay/neuter surgeries. SafeHaven then is able to fit in community animals when there is room on a SafeHaven surgery day. To date, over 100 community animals have been spayed/neutered.

Staff and volunteers saw a great need for some of the animals coming into our care. Many were shy, reserved, and even shut down. The traditional kennel

environment was just too overwhelming. So, we have started the design phase of constructing “quiet rooms” for pets that just need a different type of housing option when coming into care at SafeHaven. The goal is that these rooms will be fully constructed by September of this year.

Our promise to you is that we are always continuing to look forward to the future. We are always striving to create a better world for you, for the animals in our care, and for the community we serve.

I want to leave you with this; it is from an adopter who recently visited our shelter:

Dear SafeHaven Staff,

Thank you so much for your kindness. I had recently lost my beloved pet after 16 wonderful years together. I was crying as I walked through your kennels, unsure whether I was ready to adopt yet, but feeling so incredibly lonely. The staff were so kind and caring. I sensed they understood my pain but they also gently encouraged me to look at a few potential pets they felt might be a good match for me. It didn’t take long for one to steal my heart and the couch.

SafeHaven helped a person AND a pet that day…that is why I love my job!

On behalf of the animals,

Chris Storm, Executive Director

Featured Adoption

We’d like to introduce you to Doug Healy, this quarter’s Pet Press cover dog! Doug was adopted over 10 years ago from SafeHaven by Jim & Dena Healy. Dena currently serves on our Board of Directors as President and both she and her husband, Jim, have been supporting SafeHaven for 20 years. Here is what Doug had to say:

"Hey there everyone, I’m Doug Healy, a proud graduate of SafeHaven’s Class of 2011. With the help of SafeHaven, I’ve covered a lot of lawn and sidewalks in the last decade. Soon after graduation, I got a haircut, a new collar and landed a great job as Attorney at Paw with the law firm Healy & McCann P.C. I worked there for 10 years and now my dad and I are “Of Counsel” at the law firm of Vidrio & Jarvis. We’re still in the same building where I’ve always worked in downtown Albany. I really enjoy working at the law firm and my days there are busy with helping the attorneys and staff, greeting and meeting with clients, and occasionally photobombing a Zoom Court appearance.

I enjoy getting out of the office during the day and you may see my dad and me walking around downtown Albany at lunchtime. I get to meet a lot of people on my walks and if you see me, feel free to wave or stop and say “hi.” One of the best parts of the walk is when we stop in at Sniffany’s Pet Boutique. It’s my favorite place to shop and I often get a sample or a treat from Ella while I’m shopping!

When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time playing ball and going on walks on the property around my home in the Independence area. I live with two cats (Ginnie and Forrest) who are also SafeHaven graduates and another Goldendoodle (Arlo) who came to live with us from another home.

I’m still dedicated to helping other pets like me find their furever homes. SafeHaven gave me a paw up on my life and I will always be indebted to SafeHaven for the life I now have. I enjoy attending SafeHaven

events and try to help other dogs and cats by raising money through SafeHaven’s annual auction. I always sponsor a table at the Rescue Roundup, which this year will be held on September 30, 2023.

So, mark your calendars and don’t miss it, as it’s a really fun evening. Finally, a shout out to all of you who have joined us in the past and your continued commitment to SafeHaven’s mission. Your support means a lot to all of us who find our way to SafeHaven. Tail Wags and lots of treats to all of you."

-Doug

SHADO

Shado just celebrated her one year "Gotcha Day" with her family. They updated us on all of their adventures this past year! Included is her first day home, first time at the beach, one of many walks, her first boat ride, her bonding with her best friend, and her playing in the lake. Shado's adopter, Roxanne McCann said, "We could not love her any more than we do! She is our friend, protector, and she has been a helper with two senior dogs since she first came home with us. It just seemed to be a natural reaction for her. She goes every where we go! We are so lucky that she picked us to be her family. Thank you for letting us bring her home."

SOBA

"Thank you so much, SafeHaven! We have renamed Frankie to Soba and her personality has really come out since she's come home. She's still a little skittish about certain things, but she's very cuddly and loves being held, likes romping up and down our hallway, and chirping at the birds and squirrels out the windows and back door. She's also fairly vocal, which was something we didn't see at the shelter at all, but we are loving her little attitude."

Have a happy tail to share?

We would love to hear your adoption story and share it with our community! Happy Tails help promote more adoptions and funding to continue our mission!

Events

Join us for a day on the green!

Mark your calendars “fore” our annual Stars ‘N Stripes Golf Tournament presented by Fisher Construction taking place at The Golf Club of Oregon on Friday, June 30th. The Stars ‘N Stripes golf tournament is a 4 person scramble format. This day is all about friendly competition in support of SafeHaven and the work we do in this great community!

REGISTER NOW TO PLAY!

4 person scramble – $400.00 per team. Includes food and beverages!

GOLF CARTS LIMITED!

$100 to reserve 2 carts for your team.

Howdy Y’all! We’re back in the saddle for another Rescue Roundup at the Albany Boys and Girls Club presented by Mike’s Heating & Air. Join us on Saturday, September 30th for a delicious dinner and an exciting live and silent auction, where you will have the chance to bid on amazing items to help save animals all year ’round.

AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED

Looking for a creative way to get involved and help us rescue homeless pets? You can donate a live or silent auction item to our biggest event of the year, Rescue Roundup! Consider donating a fun basket, a handmade item, artwork, and more. If you are interested in helping, please contact Katie Storm at katies@safehavenhumane.com or call 541-926-2924.

Pet Drawing Fundraiser Recap

VALENTINE'S DAY FUNDRAISING

We want to send a huge Thank You to everyone who donated and participated in our third annual Valentine's Day Pet Drawing Fundraiser! On February 13th, making a donation of least $20 to the animals at SafeHaven meant you would receive a portrait drawing of your pet by a staff member or volunteer.

We had a pool of willing artists standing by, eager to turn loved pets into a timeless work of art. The best part of this fundraiser is, you might get one of our extremely talented artists, but more than likely, you'll probably get someone who can't draw their way out of a paper bag. But every artist puts their heart into their art! We're much better at rescuing pets than drawing them!

This event raised $2,005 surpassing last year's total by over $700 for the animals at SafeHaven while they wait for awesome owners who love them enough to want a custom drawing of their cuteness!

THE TRADITION CONTINUES - keep an eye out next February for your chance at your very own portrait!

BOW WOW BINGO IS BACK!

Join us the 1st Wednesday of EVERY month!

6:00 - 8:00 PM $1.00 per card or $5.00 for 6 cards

Please bring cash. Small bills work great! Seats are limited! Get there early to reserve your spot.

Unfortunately, children under age 18 cannot participate due to gaming law restrictions in Oregon.

Sponsored

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

Helpful Resources

AGILITY TRAINING - Try It!

Excerpted from Whole Dog Journal

In many cases, people with difficult dogs spend most of their time trying to get their dogs not to do something: don’t jump, don’t bark, don’t pull, don’t lunge. Agility gives those dogs something easy and enjoyable to do, and do with enthusiasm!

Agility is a game that you play with your dog. Play is emotionally incompatible with the emotions linked to reactivity. If your dog is playful she is less likely to bark or lunge at a person or other dog.

Just as “rope courses” build confidence in people, agility course training builds confidence in dogs. As dogs learn to leap over hurdles, run through tunnels, and balance over planks, their confidence increases. Since most reactive behavior is based on fear, this increase in confidence is helpful. A more confident dog is usually a less fearful dog.

Every part of agility requires a certain amount of self-control - some parts require a lot - which is always a benefit for a reactive dog. Once a dog

has learned that agility is a fun game, she will be eager to start performing the obstacles. Before she is allowed to play, however, she has to wait at the start line until her handler releases her. This is just the kind of self-control game that is beneficial to a dog with reactive issues.

Dogs also have to exhibit extraordinary self-control at an obstacle called the table. At this obstacle, the dog is asked to leap onto the table top and sit or down, holding that position for five seconds. Most dogs consider it more fun to be moving. Learning to hold still earns her the reward (positive reinforcement) of getting to continue with more running and jumping.

Agility can even help canines who don’t enjoy the company of other dogs learn to ignore them. They may even learn that dogs near agility equipment signal impending fun, a little classical conditioning.

For even more training resources, various helpful articles, and a list of local trainers, visit our website at www.safehavenhumane.org/behavior-training-resources

Check out SafeHaven alum, Teddy in Agility Training, owned by SafeHaven supporter and board member, Osalyn Houser

Community

SPAY & NEUTER RESOURCE

In addition to ensuring that all of our adopted pets have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped prior to adoption there are times, when space allows, that SafeHaven can offer these same services to community pets as well! In February, we launched our new low-cost Community Spay & Neuter Program which is available for both cats and dogs. We will also be offering additional services such as vaccinations, deworming, microchip, and flea control.

Learn more at www.safehavenhumane.org/services/ low-cost-spay-neuter-services

ROPES FOR RESCUES

Thank you Ropes For Rescues for sending us some new dog leashes! Ropes For Rescues collects and repurposes retired climbing ropes and turns them into durable dog leashes. They donate 10% of all their leashes to animal rescues and we are their 347th organization they have donated too! These specific ropes came from Synergo, an Oregon based business offering adventure courses, zipline tours, and training classes.

Two year old Rufus, pictured here is still looking for a home!

BIRTHDAYS ARE BACK!

Join our party pets for your birthday bash! If you're looking for a fun way to host your party, look no further. SafeHaven Humane Society is the ideal place to celebrate your child's birthday. Kids will have a PAW-some time hanging with shelter pets, animal-themed party games, and fun crafts. Plus, each party includes access to our Humane Education room with tables and chairs and everything you'll need. Each party also includes a shelter tour for your group, basic decorations, a SafeHaven staff member for your party time, and goodie bags for each guest.

As a special thank you to the birthday kid, they also get the option to choose a name for the next pet that comes to SafeHaven in need of a name.

Ready to book your party?

Each party can have up to 10 attendees. Parties cost a flat fee of $175. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required. We ask that you book your party in advance. Contact Katie Bateman at 541-928-2789 or email humaneed@safehavenhumane.com to reserve your time or for any questions.

GROUP VOLUNTEERING

In early March, the Sigma Delta Omega sorority from OSU came out and volunteered with us. They did a wonderful job of helping our staff get the shelter ready for the day by sweeping, mopping, cleaning all of our windows, and scrubbing the walls and baseboards on the dog floor. The shelter was absolutely sparkling afterwards!

www.safehavenhumane.org/support-us/volunteering

FOSTER HOMES NEEDED

Kitten season has started! If you have ever been interested in fostering kittens or puppies for SafeHaven, now is the time to reach out. Volunteer foster caregivers provide temporary, in-home care for a homeless pet(s). The foster program is one of the most important aspects of our life-saving impact as it allows us to help animals who are not yet ready for adoption, such as underage kittens and puppies, pregnant or nursing mothers with babies, ill or injured animals, or shy/under socialized animals.

We place more than 2,300 pets in forever homes each year, and about 1,000 of these animals get their start in our foster care program. We could not accomplish our mission, goals, or save nearly as many lives without foster caregivers. Fostering an animal is a wonderful way to experience the joy of owning a pet for those who are unable to make a permanent commitment to an animal.

Join us for a Foster Care Orientation! Foster Care Orientations will be held on the first Tuesday of each month until further notice at SafeHaven in our Humane Education room. You will learn about fostering, how to care for bottle baby kittens, how to market fosters for adoption, and more! No RSVP required.

Can’t make it to an orientation, but still want to get in touch? Great! If you think fostering an animal is something you would be interested in, give us a call at 541-926-2924 or email fostercare@safehavenhumane.com.

KEEPING ANIMALS OUT OF SHELTERS THROUGH DIRECT HOME PLACEMENT

We do our best to ensure pets have the best possible stay here with us at the shelter. Despite our efforts, shelters are undoubtedly a stressful place for most animals. That’s why we’ve partnered with Home To Home. Home To Home allows pets to find new homes without having to enter the shelter. We understand that needing to find a new home for a pet is sometimes a difficult reality. Home To Home allows pet guardians to find the best fit for their pet and provides the opportunity for adopters to know all about their personality and preferences first-hand from the original guardian.

Home To Home is free for both guardians and adopters, and helps keep pets out of shelters through direct home placement. Home To Home is a tool to rehome animals through direct home placement. Pet guardians needing to rehome a pet can post the animal on the website and be contacted by interested adopters. They can share all of the information about the animal with the person directly – their likes, dislikes, personality, and quirks. This can be a win-win for all involved, as the pet does not have to go through the stress of

the shelter system, the current guardian can find a best fit for the pet, and the new adopter can learn about their new pet in detail first-hand.

Home To Home allows you to speak directly to the owner. Don’t want to pay adoption fees? All pets on Home To Home are free, and no money is allowed to exchange hands. When you adopt a pet from Home To Home, you are helping SafeHaven and a pet in need of a second chance. When it’s possible for a pet to avoid a shelter surrender, it helps reduce overcrowding in our shelter and allows more resources to be available to help those animals that have no other option. You can speak directly to the owner of the pet and get full details of the animal you are interested in adopting.

SafeHaven Humane Society has not met or evaluated the pets on Home To Home and does not make any claims about their health or behavior. To learn more, visit our Home To Home website (bottom) and review our Home to Home Frequently Asked Questions on our site: www.safehavenhumane.org/services/ surrendering-your-pet/home-to-home/

Community

A PURR-IFIC BIRTHDAY

Amelia hosted her birthday party at SafeHaven in March. Instead of gifts for herself, this generous young lady asked that all her guests bring supplies for the animals and they brought in quite the haul. Thank you Amelia for dedicating your birthday to helping pets in need!

KINDNESS WEEK

A huge thank you to North Albany Elementary School and Oak Grove Elementary for choosing us as your Kindness Week Coin Drive recipient! Between the two schools, over $1,200 was raised for the animals at SafeHaven. Thank you to the staff, parents, and children for your support!

SWEET DOG HOUSES

A big thank you to Clayton Homes of Albany for donating multiple dog houses in March for us to put in our outdoor play yards. We appreciate your generosity!

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! Please consult with your veterinarian before using selected oils.

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? Put 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/giftandthrift 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

32220 Old Hwy 34

Tangent OR 97389

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