Executive Director Focus

Dear Friends,

It is almost time to welcome 2023 and I am so excited for what this next year has in store for the animals that need us so much!

Nearly 1 in 5 households welcomed a new dog or cat during the first year of the pandemic. Shelters across the country were empty and those of us in animal welfare were speechless. During this time though, as millions of Americans were seeking the company of a new pet, veterinarians, trainers, and doggy daycares were forced to scale back operations or shut down completely. The result is a generation of many pets that lack traditional training, socialization, have separation anxiety, and remain nervous and scared in new environments and situations. Unfortunately, this ultimately makes rehoming a pet more difficult.

What we learned this past year, is that SafeHaven needed to find a better way to help pets who were shy, under socialized, or shutdown. We needed to house them differently, in a quieter environment, until they were more comfortable at SafeHaven. This would give the volunteers and staff time to work with them, build trust, and help them learn to socialize with people and other pets to help potential adopters see how wonderful they could be. We also learned that we needed to find a better way to isolate sick or injured animals that were brought to us. Finally, we learned that we needed to grow our foster care program to help the overwhelming need of housing and finding homes for cats and kittens in our community.

In August of 2014, SafeHaven proudly completed Phase 1 of our Imagine the Possibilities Capital Campaign with the opening of our new facility. Then in 2017, SafeHaven launched phase 2 of our Capital Campaign, and a small spay/neuter medical center was built within SafeHaven allowing us to provide essential care to our animals onsite. This ensured every animal got the healthiest start to their new life. Now, in 2023, SafeHaven is launching the 3rd and final phase of our Imagine the Possibilities Campaign, which will allow for SafeHaven to care for even more animals, provide isolation wards for sick animals, accommodate special needs animals with quiet, private rooms, and expand our foster care intake capacity. This final construction project will complete the existing facility remodel that SafeHaven started in 2014.

Over the past 50 years, SafeHaven has shown a strong history of care and dedication to both the people and the animals in our community and beyond. The staff and volunteers work together every day to bring hope and joy to the animals in our care. With the completion of this final phase of construction, more pets will get to experience the love and compassion needed to help them transition from SafeHaven into a new home. We couldn’t do any of this without each of you. You make a difference to over 2500 lives each year. Together, we are creating a more compassionate and kinder world for both pets and people. I wish each and every one of you much happiness in the New Year.

For the animals,

Chris Storm, Executive Director

Pets and Pajamas is a fun and easy way to get your kids involved with SafeHaven Humane Society, and have a little time for yourselves too. Each night includes pizza, popcorn, a little soda, time spent with our wonderful adoptable animals, and a movie.

All adults participating in movie nights are current volunteers or staff who have passed a background check. If your child needs accommodations that require an adult to stay with them during the event, please let us know before registering so that we can try to make the necessary adjustments. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.