Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary Summer 2008 Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary Presents its 5th Annual Silent and Live Auction BY YVONNE COVELLO Save the Date! The 5th Annual Silent and Live Auction will be held on September 7, 2008 from 2-6pm. 685 Bicknell Rd. Los Gatos, CA 95030 Yes it is true we are having our annual silent and live auction this year. We do apologize for not being able to host this fun and exciting event last year due to family situations. That just makes this event so much more anticipated! If you have never been to a silent and live auction before you are in for a treat. During the event you get to socialize with other animal lovers, win that special vacation package to Carmel, a month s gym membership, or that spa package you have been eyeing, but of course you certainly can kick in that competitive spirit and win all three! After the competition ends with the silent auction, all eyes and ears turn to the auctioneer for the Live Auction. This is where participants bid out loud. Individuals that would like to bid on a particular item, raise their hand and indicate the price that they are willing to pay to get that Tahoe house for a week for a family vacation. Of course if you just want to sit back and relax with your wine in hand and appetizers melting in your mouth, you can do that as well. All of the merchandise up for auction is donated by people like you that have a talent, service or vacation home. This means all the proceeds go directly to the animals that need life saving veterinary care or that need to be rescued from high kill shelters. In past auctions we have raised over $10,000. Won t you please help us raise even more this year? Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. The event will be held at a private estate home in Los Gatos on September 7th 2008. We are still in need of donations, so please call Yvonne Covello at 408-832-4010 or email at ycovello@hotmail.com if you have anything to donate for the auction. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you at this fun-filled event! What s Inside 5th Annual Silent and Live Auction...1 Good Colony Management...2 Victims of the Foreclosure Crisis...3 First Litter of 2008...3 The Purrfect Pair...4 Featured Pets...4 Adoption Fair Locations...4 Vet Q&A...5 Featured Kittens...5 Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary Summer 2008 Newsletter Editor: Janet Bertaina Graphic Designer: Nicole Collins
Good Colony Management BY SABEENA BALI-DINGRA AND DENISE URIARTE In the last newsletter we wrote a piece about TNR, or Trap, Neuter, Return. This practice is a great way to stop the homeless cat population at the root. According to the Humane Society, one pair of unfixed cats and their offspring can produce 400,000 kittens in seven years. Through TNR there are fewer cats that would otherwise end up homeless and in need of a shelter and help. Colony management and TNR are easy to practice in your neighborhood. There are three low-cost spay and neuter programs in the South Bay that Safe Haven has found: 1) County of Santa Clara Division of Animal Care and Control: http:// www.sccgov.org/portal/site/acc 2) Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority: http://www.svaca.com/ services/spay_neuter.html 3) San Jose Animal Care and Services: http://www.sanjoseanimals.com/ spayneutprog.asp These programs offer inexpensive means to get dogs and cats spayed or neutered. If you are going to be trapping, have a plan in place and know where you will be taking the cats before you trap. It is important to call for an appointment ahead of time. Check the program s website and create a checklist to ensure you are prepared and will meet their requests (for example, some programs like the kittens to be wrapped in towels, some like carriers, etc). Kittens must be at least 12 weeks old before they can be fixed. Do not forget to bring proof of residency with you to get a discount. Micro-chipping and vaccinating are also smart ideas. All of the above programs also offer these services. Happy trapping! Photos courtesy of Cimeron Morrissey 2
Victims of the Foreclosure Crisis BY DIANE CASCIA These two lovable cats were rescued by a kind, elderly lady named Olga who over the years had rescued many of the homeless and abandoned cats in her neighborhood. Unfortunately, Olga lost her house to foreclosure last year. Without any means to rent a place of her own, she moved in with her daughter. Thanks to SHAS we have two wonderful cats who are so social and sweet that we cannot believe our luck in finding them! Of course, the twenty-two cats that she had rescued through the years were not allowed to join her in her one small room, so she was forced to give up the cats she had cared for so many years. Jess and Patches were two of the cats she had loved and they were the lucky ones to find a loving forever home together! We still have four of Olga s cats that need homes and though they are shy, they are very sweet and deserve to live out the rest of their time in stable homes. Here is what the new parents of Jess and Patches have to say about them: Thanks to SHAS we have two wonderful cats, a brother and sister, who are so social and sweet that we cannot believe our luck in finding them! We started our search two months ago, looking for a pair of cats or kittens to replace our wonderful cat of eleven years. SHAS is the only agency that has many cats to choose from, and also a GREAT description of the cats personalities thanks to their careful fostering. We knew when we saw them that Patches and Jess were for us. They have made us happy and excited to come home to them each day. I can t recommend the cats and kittens at SHAS enough. They really spend time with their little charges while they are being fostered, and place the BEST cats in your home! First Litter of 2008 Introducing Safe Haven s first litter of kittens for 2008. Five teeny, tiny bottle babies are being well cared for by one of our volunteers. They will soon be on their way to finding their forever homes. MAX: /big white calico CASSIE: Female/small calico with orange RILEY: /grey stripe PEANUT: Female/brown stripe tabby MILEY: Female/tiny Tortie (runt girl!) We need your help! WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS: Feral Colony Feeders Feral Colony Trappers Foster Homes We rely on the dedication of our caring volunteers. If you would like to get involved, please email: volunteer@ safehavenanimalsanctuary.org Help make a difference! 3
The Purrfect Pair BY GINNY NICHOLS Featured Pets for Adoption He has changed my life says Helena Smith of her new cat Winston. Helena, 96 years old, and a widow of three years felt that her home was empty and lonely. She felt she had nothing to come home to. Helena has no family, few friends and was feeling quite alone. Helena contacted Safe Haven and expressed her desire for a companion. Winston to the rescue! Winston, a beautiful, black long-haired cat was the perfect match for Helena. Once the two met, it was evident that it was a match made in heaven. Helena states, Winston is the most intelligent cat I ve ever known, he really understands me. Helena looks forward to coming home where her new friend eagerly awaits her arrival. Helena says, now I feel that I have someone to come home to someone that is happy to see me. Helena is smiling these days, and so is Winston, who loves to sit on her lap. NAME: Lindy SEX: Female BIRTHDAY: 1/1/05 HAIR TYPE: Short hair White/gray BIOGRAPHY: Lindy has quite the personality. She is extremely sweet, playful, and curious. She likes to cuddle up by your feet, and share the covers with you when she sleeps. She loves strings and feathers, and will chase them for hours on end. She s very adept at standing on her hind legs for long periods of time. She loves to be brushed, and she does really well with car rides. She comes when her name is called, and she doesn t mind being held. This kitty LOVES to be pet. She licks and nuzzles to her heart s content. She uses the litter box. She does not get along well with other cats. NAME: Melvin SEX: BIRTHDAY: 4/1/07 BREED: Rottweiler/Cattle Dog Mix Adoption Fair Locations Sunnyvale PETsMart 770 E El Camino Real Sunnyvale, CA 94087 408-773-0215 Cupertino PETsMart 20558 Stevens Creek Blvd Cupertino, CA 95014 408-725-9530 BIOGRAPHY: Melvin is a very sweet happy boy. He is very lovable and likes to be with the family. He will make a great pet in any family. He get s along with other dogs and small children. He is very happy to sleep next to your feet while the family is watching TV. Melvin will need training for dog socialization and walking on his leash. He does want to please and will be a good student. 4
Veterinarian Question and Answer What causes improper elimination in cats and what can be done about it? Answered by Dr. Kureshi at the Cupertino Animal Hospital: Adoptable Kittens Improper urination is when cats stop using their litter boxes and urinate elsewhere in the house. It is due to many different reasons like psychological stress a cat may be feeling due to a new person living in the house, a loved one of the cat packing and making the cat feel nervous about abandonment, the cat disliking their litter box, or a number of other stress factors. To fix the problem, try to determine if there have been any recent changes in your home. Then change them back. For example, try packing in a more discrete manner or change your cat s litter brand back to what it previously was and see if the improper urination ceases. Cats also sometimes urinate outside to mark their territory if they feel threatened by the presence of another cat in their yard. A veterinarian can help with psychological stress or territorial markings, but if you do not feel either could be the cause of the improper urination, call your veterinarian or pay them a visit. Improper urination is sometimes a result of bladder stones, bladder or kidney infection, diabetes, kidney failure, severe arthritis etc. and it is important for your cat to get medical treatment. Cupertino Animal Hospital (408) 252-6380 10026 Peninsula Ave. Cupertino, CA 95014 Lily Cocoa Felix Grantiuno Female DOB: 2/25/08 DOB: 3/10/08 DOB: 3/15/08 DOB: 3/10/08 Marcus Peter Milo Spitter DOB: 4/01/08 DOB: 3/10/08 DOB: 4/01/08 DOB: 4/08/08 Long Hair Find more information about our available kittens on our website! SIGN UP TO BE A NEWSLETTER ANGEL! Newsletter Angels help by paying for the printing and mailing costs of the SHAS newsletter, an important tool in educating the community about animal welfare and finding our animals loving homes. Visit our website to learn how you can become a newsletter angel in your own name or in honor/memory of a special person or animal. 5
2008 Annual Membership Dues $25.00 Please make your check payable to Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary. Contributions are taxdeductible under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. Federal Tax ID #77-0520491 Yes! I would like to support Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary. $25 Annual Membership $15 Senior/Student Membership I would like to include an additional donation. Friend $50 Affiliate $100 Provider $250 Partner $500 Patron $1,000 Benefactor $10,000 Other Please charge my Visa MC AMEX Discover Card Number Exp. date / Signature Name Email address Address City State Zip This gift is in honor of Please send an acknowledgement to : Name Email address Address City State Zip Send to: Safe Haven, PO Box 9005, San Jose, CA 95157 or fax to 1.866.833.2451 Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary was founded on the belief that no animal should have to go hungry, be homeless or live in fear or pain. The sanctuary believes that all animals deserve to be treated with dignity, kindness, and respect and provided with care that increases their opportunity for a safe life. Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), no-kill organization staffed entirely by volunteers who are deeply dedicated to the care and well being of special needs animals. Non-Profit Organization P.O. Box 9005 San Jose, California 95157 U.S. Post Paid Santa Clara, CA 95051 Permit #59 If you would like to receive this newsletter via email, refer to our website at: