Rafferty is an outgoing, happy kitty, very young, only 1 ½ years old! Talk-ative and affectionate!Sophie is a shy, sweet baby, about 10 weeks old in this pic. She enjoys quiet time rather than lots of rough play.Sugar, a gorgeous, loving kitty, bright blue eyes, perfect age for a quiet home looking for a laid-back companion. She still likes to play, too!Yoda – May the force be with you – the uncontrollable urge to adopt this sweet baby, that is! Abused and neglected by his former owner, Yoda is look-ing for a place to learn to trust again and call his own.Victor is dynamic, a born leader, a dogs amongst dogs – if he could just stop being so scared! Whoever teaches this overgrown puppy to trust will have a loving companion for life.Wilma is goofy, friendly, and relaxed. She makes buddies with all the other dogs, and looks at you with big, inquisitive eyes. She is very young, about a year old. Oscar – What a buddy! You could take him anywhere! Oscar loves every-body and likes to get active with his owner. Will you make him your next best friend?Petey is a go-getter! Strong, healthy and smart, Petey takes the lead on his path to see the world and save the day! Would you have the drive to go on an adventure with this energetic pal?

Sponsor a homeless animal

or volunteer your time...

Unable to adopt a pet, but would still like to help?

Please consider sponsoring.It’s easy to provide food and medical care for an abused,

neglected, and homeless ani-mal in our shelter by donating online or mailing your check

to The Haven, P.O. Box 1063, Fairhope, AL 36533. If you

would like to volunteer, please visit our website, look for the

volunteer application. Submit by mail, or hand deliver

to the shelter at 559 S. Sec-tion St., Fairhope.

The animals “Thank You!”

Rafferty

Make a “Love Connection” through The Haven webpage...check out the “Adoptions Link!”

Sugar

Yoda

Victor

Wilma

Oscar

Sophie

Petey

by Liz Tetley An orchestra is a partnership of instruments that produces beautiful music. The Haven, a no-kill animal shelter on Section Street, is an orchestra of many instruments played together to the tune of finding furrever homes for abandoned, abused and neglected dogs and cats. Partnership is important to The Haven. The organization’s first partner-ship was with the City of Fairhope Animal Shelter in 2001. With the use of part of the city’s shelter, Dr. Teresa Marshall’s dream had more space, and The Haven’s ability to find homes for animals improved. Now, The Haven is the lead agency for Maddie’s Pet Rescue Project in Baldwin County, which is a league of animal control shelters sharing the goal of adoption for every ani-mal. For seven years, The Haven has been working hard to reduce animal euthanasia and educate the community about pet overpopulation.

“Over the past four years, The Haven has reduced the city of Fairhope shelter eutha-nasia rate from 40% to 8%,”reports Michael Graham, Executive Director. The instruments The Haven uses to accomplish their goals includeadoption events, fostering, a website and a TV show. The Haven collaborated with Mediacom in 2008 to produce “The Ha-ven Show,” on channel 27 and Video On Demand. Viewers can get to know adoptable animals and learn about important issues affecting animals such as heartworm prevention and protecting pets from summer heat. The Haven’s most important partnership is with the animals. Through a high standard of care, The Haven provides food, shelter and veterinary treat-ment. Potential adopters are screened carefully to ensure that each animal is placed in the best home possible, no matter how long it takes. In return, the animals give love, smiles and hours of entertainment. Your tax-deductible donation will help The Haven rescue, rehabilitate and rehome its animals. Be a partner in saving lives. There’s no music more beautiful.

Visit www.havenforanimals.org for more information.

Working Together to Save Lives

Jill Martin socializes one of the newest members of The Haven family.

This newsletteris sponsored by

Mike McGrath advocates for Goldie at a PetSmart adoption event.Kathie Ono and Laura Vendetti with Olivia collect donations after the Spanish Fort Christmas Parade.Maggie and Jim Becker volunteering at the Haven Auction Fur Paws event.

Foster Parents NEEDED!Adoption Guarantee Month isFEBRUARY 2009! The Haven has high adoption goals this year doing their part in the Maddie’s Pet Rescue Project! In fact, our adoption goal is 179 dogs and cats for these three months of January, February, and March. On top of this life-saving goal, The Haven will be partnering with all of Baldwin County’s animal control organizations to make sure that no healthy dogs or cats are euthanized in the month of Febru-ary, which is Maddie’s “Adoption Guarantee” month. In order to meet this goal, The Haven will need to take in an estimated 95 animals total from our partner shelters, which include the Baldwin County Animal Control Cen-ter, Daphne Animal Shelter, Bay Minette Animal Shelter, and Fairhope Animal Shelter. This will be about 60 more animals that we will need to make extra space for. The Haven and Maddie’s Pet Rescue Project need you to help us in February 2009! Sign up to be a foster parent for this life-saving month, and you will be participating in

Adoption & Shelter Report...

A big backyard, especially one fenced in, may be your dream come true. But to a dog, it looks like an oversized lonely ken-nel. Backyard dogs suffer greatly when not included in family activities. Left alone, they’re subject to mishaps, dog-napping and potential abuse and are harder to train because they’re not bonded with their human companions. As a responsible pet leader, your role is to ensure all your dogs’ needs are met and he lives a safe, contented life. A fence is a must because you want your dog safely con-tained. Dogs like to have a visual connection to activity outside the fenceline so keep that in mind when deciding on fencing. Choices are limitless depending on budget and design preferences, but it is critical to make sure your dog’s head won’t fit between gaps. Using screws rather than nails

will help secure a fence against energetic dogs. To prevent dig-

gers from escaping, place a barrier of wire or concrete stones under the fence. Like humans, dogs need shade, a com-fortable place for rest and relaxation and shelter from inclement

weather. Dog houses are as varied as fences.

When placing the shel-ter, consider wind direc-

tion, shade, security and the dog’s line of sight.

Trees also provide shade. Baldwin County sun can

be brutal, and many dogs dig to stay cool. Avoid using

bare soil. You can give your dog an out of the way spot for

digging. Behind a hedgerow is a good place. You can also provide

a cooling station with a small plastic

“The dog friendly back yard or garden.” doggie pool or a small handmade concrete basin. To blend the cooling station into your garden, place rocks and plants around it. Dogs like to walk the perimeter of their territory. To facilitate this, plan a path of 18 inches to 2 feet along the fenceline. Paths can be made of mulch, wooden planks or smooth flagstone. Dogs also like to survey their property. Tall rocks, boulders or a concrete bench gives your dog a panoramic view. Place his throne in the center of the yard a safe distance from the fence so he can’t jump over it.Seating for the dog leader is the most important compo-nent in a dog-friendly backyard. If you have a comfortable place to sit and rest, you will most likely spend more time in the yard, making your backyard pup happy. Remember, with a little imagination and time, you can transform your backyard dog into a relaxed pet.

A Dog-Friendly GardenIs it possible to successfully combine dogs and gardens? A design that addresses your dog’s needs is the secret to achieving a pleasant garden retreat you can share with your dog. Citrus trees or arbors with plantings are good choices to provide shade for your canine companion. Cit-rus trees have an added bonus: fruit for you to enjoy. To prevent visitors from reaching over the fence, plant a perennial border or a rose row. Hardy perennials such as daisys add beauty and a meadow feel to the yard. There are also plants that prevent fleas in the yard. Dogs sometimes eat plants, so it’s important to make sure any plants you choose for your garden are nontoxic. Check the SPCA website {www.aspca.org/tox-icplants} for a list of plants that are dangerous for pets. Plant a bed of edible grass for your dog to snack on. Dogs also like to explore. To minimize traffic through an area, plant dense shrubs and grasses and con-sider raised planting beds. Bring home souvenirs from your dog’s travels. Driftwood from the beach or a stick from the park will draw his attention and tempt him to mark something other than your vegetable plants.

by Nancy Milford, editied by Liz Tetley

the effort to end euthanasia as a means of animal control in Baldwin County.

Join the campaign to go “adoption guarantee!” We can’t save these homeless pets without you, and we’re depending on at least 40 foster parents to sign up and open their hearts to these helpless animals. Foster parents should expect to have these dogs or cats in their care for a period of one to two months, as long as it takes to find space for them at

The Haven or in a new, permanent loving home. All necessities are provided by The Haven for the fostered animals, including spay/neuter, micro-chipping, vaccinations, flea treatment, de-wormer, heartworm test-ing and preventatives, food, crates, training information, leashes, collars, and more. To find out more about Mad-die’s Pet Rescue Project’s “Adoption Guarantee” month, visit www.havenforanimals.org, and attend one of two special meetings hosted by The Haven’s Executive Direc-tor, Michael Graham, on January 20th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and January 21st from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. These meetings are open to the public, and will answer any questions a potential foster parent might have in order to take home a furry friend in need of rescue!

by The Tetleys, “A Fairy Tail Ending”Once upon a time, Tinker Belle visited our house shortly after being rescued from a not-so-great home. At the time, we couldn’t take her in, and our family members who had rescued her couldn’t afford to care for her. Several months after our beloved 14-year-old dog, C.J. died, his twin sister, Suger was getting lonely and tired of only our cat Otis for company. We went to the Haven and played with a bouncy dog. She was a ball of fun, but not the right dog for us. The next day, we went to a Haven adoption event at Pet Smart in Spanish Fort. We went to see some Pomeranians, but when we got to one of the pens, we met a familiar, yet healthier looking, face. She

recognized us too. We knew when it was the right time for us to get another pet,

we’d meet the right one. Tink fit into our lives immediately. She has just the right amount of energy; enough to entice Suger but not so much to overwhelm us. Suger has always been more of a loner than C.J., but she doesn’t mind Tink sleeping in one of her beds. And it’s easier to get her to walk when she sees Tink eagerly hitting the pavement. Even Otis, who isn’t known for friendliness, accepted her. He’s not thrilled when she’s in his space, but I’ve yet to hear any hissing.Tink still cowers sometimes around loud noises and wilts if scolded {rarely because she’s so good}, but we shower her with reassuring rubs and plenty of treats. Her tail started wagging the moment she saw us at Pet Smart, and continues to wag as she settles into her happily ever after.

Haven “Happy Tails”by Amanda Ferrell

Three-year old Coco was found walking down Morphy Avenue in Fairhope and she had heartworms. A friend emailed me some information on the Haven. I was considering getting a dog so I periodically checked back on the Haven’s website and when I saw Coco I fell in love with her picture...who wouldn’t? She is the smartest dog ever and she has been a joy for myself and my family. I didn’t change her name since she already came running when she heard it. It took a few days and she and my cat were like old chums. They play rough sometimes but panic when they can’t see each other. She goes with me almost every where and loves her car rides. We visit friends occasionally so she can play with other dogs and we go to the dog park about once a week. The only challenge I have had with her has been that she can get out of a hole the size of a grapefruit, so I had to adjust our fencing. She really prefers to stay inside the majority of the time which really works out well. I was really looking to adopt a puppy but am glad I went with a dog who was a little older. She came already house trained, leash trained and her temperament was known up front.

by Ed and Marcia Harris

Jax was surrendered to The Haven because his aging ownerscould not keep him any longer. We are also ‘aging’ but wantedanother dog because we have so loved the one we already had adoptedfrom another shelter. Our dog “Louie” has adopted our new Haven dog, “Jax,” too! Louie is a Silky Terrierand Jax is a ShihTzu/Poodle mix. We have appreciated getting young dogs that are alreadyhouse trained, know basic commands like “sit” and “stay” and “come.” Louie and Jax enjoyhaving another dog to run with and each has his own little carrier on the back of ourHonda Gold Wing Trike! They love going for a ride down to the pier in Daphne or fora walk in the park. These dogs are completely different personalities! We have given them nicknames to reflect their dif-ferent styles –“ Lord Louie” and “Six Pack Jax.” We like to spend quiet evenings, each with a dog on our laps. With so many dogs needing good homes, it would never occur to us to get a dog from any source than a rescue organization like The Haven. I am Marcia Harris. That is Louie on the right and Jax, our new pet from The Haven ,on the left.

Devoted donors, caring businesses like PetS-mart, and fund raising efforts like The Auction Fur Paws and continuing “sales afterwards” have netted a cool stash of cash for the animals in our care. Thanks to all the Angels who worked to accom-plish raising funds the last quarter of 2008. Our 2009

calendar is also a big success. If you still need to get your copy, better hurry, the count is down to about 200 at this writing. Contact Steve Schoepflin 689-8232, steve_schoepflin@bell-south.net with questions. For a $10 donation

to The Haven, you can enjoy the photography and great reading this great looking 15-month

calendar provides, and it’s way better than those freebies because your donation for it will help

provide for the animals! The calendars are available at: Downtown Animal Clinic, Haven Resale Shop, The Haven, Stowes Jewelry, Christine Linson Galley,

South Paws, Old Tyme Feed, The Yardarm, Bay Coffee in Daphne, Laura’s Hair Company and Gaia Health Spa. The huge Fall Yard Sale from the Resale Shop was great as always...just a note from Pam... “to all who worked so tirelessly for us ...we made $1908 for the shelter which was a great turn out... So many thanks for all who showed up at the different times, those who stayed the entire day, those who came to help us carry unsold items off and those who came to shop. It all adds up and made for yet another successful sale. The shop looks

exceptionally good now due to the addition of items sent over from the Sale Fur Paws team...Great work and effort on the part of all!”

In Support of Our Mission...

THEHAVENA no kill adoption guarantee animal shelter

CALENDAR“Mort,” the Haven’s unofficial cat,

unaware of the camera,takes a cat nap and lands

“Best of Show” in The Haven’s 2008 Pet Photo Contest.

2009

www.havenforanimals.org

... please read of our “projects” via www.havenforanimals.org

Santa Paws... Sold!

Yappy Hour!

The 2009 HavenPet Photo Contest

•A nice lady in Fairhope recently rewarded four young people for finding her lost dog. The “angels” Trey, Lauren, Alexsandra, and Lyle brought their $100 in earn-

ings to The Haven Resale Shop and requested it be given to the animals at the Haven, in honor of the dog they found. •The Education Club formed about

a year ago when a group of 5th grade students from Rockwell Elementary wanted to learn new and interesting things. Recently, they wanted to help a local charity and selected The Haven as that charity. One week-end they made the rounds in Timber Creek to gather donations for the Haven. They recently brought the $57 they collected and were given a tour of the Haven. Thank you, young people! We hope your steward-ship is mirrored by others.pictured, in no particular order: Ashlyn White, Sarah Turner, Kendall Falkinburg and Presley Ready

As part of their first annual Patient Appreciation Day

in October, Pierce Specific

Chiropracticin Daphne col-lected donations for The Haven. In just two days, they raised $500 for the animals! Everyone at The Ha-ven is very grateful for their kindness.

Our “Yappy Hours” are habit forming! And that’s a good thing because it’s a really fun way to “give!” Around $2800 has been raised so far from Haven supporters and their furry friends at-tending these events. See you at the next one in March! Volunteer Coordinator, Kathie Ono sends out a great big “THANK YOU” to all who helped make the Haven’s participation in the Christmas Parades so much fun: Bonnie and Anthony Bishop, Jo Owen, Regina and Larry Howard and Lucky, Gaye Wilson, Kathy & George Ferni-any, Daphne’s Animal Control Officers Rhonda and Linda, Bay Minette’s Animal Control Officer Gina and her daughter, Janet Taverna and her dog, Kohl, Tony Oglesby and his corgi, Jennifer Olmstead and her husband and Daisy and Oscar, Page Sute, Becky Brasington and her two dogs, Linda Chadourne and her two dogs, Terri and Mike and Honey Bear and Otis, Julie Ford and her dog, Maggie, Carole Jones, Valerie Meyer, Diane Suda, Karen Brunaugh, Laura Payne and Olivia, Mike McGrath and Matt Boerst. What a great group of volunteers and staff to represent the Haven and the mission of saving the lives of animals in Baldwin County.

January 2009Voting for the Haven Pet Photo Contest “People’s Choice award” takes place throughout the month. This, That & the Other magazine is conducting the vote, so be sure to pick up a copy in January check out the process, and cast your vote! Thurs., Jan. 29th, be sure to attend the Volunteer Appreciation and Donor Reception at the Eastern Shore Art Center, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Pet Photo Contest Awards will be presented there at 7 p.m. ADOPTION EVENTS THIS MONTH: •Saturday, Jan. 10th, “New Year, New Pet” adoption event at the Eastern Shore Plaza PetSmart, 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.•Sat., Jan. 24th “Working Together, Saving Lives,” Maddies Pet Adoption Event, loca-tion TBA, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.NO Volunteer Meeting in January.

February 2009View the Haven Pet Photo Contest Showing at ESAC.Join the Mystic Mutts of Revelry in downtown Fairhope for the 6th Annual MMOR walking Mardi Gras Pet Parade, presented by A Fairhope Antiquary, Sat., Feb. 14th at 3:30 p.m. Registra-tion for parade passes begins at oon on site, parade day. Registration closes at 3 p.m. The parade starts at 3:30 p.m. The King, Queen, Prince and Princess positions are “For Sale” to the highest bidder! Email mysticmutts@bellsouth.net for more info. Deliver bids to The Haven. Registration & line up for the parade will be at the corner of St. James St. and Summit in Fairhope, behind the K-1 Center. Registration forms will be available in January at the Haven and on the website: havenforanimals.org for downloading. Forms may be mailed to: MMOR, P O Box 284, Montrose, AL 36559. (please mail by “Groundhog Day” Feb. 2nd, or register at the parade!)Volunteer Meeting Wed., Feb. 4th, at 6 p.m. at Thomas Hospital Wellness CenterADOPTION EVENTS THIS MONTH: •Sat., Feb. 28th, adoption event TBA.

MarCH 2009Clean out those closets and donate the “good stuff” to the Haven’s ReSale Shop, then tell all your friends and neigh-bors to come shop at the big Spring Yard Sale, early in March, at The Resale Shop 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. And watch the website for the next Yappy Hour happening after Mardi Gras has passed.ADOPTION EVENTS THIS MONTH: • Sat., March 14th at the Eastern Shore Plaza PetSmart, 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. • Sat. & Sun., March 21-22 at the “Fairhope Arts and Crafts” We may be selling Pepsi’s there again, just check the website closer to date.• Sat., March 28th, Maddies Pet Adoption Event, location TBA, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Vol. 4 • No. 1, January -March 2009P. O. Box 1063 • Fairhope, AL 36533

The Haven is a non-profit 501(c) 3, no kill adoption guarantee animal shelter located at 559 S. Section St., Fairhope, AL inside the City of Fairhope Animal Shelter. Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., and Fri., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed to the public Wednesdays and Sundays. Sat. hours: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Michael Graham is the Executive Direc-tor • 928-4888. This newsletter is available for downloading from our website: www.havenforanimals.org. You may also subscribe to our E-newsletter from the webiste. To receive a copy of this or future newsletters, or to notify us of address corrections, please submit requests or changes via email to: thehaven4animals@yahoo.com, or call The Haven at (251) 929-3980. Fax: (251) 929-0358. Questions or Com-ments? Please write to us at: PO Box 1063, Fairhope, AL 36533.

What’s happening under the Halo? “Volunteer of the Quarter” Page Sute was recognized in October. When visiting the shelter, check out the framed “mugs” of our special volunteers right on the wall behind the receptionists desk, and next time you see their real mugs, be sure to give them a paw print on the back for jobs well done! Congrats also to Terri Somme, Diane Suda, Valerie Myer, Karen Brunaugh, Steve Schoepflin, Eva Becker and Julie Ford who all received special recogni-tion certificates from the Haven for their tireless dedication to our misson. We couldn’t do what we do for the animals without all our “Angels!”

Jacob is a 2-3 year old, partially blind cat who would be very grateful

for a foster home to give him that much needed Tender Loving Care.