What's New?
- Tickets now on sale for Pet Haven Fall Benenfit 2010! Click HERE for more information on the event!
- Our June 2010 Newsletter is now available. Click here to view this issue and others.
- Pet Haven outreach team engages youth to help homeless dogs and cats. For more info click here.
- Want to learn more about what it takes to become an animal therapy team. Click HERE for more info
- Have you ever thought about making a difference in the community in partnership with your dog?? Consider becoming a Pet Partner team where you and your registered therapy dog can be a part of a Team CIC (Canine Inspired Change). Click here for more info.
- Learn more about Pet Haven's Spay Neuter Initiatives. Download the PH SNI Fact Sheet here.
- Read more about the first adoption event of MnPAW.
- Marilou reflects on how Pet Haven has adapted to the changing landscape of animal rescue. Click here to read the article.
- Stay connected with Pet Haven by joining the "I Support Pet Haven" facebook group.
- Foster dogs reach out to the community...
- Help raise money for PetHaven. Check out the Animal Rescue Site Shelter Challenge.
- We have a new flyer for Nestle and Morsel, two brothers that get along very well and we would like to place together. Click here to download a copy, let´s post it all around the Cities!
- Pet Haven mentioned in "Economic Woes affect Pets" article in the Pet Central section of the Star Tribune.
- Community comes together to rescue starving puppies
- Eighth graders raise money by selling brownies.
- The Pet Haven Dog Division has launched an online blog. Read about therescue of 5 black lab mix pups found by a dumpster: http://pethavendogs.blogspot.com/
- Pet Haven at the University of Minnesota Vet school open house
- Thanks to our Animal Care Professionals.
- We have an updated Pet Haven flyer starring Angie and Owen. Please download a copy from this link and help us post these flyers around town!
- Pet Haven president reflects on 2007. Click here.
- Pet Haven featured on PetStyle with Jill Cordes. See videos below.
- Urgent Cat Adoption Plea – You Can Help
- Bemidji Area Spay/Neuter Project
- Sharing Surplus Pet Food at the “Chaska Shed”
- Thanks to Our Incredible Volunteers
Pet Haven Calendar
Cat/Kitten Adoption Events
Meet the cats and kittens Pet Haven has available for adoption at our cat adoption events. Visit our adoption page to view the schedule and obtain more information about adopting a cat from Pet Haven. Questions? Contact us at Cats@PetHavenMN.org
Dog/Puppy Adoption Events
Meet the dogs and puppies Pet Haven has available for adoption at our dog adoption events. Visit our adoption page to view the schedule and obtain more information about adopting a dog from Pet Haven. Questions? Contact us at Dogs@PetHavenMN.org
News & Events Details
Low-Cost Adoption Event
Northeast Community Lutheran Church hosts a low cost vaccine clinic for pets twice per year: in the spring and fall. It includes a basic exam, rabies/distemper combo & parvo vaccinations. Veterinarian and vet techs are on site - $20.00 suggested donation per pet. Low-cost microchipping available for an added fee. Next clinic will be on 10/31 from 10AM-2PM. For more info visit their website Here.
Check out the flyer!
MnPAW Adoption Event
On August 22nd, 2009 we had the first adoption event of MnPAW, Minnesota Partnership for Animal Welfare. Potential pet adopters had the chance to adopt a cat or dog at these adoption events taking place at animal welfare organizations in Golden Valley and St. Cloud. MnPAW is a coalition of animal welfare organizations throughout Minnesota who are committed to working together to aid animals in Minnesota. The coalition shares the belief that by joining forces to use ideas, expertise and resources in a coordinated way the partnering organizations can make a greater impact on reducing euthanasia of adoptable animals. Click here to download the adoption event flyer.
Foster Dogs Reach Out to the Community
This fall several Pet Haven foster homes and their foster dogs were invited to work with some kids at Kenwood Trail Middle School in Lakeville. The program pairs dogs and kids with ADHD and teaches the kids the proper way to interact with dogs. The kids also work on teaching the dogs basic commands. The dogs adore their weekly visits and got just as much out of it as the kids involved. They absolutely loved going and working with the kids (extra attention and treats? yes please!) and the kids were frequently able to get the dogs to obey commands faster than their fosters.
Pet Haven dogs selected for the program participate weekly until they are adopted. Over the past 10 weeks Hector, Hank, Libby, Bailey, Ode and Suzy have participated in the program. The manners that they learned working with the kids contributed directly to the adoptions of Hank and Libby -- who both went to families with children. For that we would like to extend a huge thank you to the kids at Kenwood Trail Middle School!
The kids now have wonderful dog training skills and something to look forward to every week. Knowing that the dogs will be coming soon helps them to focus on the task at hand and finish their classwork. It has been a win-win situation for all involved! Many thanks to Danielle from The Canine Coach for facilitating the classes and getting Pet Haven involved.
Animal Rescue Site Shelter Challenge
Help raise money for Pet Haven by voting once a day on the Animal Rescue Site. Click here to vote.
Meet the Author Book Signing Event
Common Good Books and Pet Haven hosted a “Meet the Author” of It's a Dog's Life, but it's Your Carpet Everything You Wanted to Know About Your Four-legged Friend, Dr. Justine Lee.
Common Good Books partnered with Pet Haven to host Dr. Justine Lee talking about her very funny, very informative book It’s a Dog’s Life, but It’s Your Carpet. 10% of the proceeds from the book store’s sales that day went to Pet Haven.
The event was held on August 2nd, at Common Good Books in St. Paul. Dr. Lee opened up the session explaining that her book was written to answer all of those questions people are too embarrassed to ask their vet like… Well, we’ll let you read the book to find out! After speaking about the book, Dr. Lee opened up the forum to allow questions from the audience members.
Because Pet Haven was co-hosting the event, Marilou, President, had the opportunity to talk about Pet Haven, what the organization is about, and share some of the most inspirational stories including Ode whom many of you have been reading about in the Pet Haven blog. Melody, Outreach Director, shared the top 10 reasons people should consider adopting a black dog and/or cat and Dan, Bubba’s adoptive dad, ended the event with a heart-felt story about how he found Bubba, the pit bull who had obviously led a rough life. With love, Dan talked about how he started fostering Bubba and realized that he had found too good of a friend to let go of. Not only did it bring tears to the audience member’s eyes, but it created awareness for why Pet Haven volunteers do what they do.
After the discussion, audience members were allowed the opportunity to get up and personal with some of the Pet Haven dogs including Bubba and four dogs who are up for adoption including Hector, Molly, Ode and Eve (who has since been adopted.)
Dr. Justine Lee will be a guest celebrity at the Pet Haven 2008 Fall Benefit.
Community comes together to rescue starving puppies
After a plea went out to the animal rescue community in early June to help rescue starving puppies and dogs, Pet Haven reached out to offer assistance. On Saturday, 6/7/08, Animal Ark took in 14 dogs (5 adults and 9 puppies). Of the 14 dogs, Pet haven took in 1 adult and 5 puppies into our foster program. Animal Ark is providing veterinary care for all the dogs, and Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet stepped up and donated kennels, food, toys and treats for all of the pups.
Although the pups aren't ready for adoption yet, you can monitor their progress on our blog (pethavendogs.blogspot.com). Once they have been nursed back to health, and have been spayed/neutered they will be ready to be swept off their paws. Follow along with our blog and watch them grow and flourish in loving foster homes. If you are interested in learning more about any of the pups, email dogs@pethavenmn.org. If you would like to learn more about fostering visit http://www.pethavenmn.org/feature/dog-foster.php or email volunteer@pethavenmn.org.
Thanks to everyone for stepping up and making it possible to give these dogs a second chance to live the life they deserve!
The plea goes out with photos of the pups
"Peanut" - one of the pups taken into Pet Haven's foster program
8th Graders raise money by selling brownies
A few weeks ago Pet Haven got an email from Katherine, 8th grader at Lake Community School: "I am in 8th grade and as a class project my Language Arts teacher is having us do a project on how to help out in our community. A group of my friends and I have decided to donate money that we are going to raise to a Humane Society. Most of us have pets and want to help animals get good caring homes. We can't wait to help out."
They raised $79.05 by selling brownies at the Lake Harriet bandshell on a weekend and came by our dog adoption event on Saturday, 5/17/08 to donate what they raised to Pet Haven! On behalf of our furry friends, many thanks to Katherine, Rachel, Natalie, Hayley and Kalyee!
Pet Haven at the University of Minnesota Vet school open house
By Kathleen Krantz
On April 6th, 2008 the University of Minnesota had their annual Veterinary College Open House. This year was Pet Haven's second appearance at the event,
and was great exposure for the organization - as well as for someof its stars! Tucker the Sheltie and Brandi the kitty helped to open the event, drawing lots of attention, along with numerous "oh, how cute!" from children and adults alike. Riley the Spaniel and Owen the cat rounded out the day, and Daisy the black lab hung out at the U all day long! Pet Haven's booth saw a fantastic amount of traffic, as passer by picked up
numerous information documents, looked at pictures, dropped a donation in the jar, or even signed up to find out more about volunteer opportunities. The Open House was also the debut of Pet Haven's new display posters - stop by an event soon and check them out!
Volunteers Kristin Luckenbill, Leslie Bardon, Carole Jesse, Eldora Anderson, Mary Ann Cameron, Paula and Beth Vest, Tim Simplot, and Lisa Palm for bringing pets and/or staffing the booth.
Special Events are always more "special" when we can incorporate a lot of Pet Haven volunteers and members.on two legs or four! Keep your eyes and ears open for upcoming events to take place this summer - specifically, the Grand Old Day Parade on June 1st. If you have adopted a Pet Haven dog or cat and would like to participate in outreach and special events, please email Kathleen (Special Events Coordinator) at specialevents@pethavenmn.org to get involved!
Thanks to our Animal Care Professionals
Pet Haven wishes to acknowledge the contributions of the following veterinary clinics and animal-related businesses. We appreciate the discounted and free services and products provided to Pet Haven:
- Plymouth Animal Hospital
- Auntie Ruth's Doggie Daycare
- Bloomington Veterinary Hospital
- PetCo Stores
- Downtown Dogs
- The Canine Coach
- Northwood Valley Kennels
- Doubletree Hotel, St. Louis Park
- Foxridge Printing
- Pampered Pooch Playground
Bemidji Area Spay/Neuter Project
Pet Haven received a request for help from the Beltrami County Humane Society in Bemidji, Minnesota in early August. They were nearly out of operating funds, had more than 50 animals that needed to be spayed or neutered in their shelter, and were low on food supplies. What resulted was a very successful cooperative effort between Pet Haven, the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley (AHS), and the Beltrami Humane Society (BHS).
Pet Haven volunteers Tom & Nancy O’Sullivan loaded up their truck and trailer with donated food from the Chaska Shed (see separate story) and drove it up to Bemidji.
AHS had recently acquired and staffed a mobile spay/neuter van that could perform the needed surgeries at a very low cost. Pet Haven put BHS in touch with them and arrangements were made for the AHS spay/neuter van and staff to travel to Bemidji for 2 days in late August.
Pet Haven provided a spay/neuter grant to BHS to pay for the surgeries. As a result of this collaboration, 69 cats. kittens, dogs and puppies were altered by the AHS veterinarian on August 29 & 30, 2006. After a short recovery period, the animals were all ready to find their new forever homes. Thanks to all who were involved in this spay/neuter achievement.
Urgent Cat Adoption Plea – You Can Help
As you’ve probably heard, rescue groups and humane societies across the metro area are reporting an alarming number of homeless cats in the Twin Cities. They are suffering and dying because there are too many of them and too few homes. Efforts are underway to reduce the future number of unwanted cats through spay/neuter programs. However, the cats and kittens tthat are already here need safe and loving homes now.
Could you adopt a new cat friend or two? Now’s a good time for you and your friends and family to consider it. Pet Haven has lots of wonderful cats that would bring fun and joy to your home. Pet Haven’s experienced foster families will be happy to help you find the perfect match for your family. Each cat adopted opens up a space in our foster homes so another can be saved. Check our adoption page for pictures and information about the wonderful Pet Haven cats looking for new homes.
How to help in just 5 minutes... Click here to print a copy of our cat adoption poster. Cut it apart on the dotted lines, and take them with you the next time you go to your favorite grocery store, vet clinic, pet supplies store, health club – wherever they might catch the attention of a cat lover. Thanks!
Sharing Surplus Pet Food at the “Chaska Shed”
The “Chaska Shed” is a cooperative venture staffed primarily by volunteers from Pet Haven and the Carver Scott Humane Society. The project collects pet food donations, stores them in Chaska, and distributes about 5,000 pounds per month to shelters and rescue groups across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Pet Haven pays the rental and other miscellaneous costs of the Shed.
Inventory comes primarily from local retailers. K-Mart is the largest contributor and was the founding donor. Cargill/Mills Fleet Farm is a regular provider. Periodic distributions are received from PetCo, Target and the Farmington Greenhouse warehouse. Thanks to all of the donors and more are needed!
More volunteers are also needed to help fill and maintain the Chaska Shed. An open pick-up truck or large trailer capacity would be very helpful. There is a lot of transfer and stacking of bags up to fifty pounds in weight. Fills take place on Thursday or Friday evenings about four weeks apart. On rare occasions there will be the need to retrieve on a weekday from a loading dock in the metro area. Please contact us at volunteer@PetHavenMN.org if you can help.
Thanks to Our Incredible Volunteers
Pet Haven would not exist if it were not for the incredible donations of time, energy and compassion given by our many volunteers. Everyone at Pet Haven is a volunteer. Volunteers run our adoption programs, care for our dogs and cats in their homes, answer our voicemail and email messages and serve on our Board of Directors. Folks in other non-profit organizations cannot imagine how we do all that we do without any paid staff. Pet Haven’s team of dedicated volunteers make it happen. If you want to join us and volunteer some of your time, please check out the opportunities on our Volunteer page.
Pet Haven's Lilly featured on PetStyle
A couple months ago we were approached by PetStyle (www.petstyle.com) -- their host Jill Cordes was going to be in the Twin cities and wanted to “borrow” one of our rescued dogs for the weekend. At that time our sweet Lilly was being fostered by Downtown Dogs (for those of you that aren't aware.... Downtown Dogs is gracious enough and always provides us with one foster slot...thank you!). Lilly spent the weekend being Jill's co-star. There are several video clips on www.petstyle.com -- Scroll down to Minneapolis/St. Paul
Newsletter Archives
Click the titles below to view issues of “Pet Haven Ink”, Pet Haven’s quarterly newsletter.
June, 2010 (679 KB)
March, 2010 (312 KB)
Dec, 2009 (930 KB)
Aug, 2009 (418 KB)
May, 2009 (671 KB)
February, 2009 (470 KB)
November, 2008 (563 KB)
August, 2008 (563 KB)
May, 2008 (516 KB)
February, 2008 (407 KB)
November, 2007 (298 KB)
Autumn, 2007 (1.95 MB)
Winter, 2007 (618 KB)
Summer, 2006 (740 KB)
Spring, 2006 (531 KB)
Winter, 2006 (645 KB)
Fall, 2005 (1 MB)
Summer, 2005 (5 MB)
Spring, 2005 (5.5 MB)
Winter, 2005 (3.3 MB)
Fall, 2004 (1 MB)
Summer, 2004 (1 MB)
Spring, 2004 (0.5 MB)