Two Red Lake dogs meet up in Minneapolis

Pet Haven alum Ode and her mom, Pam met current PH dog Shiloh and her foster parents, Lauren and Mike last weekend at the Lake of the Isles dog park in Minneapolis.  Shiloh is the Shepherd/Husky in the center of the picture.

Shiloh was rescued by Red Lake Rosie's.  She was a bit of a wild girl who eluded capture for her transport to Pet Haven for a couple of days.  When she was rescued, she was caring for her own litter of puppies and helped out with an orphaned litter as well.

She is a sweet, shy dog who takes a little time to warm up to new people, but it is really worth the small effort to get to know her.  She is loving life in her foster home.

Although a happy player at the dog park, Shiloh's choice for an adoptive home would be one with a nice fenced yard as she just loves to just hang around outdoors.  A tie out would not be right for this girl.  

Shiloh gets along great with other dogs and asked that we find her a home with another dog so they can keep one another company.  At Red Lake Rosie's, she got to live in a large pack and she thrived in that situation.  Before going to her foster home, she was the foster dog at Auntie Ruth's where she was a staff favorite who enjoying spending the day in the 'convy' room, where the smaller, senior or recovering dogs stay.

Lauren and Mike are already cat fosters for Pet Haven, but Shiloh is their first foster dog.  They have a soft spot for the Red Lake dogs, as so many of us do.  We welcome them to the dog division.

Adopted Dog Monday!

Our black beauty from Red Lake, Kayleigh, was adopted this week.

The couple who adopted her were looking for a senior black dog to love.  As rescuers, we love to hear this!  Kayleigh is perfect for them -- she is truly a "move-in dog" who comes with no training needs or special care instructions.   All she needs to do is learn to peacefully co-exist with the resident cat.  Kitty (that's his name) has all of his claws, so if Kayleigh doesn't get it at first, she might learn the hard way that when a cat says 'no', he means 'no'.

Kayleigh is shown here with former foster brother and fellow Red Lake dog, Orlando.   They were lovingly cared for at Rescue Buddy Boarding. Seems that Orlando was a little lost after Kayleigh moved to her new home the other day.   I'm sure that Laura has a dog or two coming to visit this week, so the boy shouldn't be lonely for long.

Here are Kayleigh and Orlando.  Orlando is being fostered for Red Lake Rosie's Rescue.  Contact Laura at Rescue Buddy Boarding if you are interested in meeting this young hound mix.

Sadie, the Senior Siberian Husky

One thing Pet Haven does really well is help dogs who other groups might not be able to help.  Expensive surgeries and heartworm treatments are just some of the things that we have done for dogs we accepted into our adoption program.

Senior dogs have a harder time finding homes, and they have a harder time in shelters than younger dogs.  People don't want to adopt them, fearing that the time to say goodbye will come far too soon.

Sadie was at People for Pets, a shelter in Spencer, Iowa.  Pet Haven gets dogs from this shelter throughout the year.   Usually, they are the big black dogs who have such a hard time getting adopted.  Being located in a small town in rural Iowa does not improve their chances.  There just aren't enough people looking for dogs there.  Being elderly made it unlikely that Sadie would ever get out of the shelter if a rescue didn't take her.

Sadie enjoyed playing with the other dogs at the shelter, but the shelter life was wearing her down.  At an estimated eleven or twelve years old, she just wanted a home to spend her remaining time on this earth.

So she came to Pet Haven, thin, arthritic and deaf, but sweet as can be.   A volunteer who had not fostered before had space in her home because she had recently lost her blind senior Newfie.  A large bed was sitting there, empty.    Sadie was delighted for the chance to snuggle in that bed.

Colleen took Sadie home yesterday.  The resident dogs and young daughter all accepted Sadie as one of
their own. For her part, Sadie explored the yard and house and gave all of it her approval.

Sadie is up for adoption.  Is there someone out there looking for a happy senior for a couple of years?  For now, she is comfortable and loved in her foster home.

Seniors for Seniors

Pet Haven created an Outreach Committee in 2007.  The goals were broad at first.  We knew we wanted to reach out to kids to educate them about dog and cat care and urge them to spread the adoption word to their families.  Our President, Marilou Chanrasmi and her therapy dog companion Ahnung began to work at The Lab in St. Paul with at-risk kids in 2009. We also wanted to reach out in the community to heighten Pet Haven’s visibility.   A committee to reach out to senior citizens boosting the benefits of adopting companion animals was sketched out.

Volunteer Bobbi Gruman, a senior herself, thought it was not only a good idea but a natural fit with some of our overlooked senior dogs and cats.  Bobbi put together a comprehensive Power Point presentation and called it Seniors for Seniors.  She then began to contact local senior citizen centers.

The response was underwhelming until an invitation came in from the Medica Skyway Senior Citizens Center in downtown Minneapolis.  We published advance news in their newsletter and presented the talk on February 23^rd.  There were a lot of questions and interest in a number of handouts for fostering, volunteering, adopting, resources for help with food, housing and on.  Based on the success of this presentation, Sue W., manager of the Edina Senior Center, will also publish advance notice in their April newsletter for our next presentation on May 18^th.

Do you know a social or church group of seniors that might be interested in having Bobbi come out and reinforce the known health and emotional benefits of owning and working with companion dogs and cats?  Contact Pet Haven Outreach by email at outreach@pethavenmn.org and leave your name, group, and a return phone number. 

Pet Haven Spring Garage Sale

Pet Haven's spring garage sale will be held May 27, 28 and 29. Hours are 5 to 9 on Thursday and Friday, and 9-1 on Saturday.

Becky (Pet Haven volunteer) will start accepting donations the second week of April. We are also looking for volunteers to help during the sale -- You can set your own hours, spend the day or a few hours.

Come join us! Have fun while making money for Pet Haven ... all of which will go directly towards helping homeless dogs and cats!

For more info and to arrange a time to drop off donations, email Becky at rebeccasheldon@yahoo.com.

Johnson Needs A Foster Home

This beautiful English Setter is hoping that someone will come to an adoption event and choose him.  He's been waiting a very long time for that 'just right' family.

He has been in a 'respite foster' (temporary) home for a while now.  His caregivers have been wonderful about keeping him longer than they agreed to do, but we owe Johnson a great foster home of his own.

He's not real picky.   He is okay with most other dogs after a proper introduction, but he doesn't need another dog around to be happy.    At six years old, he is well past his puppy-wildness phase, but still young enough to give you many years of love and companionship.

If you would like to meet Johnson, either to foster him or adopt him, email us.  Our email address is dogs@pethavenmn.org.

Adopted Dog Monday!

Adorable Dachshund mix Jenga came to us from Sioux City, Iowa Animal Control where she was taken along with her identical sister.  They had been in a home that was far too filthy for the puppies to live healthy lives there.

I had the pleasure of meeting the transport that brought Jenga to Pet Haven.  Although a little shy, she was happy to snuggle up on my lap at once.

None of us in the Dog Division were surprised when Jenga's fosters wanted to adopt her after a few days in their home.  So now Jessica and Jack are members of the Foster Failure Club.  (Insider jargon: 'foster failure' means that you tried to foster a dog but ended up adopting her. Some kinds of failure are good.)

Adoption Event Tomorrow .. Saturday, 3/20

Small Dogs: Calhoun Chuck & Don's, 3246 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN.

Medium & large dogs will be at the Richfield Petco at 66th and Lyndale.

Hours for both events are 10 am to noon. For a list of all of our adoptable dogs click here.

We hope to see you there!

Action Needed: Including Pets in Orders for Protection

IMMEDIATE ACTION ALERT!

On Wednesday, March 10, the Crime Victims/Criminal Records Division Committee voted to approve a bill that would authorize courts to include pets and companion animals in orders for protection. Reps will be asked to vote on this today!

Please take a moment to call YOUR rep listed below and leave a message with his or her aide that you'd like them to support HF1396 Domestic abuse; courts authorized to include pets and companion animals in protective orders!

Read more about this on the MPR website where Lara Peterson (of A Rotta Love) shares first hand how she comes home to the lifeless body of her 5 month old cat in a trash bag. Lara testified before legislators this week to support the bill.

Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection also has additional information on their website.

Public Safety Policy and Oversight Committee Members:

Joe Mullery 651-296-4262 rep.joe.mullery@house.mn 58-A (Minneapolis)
Gail Kulick Jackson 651-296-6746 rep.gailkulick.jackson@house.mn 16-A (Princeton, Milaca, etc.)
Steve Drazkowski 651-296-2273 rep.steve.drazkowski@house.mn 28-B (Goodview, St. Charles, etc)
Tony Cornish 651-296-4240 rep.tony.cornish@house.mn 24-B (Lake Crystal, Wells, etc.)
Debra Hilstrom 651-296-3709 rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn 46-B (Brooklyn Park/Center)
Kory Kath 651-296-5368 rep.kory.kath@house.mn 26-A (Waseca, Owatonna, etc.)
Sheldon Johnson 651-296-4201 rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn 67-B (St. Paul)
Tim Kelly 651-296-8635 rep.tim.kelly@house.mn 28-A (Red Wing, Lake City, Cannon Falls, etc)
Paul Kohls 651-296-4282 rep.paul.kohls@house.mn 34-A (Chaska, Waconia, Victoria, etc.)
Dave Olin 651-296-9635 rep.dave.olin@house.mn 1-A (NW cities in State)
Michael Paymar- bill author 651-296-4199 rep.michael.paymar@house.mn 64-B (St. Paul)
Sandra Masin 651-296-3533 rep.sandra.masin@house.mn 38-A (Eagan, Burnsville)
Ron Shimanski, R 651-296-1534 rep.ron.shimanski@house.mn 18-A (Hutchinson, Glencoe, etc.)
John Lesch, DFL 651-296-4224 rep.john.lesch@house.mn 66-A (St. Paul)
Bruce Anderson 651-296-5063 rep.bruce.anderson@house.mn 19-A (Monticello, Buffalo, Maple Lake)
Karla Bigham 651-296-4342 rep.karla.bigham@house.mn 57-A (Cottage Grove, S. St. Paul, St. Paul Park, etc.)

Please contact your representative - you can find him/her by going to: http://www.gis.leg.mn/mapserver/districts/

If your rep is listed above please leave a message of support for this piece of legislation being heard in committee. If you know anyone who may live in the areas listed above please encourage them to make a quick 1 minute call in support of HF1396!

Help pets in need by a simple click

Thanks to founder Kim Carrier of The Pet Project there is a non-profit now whose mission is to helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling.

After being featured in the Star Tribune about the work she is doing she got a phone call from Cargill. Nutrena (owned by Cargill) makes the premium pet food Loyall. After reading the article on The Pet Project and how Kim is working to stock food shelves with pet food (as they are very much a part of the family) they donated a truck load of pet food (worth approximately $10,000!)!. They have agreed to donate another truckload of pet food if the following youtube video is viewed 10,000 times by April 30th. Please consider watching the video and pass the link around to all those you know.

Thanks Kim! Thanks Cargill/Nutrena! And Thanks to all for what you do on behalf of animals and their guardians who love them.

Super Banjo!

Saving his backyard from squirrels...it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Banjo!

Banjo was in our adoption program from July, 2008 until May, 2009, when he was adopted by Michelle and Chris.   Cute as the dickens, and a Beagle to boot, he was with us all those months because he was, well, I have to say it:  he is crabby.  Banjo had a lot of love to give, but his sometimes-aggression made him the kind of dog most people don't want to work with.  Luckily for him, Michelle and Chris were willing to put in the work necessary to help Banjo . Working with a trainer and attending obedience classes, plus a lot of love and fun, have made this a very happy placement.  Here is the update we got from Michelle:


Banjo, Chris and I are all settling in very nicely to our new house.  We put up a fence in the backyard shortly after moving in so Banjo can run around chasing squirrels and whatever else comes wandering into our yard.  He's an excellent tracker and will throw up a howl whenever he's on a good trail.  During the summer and fall, Banjo would run around in the backyard for hours and refuse to come inside - there was important work to be done!  It turns out winter is his time to relax and snuggle up under a blanket since he gets cold pretty quickly outside.  His paws seem to get cold very quickly in the snow, so I'm knitting him some booties.  We'll see if he will actually wear them! 

He's constantly making us laugh with his general craziness and goofy manner, which is where he got his nickname of Crazypants.  He love to play chase and tug of war, and goes nuts over the flashlight.  He plays so hard that it's hard to believe he close to nine years old!  

It hasn't all been laughs: we've had some aggression-related issues with Banjo, but we've gotten help from one of Banjo's former trainers and have gone through a dog aggression course.  We've definitely made good progress and continue to do so.

I am grateful Pet Haven helped us find Banjo.  I can only hope we've given him as much laughter and joy as he's given us.

Jane Goodall coming to Minnesota!

So what does Jane Goodall have to do with rescuing and re-homing dogs and cats? I'll get to that in a moment .... but some background for those who aren't familiar with Dr. Goodall. In 1960, at the age of 26 she ventured into the world of wild chimpanzees and won the trust of these shy creatures. Her work has led her to be described as one of the 10 most influential women in history. The Boston Globe wrote: “Being with Jane Goodall is like a walk with Gandhi.” She has also been called “The Einstein of behavioral science” by The Los Angeles Times. Dr. Goodall's life is sometimes exhausting, but always driven by purpose. She is determined to use her time working to save chimpanzees and to empower people -- young and old -- to do what they can for a better world. One of the programs she initiated through the Jane Goodall Institute was a program for youth called Roots & Shoots, a global environmental and humanitarian youth program that not only motivates young people to learn about pertinent issues facing our communities, but helps them design, lead and implement their own projects as a means of solving them.

Jane Goodall has inspired people - young and old to get involved. She has developed programs to get youth involved and to create leaders following a sustainable model. She continues to hold out a vision for the world that there is hope. Her reasons for hope are: 1) humans are beginning understand and face up to the problems that threaten us and the survival of life on Earth as we know it, 2) indomitable nature of the human spirit, 3) the incredible resilience of nature, and 4) the tremendous energy, enthusiasm and commitment of young people around the world. There is so much we can learn from this great leader. For me personally, I have been inspired, motivated and guided by leaders such as Gandhi and Jane Goodall. They lead with love and compassion. From her website she says "Let’s have faith in ourselves, in our intellect, in our staunch spirit and in our young people. And let’s do the work that needs to be done, with love and compassion."

So what does Jane Goodall have to do with rescuing and dogs and cats? In my humble opinion, Jane Goodall is a kind of leader so many of us can learn from ... in a world where there can be so much divisiveness she encourages us to “develop respect for all living things and try to replace impatience and intolerance with understanding, compassion—and above all—love.”

On April 19th she will be coming to Minnesota to speak. This is an opportunity of a life time. For more information and to purchase tickets click here. I will be there and I hope to see you there too.

Marilou
President, Pet Haven Inc of Minnesota

Kayleigh: Move-in ready dog!

Kayleigh is a beautiful black lab mix about 5 years old. She has a little gray on her chin that makes her look a bit older than she actually is. You see Kayleigh has had a hard life. Not being spayed till just recently no telling how many litters of puppies she has had. And Kayleigh was scheduled for euthanasia at the Bemidji animal control when she was rescued and brought to the loving care of Karen Good of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. She is currently available for adoption.

Kayleigh is a move in ready dog. She gets along great with other dogs. She is housetrained and can be left with free roam of the house while you are away. Eager to please, Kayleigh would be happier if someone was around home with her at least part of the day a few days a week. Kayleigh is just learning how to play .... she is learning what toys are and is going through a time of exploration and curiosity.

She is currently being fostered at Rescue Buddy Boarding. As much as she loves it there she would love to find a forever home .... could you be the one?

If you are interested in adopting Kayleigh please click here to read more about her.

Time is critical for Puppy & Kitten Mill Bill

Reposted from the Animal Humane Society Website:

Time is critical for Puppy & Kitten Mill Bill

Friday, March 5, 2010

The Dog and Cat Breeder Bill (S.F. 7/H.F. 253), also known as the Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill is before the Minnesota Legislature. The bill will put in place licensing and inspection of dog and cat breeder facilities in Minnesota, bringing an end to inhumane breeding practices.

Currently, the bill is still “on the table” in the respective agriculture and veterans committees in both the Minnesota Senate and the House of Representatives. We need your continued support to help members of the committees understand the importance of the bill and to “call it off the table” for discussion.

Time is critical. The first policy committee deadline is next Friday, March 12. If we are not granted a hearing by that time, the bill will not pass this year.

You can make a difference with one phone call. Please call all of the following members on the committees (listed below) before noon on Monday and let him or her know you support S.F. 7/H.F. 253. If you live in one of these districts, please make certain your legislator knows that fact. To find your district and State legislators, go to: Minnesota District Finder.

MN Senate Agriculture and Veterans Committee Members
State the bill number and the Senate author's name: S.F. 7 authored by Senator Don Betzold

Tony Lourey 651.296.0293
Lisa A. Fobbe 651.296.8075
David W. Hann 651.296.1749
Rod Skoe 651.296.4196
Dan Skogen 651.296.5655
House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Committee
State the bill number and the House author’s name: H.F. 253 authored by Representative Tom Tillberry

Mary Ellen Otremba 651.296.3201
Kent Eken 651.296.9918
Terry Morrow 651.296-8634
Dean Urdahl 651.296.4344
Now is the time to be a voice for animals.

Explain the importance of the bill and that it is a highly collaborative effort among many animal groups and volunteers, and the bill has a long list of supporting organizations and individuals—including you.

Talking points for your call

Educate them on what goes on in puppy and kitten mills

If you call this weekend, chances are you'll reach the legislator's voicemail. Please leave a message with your name and support of S.F. 7 (Betzold) or H.F. 253 (Tillberry).

Legislators are also hearing from breeders and others who oppose the bill. Your voice will make a difference. Don’t wait—call today!

Adoption Event Today!

Small Dogs:  Wayzata Chuck & Don's,  1147 Wayzata Blvd. East, Wayzata, MN 55391

Medium & large dogs will be at the Minnetonka Petco at 13691 Ridgedale Dr, Minnetonka.

Hours for both events are 10 am to noon.

We hope to see you there!

The continued progress of the Puppy Mill Girls

Daisy, the Shih Tzu  and Susie the Poodle continue to adapt and adjust in their foster home.  Their foster mom has sent me an update, which you can read below.  These two little dogs came to us from a puppy mill with a myriad of health problems and an evident lack of socialization with humans.  They're making progress and looking great.

Daisy is afraid of new people, she will run to her kennel and won't come out until the people are gone. These are people she sees 5 times a week. Last night after much coaxing I was able to call her out, but she belly crawled over to me. Hey it's start, the people were still here.

Susie will not go to anyone else but me but she will stay out of her pen and sit on a dog bed out of everyone's way. I think she will adjust fine to people.

Daisy is such a jokester. She loves to run, chew and do whatever is fun. I cant really blame her. Sunday morning I told them we were sleeping in until 9, Daisy had other ideas. When I got up at 7:30 she had the bathroom rug in the living room, my slippers, shoes, and she tried for the kitchen rug but I think it was to heavy for her to drag. She doesn't chew on them or if she does, she doesn't cause any damage. I try to distract her with appropriate toys for chewing.

Daisy's eyes are really looking good. (Daisy has 'dry eye' -- her eyes do not produce tears.) We started new medicine that only needs to be applied twice a day. No longer look dried up and dead.

Susie ear infection I think is really gone for good this time. She has had 4 baths with the special shampoo and her coat looks good for about 3 days, than she needs another bath, hopefully in a month she won't need baths weekly.

House training is not progressing as fast as I would hope. I take them out 3 times a day, sometimes I have luck with them going and other days I don't. They both are getting much more comfortable with outside, so maybe it will click all at once.

I still hope to place the two together. I think it is so neat that they had each other when they were in the hell hole. At the very least another dog for them to bond with is a must.

Adopted Dog Update: Ahnung - continuing to shine

It's been over a year now since my last "foster failure" (in animal rescue term that translates to ... the foster can't let go of their foster dog and adopts their dog!! ... fyi, this last foster failure was my third one with Pet Haven so I am officially on the DO NOT LET MARILOU FOSTER!!) ... On January 3rd, 2009 I officially adopted Ahnung (pronounced ah-NUNG and means star in ojibway). Ahnung came to Pet Haven from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue .... dumped along with her litter of 8 puppies in October, 2008. She has come a long way since then ... she arrived with heartworm, lymes disease, coccidia, and no front teeth (grinding her front teeth down to her gums in search of food) ... after adopting her and getting a thorough check by our vet we learned she had also been shot and has remnants of a pellet in one of her nipples. There is so much to her story, and to mine, as we have walked this incredible journey of healing together. And as we have done we have expanded that circle of healing to include youth at a program of St. Paul Public schools called The Lab that serves youth in special education, grades 7-12 and are committed to providing creative and experiential learning opportunities that support long-term social & emotional health for urban youth.

Last year Ahnung and I spent many hours and months bonding and going through training. At the end of 2009 Ahnung officially passed the Delta Society therapy dog test and we are now a Pet Partner team as we volunteer doing animal assisted education at The Lab. I wrote a reflection piece that was posted on The Lab's website that shares more of the work we are doing at The Lab. I named my sweet girl Ahnung because I wanted her to have a name that will always remind her of her roots ... I wanted her to know she came from Red Lake reservation and to be proud of her ojibway roots. I also wanted her to know that she is my north star and as she works with youth at The Lab I have witnessed over and over again the birth of a star as I witness the connection and healing that takes place between a youth who has been through so much (just like Ahnung, and many of us) and an angel with four legs and lots of fur! :)

Ahnung and I will continue our work in the community and at the end of April will be going through training so that we can volunteer at hospices in addition to schools.

If you would like to read more about her journey and her adventures, she has her own blog: http://ahnung-northstar.blogspot.com/ and you can also find her on facebook ... search for "Ahnung".

I have been blessed and honored to be serving my third term as president of Pet Haven. And I share with you just one story of the gift I have been given through the work of Pet Haven ... there are many more, and I am sure all of you have many to share as well. If you have adopted a dog or a cat from Pet Haven we would love to hear from you. Email us at editor@pethavenMN.org.

Adopted Dog Monday!

Fluffy, cuddly Ollie the Red Lake Pomeranian was adopted this week.

She attracted a huge audience at our last adoption event.  After talking to several applicants, Ollie's foster mom Agnes and Sally, one of our Dog Directors, chose the perfect forever home for this charming little puffball.