Adoption Events Saturday May 1st

Pet Haven is having two adoption events Saturday May 1st from 10-12.

Small dogs will be at the Chuck & Don's Wayzata 1147 Wayzata Blvd.

Large and medium dogs will be at the Petco Minnetonka 13691 Ridgedale Drive.

For more information click here for a list of available dogs.

Small dog, Big Personality....meet Bella

Bella may be a little dog, but boy does she have a BIG personality. Some may say a little too big, but she sure does keep her foster family laughing.

As a two year-old rat terrier, she is full of energy and very smart. Lots of consistency with rules and exercise are a must to keep this girl happy and safe. Bella is great with basic commands and passed Level 1 Obedience with flying colors. She still has some behaviors that require work. Her foster mom is proud of the progress Bella has made, but needs someone to continue working with her to remind her who’s boss.

Like most terriers, Bella is food motivated. She will do just about anything for a treat, which really helps with her training. On the other hand, we suggest you lock up the garbage because Bella loves to rummage through the trash looking for her favorite treasure...a Qtip!!! (Ok, so maybe she's not that smart!)

Bella’s a sweet girl who will do wonderfully in a home where she gets plenty of exercise and reinforcement. If you have just as much personality as this girl, we think you'll get along great!


Contact dogs@pethavenmn.org if you’re interested in learning more about Bella or any of our other adoptable pets.

Engaging Youth to help homeless cats and dogs!

On April 25th Pet Haven's Outreach Team had the opportunity to participate in Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), sponsored by the Minnesota Alliance With Youth. Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning. Established in 1988, GYSD is the largest service event in the world and is now celebrated in over 100 countries. On GYSD, children and youth address the world’s most critical issues in partnership with families, schools, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, and governments. The Minnesota event was held at the Mall of America, and included on-site service projects, entertainment by local bands and youth organizations, and an awards ceremony. Pet Haven was excited to be one of organizations to provide on-site service work. Kids and parents who stopped by the Pet Haven table were able to participate in a variety of projects, including making dog toys from tennis balls and fleece, braiding fleece strips for dog chew toys, tying no-sew blankets, decorating ping-pong balls for cat toys, and filling and decorating canning jars with decorated dog biscuits, to be sold at Pet Haven fundraising events. After completing a service project at each organization's station the kids received a checkmark on their service passport; 3 checkmarks and they received a free GYSD t-shirt. The event was extremely busy - so much so that only an hour in the Pet Haven team had to run out to buy more supplies! The kids loved the idea of helping homeless dogs and cats, and the table was swarmed throughout the event. Huge thanks to Tiffany Fisk and Krista and Jason Colt, along with some of the Minnesota Alliance With Youth volunteers, for helping out at the event. What a great way to get kids excited about volunteerism, and spread the word about Pet Haven!

Adopted Dog Update: Little Man Charlie

Charlie, an adorable 2.5 year old poodle came into Pet Haven's foster program at the end of last year. In less than a month, he was swooped up and landed in a wonderful home. We recently got an update from his new guardian:

"I adopted Charlie following the passing of my 16 year old beagle mix, Maddie. I waited a few months, and knew that I was looking for a dog who would be a friendly companion for me, as I live alone. Charlie stole my heart from the first moment I met him. I attended a Pet Haven adoption event with the idea that I was just beginning the adoption process, but I think Charlie had other ideas. While I was talking with a volunteer, Charlie ran right up to me, tugging his volunteer along behind him on the leash! His is such a cute dog, and of course that's the first thing I noticed about him. But as I heard a little bit of his story and was petting him, I looked into his eyes, and I could feel that he was a very special dog. That was it, and two weeks later he came to live with me.

He's a sweet little man, who likes to play and also enjoys downtime on my lap or laying nearby. He's a friendly, active dog. He loves to go for walks, and really loves to meet new people. Since Charlie came on the scene, I'm meeting neighbors I've never even seen before while we are out on our walks. He's got a lot of magnetism! Charlie's gentle, but insistent invitations to play get me off the couch, and put a smile on my face every time.

In Yiddish there is a word, "beshert," which describes when one is destined to join with another. That's exactly what it's like with Charlie -- I couldn't have imagined a better dog for me.


Thank you, Pet Haven, for bringing Charlie into my life!"


We love to receive updates ... please email us at editor@pethavenmn.org with your updates and photos!!

Adopted Dog Monday: Harley!

Harley was adopted last weekend after being featured on the Pet Haven blog.

We know that Harley is going to love her new home as it’s full of people, and she’s sure to get attention anytime she wants it...which is basically ALL the time! Harley even has a new sister, Paris, who seems to equally enjoy being spoiled with love and attention.

Here's an update from Harley's new forever Mom, Michelle:

"we all just love her and she is being spoiled on a regular.....paris had an attitude for a day but is getting used to her being around but keeps laying in harley's new dog bed.....so then, harley gets top-dog status on a fur blanket up on the couch.....they both mooch for treats equally and are very good at it!!......harley has been eating but is very picky like you said she was.....i am keeping up on the warm milk in the morning and she seems comfortable sleeping with me at night"

Sounds like Harley has hit the forever home jackpot!

We wish Miss Harley and her new family all the best and look forward to receiving future updates on Harley and Paris!

Dog Days 5K9 Run/Walk - Join the Pet Haven team!

Last year a group of us got together to participate in a 5K9 Run/Walk ... some of us ran/walked with our own dogs, others ran/walked with foster dogs ... others stood on the side lines and cheered us on!

This year, we have decided we are going to participate in the inaugural Dog Day 5K9 Run/Walk on Saturday, June 12th.

If you register by May 1st the registration fee is $30, after which the registration fee will be $35 (through June 8th). So register today, then email Jamie,  our 5K9 coordinator at furballs@pethavenmn.org to let her know that you have registered for the run and would like to join the Pet Haven team. Our goal is to raise $3500 for homeless dogs and cats. You can set up your own fundraising page or simply point people to the Pet Haven 5K9 fundraising page.

And if you are unable to join us for the run/walk, please still consider fundraising for us, or making a donation. Any amount helps!

We will be updating our Furballs InTraining blog with more details on the Pet Haven team and how to fundraise so be sure to stay tuned. Also, we are active on Facebook so if you haven't already become a fan please join us on Facebook and become a Pet Haven fan by clicking here.

Beau Needs a Foster or Forever Home!

Looking for a new beau? Well, this Beau might be your best bet. That's because he's loyal, true and ever-so devoted. Formally known as Beauregard, 3-year-old Beau is sheer delight. He's got just enough puppy in him to keep him extra playful, but a good dose of maturity to tone down any of the inappropriate youth trouble he might get into. Fact is, he's still really learning what toys are.

Beau gets along well with others including kids and dogs. He's also housetrained and crate trained. He's a bit shy but that only adds to his charm. Being a coonhound mix, Beau likes to follow his nose after anything that looks or smells delightful. This means a fenced yard is pretty necessary to keep him out of harms way.

So skip match.com and eHarmony. Just ask about Beau. He'll be happy to be your loyal, devoted companion for life. Please contact Pet Haven at dogs@pethavenmn.org if you are able to provide a foster home or even better a forever home for Beau.

Good Boy Gus!

Meet Gus:For such a friendly, spunky little guy, he sure is camera shy! Someone needs to tell him how good he looks since having his spa day a few weeks ago. This is what Gus looked like when he first came to Pet Haven:

At around 6 years old, Gus is a sweet boy with very good manners. At the last two adoption events, he was the resident greeter for Pet Haven – the first one to invite all of our visitors to stop in to say hi to the dogs! Despite his outgoing personality when out in public, Gus enjoys taking time for himself when he's home, read what Gus's foster Mom, Ann, had to say:

“My couch is only about 6 inches off the ground and my dogs have never even attempted to go under there, but Gus loves it. He flattens his body to the ground, spreads out his long legs and squeezes himself under there. He's so quiet when he's under there that I sometimes forget where he is. He only gets out when I get up off the couch, then he'll scramble to get out and follow me into the other room.

He also loves to sleep under my bed, which is easier for him to fit under. He sleeps under there all night, doesn't come out until I get up in the morning. But he also will dive under there any chance he gets. I usually keep my bedroom door closed because I don't want my dogs in my bed all day, but on more than one occasion, I've gone in there to get something really quick, closed the door behind me and come back downstairs...then 30 minutes will go by and I'll realize that I haven't seen Gus in awhile...so I call his name all over the house...and hear him scrambling on the hardwood floors to get out from under my bed! He dove under there so fast (I was in the room for 5 seconds) that I didn't even notice!”

If you’d like to learn more about Gus or any of our other adoptable pets, email dogs@pethavenmn.org and someone will get back to you soon!

Sweet Sadie

The following update is from Sadie's foster ... sounds like Sadie has wiggled her way into her foster's heart ... how about letting her wiggle her way into your heart??

"Sadie came to our home for fostering just days following the loss of our 12 year old Newfoundland Cody.  Some things are meant to be!  This sweet older girl helped fill in the large gap he left and helped us with our heartache.  While Cody was completely blind his whole life, Sadie came to us with fairly significant hearing loss.  She has received some mixed signals from me as I transition, but she gets along just fine with very little extra assistance required.  

Sadie is a very quiet girl who follows us wherever we go.  She gets along extremely well with other dogs.  We have three resident dogs, and she just rolled with the pack, minding her p's and q's.  She is also perfectly fine with my 13 year old daughter and her dancing friends, our old siamese cat, and is very placid about her food bowl . . . in fact, nothing seems to bother her at all!  VERY low maintenance. 

I will say that a fenced yard and a watchful eye to make sure she doesn't slip out the door would be required.  She got out one night while I was taking out the garbage and off she went.  I chased her barefoot for about 10 minutes.  This is when her deafness is a liability. 

I can't say enough about this wonderful dog.  She is 1/100th the work of a new puppy! 


If you'd like to learn more about Sadie email dogs@pethavenmn.org. Click here to check out her bio.
  

Adopted Dog Monday

We had a great day at the Petco in Richfield last Saturday with three dogs getting adopted. Bella the bloodhound is now living with a couple, another dog, and two cats. The mom is self employed and takes her dogs to work with her. Bella will make the best greeter at the auto repair business.

Here is Bella with her new brother Auggie. He was super excited to have a live in playmate. They have a huge yard to run around in. And the couple was already talking about taking Bella for a boat ride. Stay tuned for photos of her ears flying in the wind.

Our dear boy Trapper is now living on 13 acres with a semi-retired fellow that drove 50 miles to adopt him. He said he had lost his older dog and needed a new pal. When I checked in on them Sunday, Trapper's new dad was delighted that Trapper was fetching golf balls just like his former dog used to do. Trapper will continue his good diet and meds to combat his allergies. Thanks Lindsey for doing such a good job fostering Trapper.

Dominique was a boxer mix that never even made it to our website. He was rescued by a young gal that thought she could not keep him. She agreed to self foster him. Well on Saturday she came in to adopt Dominique saying she could not be without him. Congratulations to all our newly adopted dogs and their families.

Russell needs a foster home

Russell is a 10 year old bichon/lhaso apso mix who would love to just lounge around with you. He's not much of a lap dog and would rather just be by your side and would like for someone who can be content just letting him be :)


He's house-trained and crate-trained and can be trusted when you're running around doing errands, or working!

Big dogs are a little intimidating for this little guy so it would be best for Russell to be fostered or adopted by someone who has either other little/small dogs or no dogs. He's currently being fostered in a home with a big dog  and as much as his foster loves him she knows that Russell would be happier in a home without a big dog terrorizing the little guy.

Additional info from his current foster mom: "Russell has arthritis and has trouble with too many steps. We have 5 steps on the deck and that is about all he is able to handle. Funny cause he runs in the yard like a 2 year old if he sees a squirrel! He is taking Rimadyl for that."

For more info on Russell you can check out his bio.

If you would be willing to consider fostering Russell please email us at volunteer@pethavenmn.org.

Adoption Events Saturday April 17th

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!

Adopted Dog Update: Jonnie Cakes (aka Lizzie) from Dumpster to Dog Park

Meet Jonnie Cakes, a Red Lake Rosie dog who was found roped to a garbage dumpster in Ponemah. She was starving and full of mange when she was rescued by our friend, Karen of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue.

Fast forward 9 months to when I met Lizzie at the Three Rivers Dog Park in Eden Prairie. "JC" had been adopted prior to me joining Pet Haven so I had no idea I was playing with a Pet Haven dog until I started talking to Lizzie's mom, Nancy. Lizzie was having a wonderful time running around the park, herding all of the other dogs. Nancy was just the proudest Mom telling the other dog owners how smart Lizzie is and how well she has done with her training. She can't believe the progress that they've made in just six months. Lizzie is a very sweet girl, a non-discriminating friend when it comes to both dogs and humans!

I spent quite a bit of time talking to Nancy about all sorts of things and I truly believe that Lizzie found Nancy, just as much Nancy found Lizzie. They are great friends!

Another very successful adoption story!

Look at Lizzie (aka Jonnie Cakes) now...she couldn't be more happy!

Photo Fundraiser

Once again, the Photographer's Guild in St. Paul is running a fundraiser for Pet Haven!

For the months of April and May, make a $40 donation to Pet Haven and receive a free pet portrait session and a free 8x10 print. Check out their website for more information and to see examples of their pet portrait work.

Call 651-646-3239 to make your appointment today!

Adopted Dog Update: Joey aka Joey-roo!

Joey came into Pet Haven's foster program in January, 2008. In March, 2008 he was adopted by a very special person! He's had an exciting life and even has in own blog! His mom has allowed us to catch a glimpse into his life ...

Here's a post from January, 2009:

Joey and I have been doing well .. he is antsy to be outdoors in the cold. I am lacking motivation to embrace the frigid weather we have had recently. This picture makes me think of warmer days. Note: you can barely discern it - but I am eating an ice pop -- aka it was summer!

It appears that Joey has a reputation for being an escape artist ... and recently he has taken to getting into a lot of mischief.  You see that sweet face above... well, check out what the sweet little Joey did to his mom's home when she was gone!! :) Despite all of it, she loves this boy so much ... here's her latest blog post on the Joey-Roo blog where she takes photos of what she walked home to one day .... 

We would love to hear from you if you have adopted a dog from Pet Haven! If your dog has a blog please share that with us as well. We love following the stories of our Pet Haven alums! :) ... email us at editor@pethavenmn.org.

Adopted Dog Monday!

Gulliver's new family met him while he was on a run around Lake Harriet with Lauren, a staff member of Pampered Pooch Playground, where Gulliver was a foster dog.  They had been thinking of getting a new dog after losing their senior Chocolate Lab Harvey several months ago, but weren't thinking that they would do it just yet.    After spending time with this sweet year old Black Lab from Sioux City Animal Control, the family decided that now was the right time, after all.   The older daughter in the family calls him Gull-lover-er.    He is a loving boy and while he won't replace Harvey, he and his family will make lots of good new memories together.

Johnson the English Setter went home last week after being with us for several months. Thanks to Sharon and Barbara for transitioning from respite foster care to full-time foster care for this beautiful dog.  (They have since returned to respite fostering.)  Johnson had a bit of a tough time when he came to Pet Haven.  He was nervous about the transition from his former home to his foster home but Sharon and Barbara were so patient and persistent that he eventually settled down and find his forever home.

If you would like to feel the satisfaction of loving a good dog until he or she finds a forever home, won't you consider fostering for Pet Haven?  For more information, email us at volunteer@pethavenmn.org.

Save the Date for the Dog Days 5K - June 12th

Yes!!! We are forming a team again in 2010 of Pet Haven supporters ... this year we will be participating in the inaugural Dog Days 5K9 Run/Walk on Saturday, June 12th. The Pet Haven Fast and Furballs committee is finalizing details and will be sending out information on this in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, get those running/walking shoes out and start training for the 5K9 Run/Walk.

For more info, and to join the Pet Haven team, email volunteer@pethavenmn.org. Join the team and help us raise money for homeless dogs and cats!

To check out photos from last year's event click here. 

Be sure to also bookmark the Fast and the Furballs blog. We will continue to post more info and specifics on this blog along with updates on teams in training. 

Pet Haven Ink newsletter is available!

The March 2010 issue of our print newsletter, Pet Haven Ink, is now available. You can download a copy from our website. We have some great stories in our latest newsletter -- some happy tails along with stories on dogs and cats still waiting for that lucky person(s) to come along and adopt them :)

A special thanks also to Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet for choosing Pet Haven to be the recipient of their 2009 Paw Print fundraiser. As a result of their fundraiser over $36,000 was raised, all of which will go towards Pet Haven's Spay Neuter Initiative. 

If you would like to receive a hard copy of our newsletter, consider becoming a Pet Haven member. Annual dues are $25 (which is also tax-deductible). Click here to learn more about Pet Haven and to become a member.

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) is now accepting donations. Items that sell well are household items, yard and garden tools, books and childrens' toys and clothes. No large furniture or computers please.

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.

The Mighty Harley

Hello – my name is Harley, and I am a 6.5 pound FEMALE Chihuahua with more love than you can imagine!  Since I’m such a little squirt, I have to really be careful and stay out of the way.  Things like doors and steps are pretty scary for me!   And then of course there is my tongue….  What can I say?   I’m sure that is the first thing you will notice about me.  Unfortunately it is just a tad long, and I don’t have many teeth to hold it in.  Nevertheless, I get along pretty darn good for my age (I’m somewhere between 9 and 10). 

Where I REALLY shine is in the love and cuddling department!  If I had my way, I’d be held AND pet 24X7!  And just in case you STOP petting, I’ll be sure to remind you with a little nudge from my nose.  And if you hold me close AND pet me, there is sure to be a few sighs and lots of nuzzling in to your neck.  And I’m not particular – young, old, male, female – whoever is available to hold me and pet me is my hero!  And when you talk to me or call my name, my tail wags as fast as it can possibly go!  In fact, a smile is all it takes most days. 

And when I’m not being held, I LOVE to snuggle UNDER the blanket!  In fact, under the covers is my favorite place to sleep at night.  Of course I really like to be cuddled and pet before I go to sleep, but once I’m out, I’m good for the night!  And if I need anything, I’ll be sure and snort or bark to let you know.

Where I really struggle, is with my potty training.   I’d MUCH rather head to the bathroom for a rug or a newspaper.  Do you expect me to go outside in the rain, snow, and cold?  I think not – although my foster mom makes me go out every 2-3 hours.  She never gives up on that outside thing!  What’s with that?

So that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!  My foster mom says I’m the sweetest dog in the WORLD!  I think I’ll go with that – mom’s pretty smart!

If you'd like to learn more about me or have any questions you can email dogs@pethavenmn.org.

Adopted Dog Update: Mr. Black

A couple weeks ago we received an email from a couple who started off fostering Black (photo on left) in February, 2009. I distinctly remember Black as I had the good fortune to meet him at one of our adoption events when his previous owner was having to surrender him due to foreclosure. It was a bittersweet meeting ... I had the chance to spend time with Black's previous owner, who was an amazing spirit. I could feel the love she had for Black and the pain she felt in having to give him up. It touched me deeply that I found myself reflecting on it and writing about it on my personal blog. I shared that blog posting with others who then shared it with others. To read my reflection on that bittersweet morning click here.

As luck would have it, someone read the post and inquired about Black. They then fostered him, and soon after adopted him.

We received the following email from Black's adopters a couple weeks ago ... they are looking to adopt a Pet Haven cat!!

"My partner and I have a home in S. Mpls that we share with a dog we adopted from Pet Haven in February 2009. Someone may remember Black whose former parents had to move before of foreclosure. He did not spend any time in a Pet Haven facility because we fostered him right at the time his parents needed to find a home for him.

Anyways, we love Black (whom we call Mr. Black) and has adjusted nicely to our home and family. We now think we are ready to begin looking to introduce a new family member ...

Black is a lab-husky and will be 2 years old in May. He is young but very friendly with people and other animals. He's laid back and overall a very good dog. He gets lots of exercise so this helps his demeanor. I think he would do very well with another animal in the home."

We are so happy to hear that Black aka Mr. Black is doing so well. Our cat adoption director is working with them to find them the perfect cat to add to their family ... I am sure Mr. Black is looking forward to having a playmate and a sibling to hang out with :)

Support Pet Haven when you sell items on eBay/Mission Fish

You can support Pet Haven every time you sell an item on eBay/MissionFish (MissionFish is the non-profit arm of eBay) ... and it’s easy! Since 2003, eBay has offered sellers the chance to turn their listings into a force for good with eBay Giving Works/MissionFish. When you sell an item, you can donate as little as 10%* or as much as 100% (minimum $5) of an item’s final sale price to Pet Haven.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3

1.    Select an item to list.

2.    Select Pet Haven to benefit

3.    Specify the final sale price percentage you want to donate (from 10% to 100%)

eBay will make sure that the nonprofit you select gets the funds raised.**

Adopted Dog Monday!

Cinnamon and Gracie both were adopted this week.  Here's what Laura,  our Large/Medium dog foster coordinator, had to say:

"Gracie got adopted tonight by a couple that had another female Basset, Beatrice and 3 cats. Bea was so excited to have a playmate. Once Gracie settles in the two will have so much fun. The couple work from home and also show horses. Bea has made quite a stir with the horsey set. Can you imagine what attention the two girls will get at the shows!

Our girl Cinnamon also found a home this evening. The woman fell in love with her on Petfinder. And upon meeting Cinnamon the deal was sealed. Having had a springer for 16 years this couple is used to high spirited dogs. "

May both of these girls have long, happy lives in their new homes!

Adoption Event Tomorrow ... Saturday, 4/3

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

Medium & large dogs will be at the Eden Prairie Petco at 8020 Glen Lane, Eden Prairie.

Hours for both events are 10 am to noon.

We hope to see you there!