Christmas Holiday Safety Tips

The holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate with family and loved ones, but it can be a stressful and dangerous time for your family pet. Now that the holidays are rapidly approaching here are some tips to help keep your pet safe. Don’t spoil the holiday season with an unnecessary medical emergency.

• Hang breakables, tinsel, and other tempting decorations well out of paw’s reach. Tinsel, ribbon, and ornaments are especially dangerous to pets if chewed and swallowed.

• Place holiday plants out of pet’s reach. Some seasonal plants can be poisonous, including mistletoe, holly berries, and poinsettias.

• Watch out for electrical cords. Pets, especially puppies, often try to chew them and may get badly burned, shocked or electrocuted. Make sure your strands of lights, loose wires, and extension cords are out of reach.

• Metal ornament hooks can get caught in curious mouths. Make sure ornaments are securely attached, and that no unused hooks are left around the house.

• A Christmas tree should stand on a flat, wide base. Cats often see trees as excellent climbing posts, so be sure they are secure and not easily tipped over. Whether your tree is live or artificial, both kinds of needles are indigestible.

• Cover your tree stand tightly with skirting. The water from the tree base can cause mouth sores, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

• Refrain from using edible ornaments on your tree. They can pose an irresistible temptation for some pets.

• Keep your pets away from holiday treats, especially chocolate. Theobomine and caffeine, active ingredients found in chocolate, are toxins and can be fatal to some animals.

• Pets and candles just don’t mix. Keep Menorahs and scented candles out of reach.

• If you plan to entertain, provide a "safe haven" to which your pets can retreat when they get overly excited and there is a possibility of escape.

• If you are going away for the holidays: make sure pet enclosures are secure, your pets are wearing proper identification, and arrangements have been made for their care.

While your pet is safe in a loving home, remember those less fortunate. Millions of pets, nationwide, will be homeless this holiday season. Our shelter animals appreciate toys, treats, love and attention. So visit your local shelter and bring holiday cheer. Be a Life Saver- help our animals find homes for the holidays.

The Management & Volunteers at Lake Haven Rescue

back to top

Thank You ..

Lake Haven would like to thank the many veterinary clinics that participate in our spay/neuter program. We all know how important it is to spay/neuter in order to prevent pet overpopulation and to keep our pets healthy. Visit our website for a detailed listing of these veterinary clinics.

back to top

Thank you for all your hard work in saving these beautiful animals.  Earlier in the spring of 2008 we lost our very beloved dog Gordo to cancer and we were all truly heartbroken.  Time and again after that we saw so many precious pups and dogs we knew it wasn’t going to be long before we were ready to open our hearts to someone new.  And then, we came to you in June 2009 looking to meet “Marley” after we saw his squishy fuzzy blonde face online at petfinder.com.  A family of dog lovers it was love at first site for each of us.  We picked up “Marley” June 12th from a foster in Wyoming.  My son was elated.  And, my husband too! 

The first thing we did was rename him Buddy.  The first few nights he was home with us I’d thought we really just had a new baby.  I’d forgotten the work that went into such a little being.  But just a few nights in and he began to settle.  We realized very early that he had a spectacular and spunky personality.  He spent the summer learning all the things that little lab pups need to learn; where to go potty, where not to go potty, what to chew on, what not too, and so on.  He spent a few weeks traveling with us.  He’s an excellent traveler. Buddy recently turned 1 and continues to have a fabulous and fun personality.  He brings many smiles and has brought much joy into our lives.  Not to mention he is the most handsome pup around. 

Thank you so very much! 
Marie and Victor Barker

back to top

A joy and a great playmate.

I thought you might like an update on Founder, formerly known as Sadie.  I came to visit at Petsmart after having lost one of our golden retrievers to cancer.  Sadie was there to view and I knew she would adapt well to our home.  She has been a joy to have around and has been a great playmate for our other golden.  Thanks so much for taking such good care of her!

Pam Gary 

back to top

Sweet Maggie, she brings joy to the entire family.

Here is a picture of our family with Maggie. She is doing very well and has brought so much joy to our family. She goes for walks with us, loves to run next to my daughter and I when we roller blade, she has gone on a couple kayak rides with my husband and I and we try and take her along with us where ever we go, (the car seems to put her to sleep). Already we can not imagine our home without her. Her skin is so much better and the hair is growing back.

We want to thank you so much for all the love and care you gave her.
And not only her but for all the other dogs too.

God Bless!!!
Paul, Lynn, Devin & Lauren Streur

back to top

We are so grateful to have him.

I found Levi, now Brody, on Petfinder.com and I just fell in love with him. When I had found out that his adoption was through Lake Haven, I was ecstatic, as I had gotten a cat for my brother though Lake Haven a few years before! I was so excited that I wasn’t willing to wait to get him, and my Husband and I just flew all the way to Grandville to fetch him home.

Now Brody is 8 months old and doing fantastic. He likes to play with his catnip toys, chase his laser pointer, and play in the water (seriously, he loves to hop into the shower and play). But most of all, he loves to cuddle with his mommy and daddy. Brody is a very social, laid back cat. Everyone that meets him just loves him, even the cat-hating type.

We are so grateful to have him that I tell my husband nearly everyday how lucky we are to have found him! Now in one week we will be bring home another cat, we can't wait for Brody to meet his new brother.  Over all, we love him and he loves us back. Brody has changed our lives and the way that we love each other. Thank you for doing what you do and getting the perfect pets to they're rightful homes!

back to top

She compliments our other dog.

We adopted Shenzi (formerly Serina) from the Petsmart in Grandville where I work.  She's such a great little dog.  She has so much energy and compliments our jack russell mix perfectly.  They're both little lovey cuddlers.  Potty training is going well and we're working on chewing.  We've lost more than a few socks to both of them.  We're so grateful to her foster family for taking amazing care of the newest addition to our family.  We still have one of the chew toys they gave us.

Tomiko and Kyle

back to top

A wonderful addtion!

We came to PetSmart March 20 hoping to adopt a new friend. We have always had at least one cat and often two. After the death of our 16 year old orange tiger named Husky we decided it was time to get a new cat. We found Davina. She is a real beauty. We changed her name to Jojo. After a week of adjustments we are settling in and we have fallen in love with our new girl. She is very loving and sweet. She has made a wonderful addition to our household. We are so happy with her we have decided to adopt a second cat and hope to do so very soon.

Thank you so much for being there to take good care of her before we were able to meet her.

Terry and Sandy Falstrom

back to top

The "ForeverHome" for Rocco.

Rocco, formerly LeRoy, was adopted this summer from Lake Haven.  He was very sick when we brought him home as he was recovering from Heart Worm treatment.  The treatment was very difficult for him to recover from.  But, we are proud to say that, Rocco, has recovered beautifully.  He has gained some weight, his coat is thick and shiny, and he even has enough energy for the occasional puppy crazy in the back yard.  He is loving the winter and playing in the snow with our children.  He loves to spend lazy days curled up on the couch as the kids play around him.  He is truly a wonderful dog with the perfect temperament for our family and young children.  We couldn’t have asked for a better match and cannot thank the staff at Lake Haven enough for making us his forever family.

The Tremblay Family

back to top

She's one of the kids.

In July 2009, we were asked by Lake Haven to foster a rescued dachshund. I was a little hesitant, having NO experience with the breed, and having the misconception/generalization that they were "nippy" but agreed to give her a try.  I proceeded to research the breed and Oh My Goodness! A couple weeks later, I became a foster failure. My kids named her Princess Chocolate Isabel, we call her Izzie. This adorable, friendly girl instantly became one of the kids. She is perfect with my 7 & 5 year-old children. Same energy level. They play and play and play. Izzie is such a clown. She even plays by herself at times. She climbs the stairs and drops her ball. Then she runs down fetches it, runs up the stairs again, drops it, etc. Too funny! When it's time for bed, she loves to snuggle with my kids. Belly rubs are her favorite. Thank you Lake Haven for bringing her into our lives.

Sue, Libby & Conner

back to top

All is well, even when it's not.

Joe and I were in to Petsmart today with our new kitten, Selma (aka Pixie).  I wanted to thank you for taking the time to tell us her story and answer all the questions we had about handling her and adapting her to my old cat, Gus.  We tried the treat by the door trick and it worked!  Pixie pushed the door open, and while there were some tense times including some hissing and growling.   After a little chasing, the two went into the bedroom.  It was really quiet for a moment and she came bolting out.  After that it seemed like they'd established dominance, and have gotten along great since.  I was really concerned about a month long process, but I credit her quiet and loving demeanor to much of it.  While we expect there to be some tough times, we wanted you to know she's doing well.  Thank you for all you do!  I'm so glad we picked Lake Haven!! We look forward to sharing many pictures and stories about our kitten family with you.

Megan Sanderson

back to top

Goldie, our success story of the year. 
                                                                    

Goldie shortly after her rescue.

Goldie’s BIO:
A very frightened golden Cocker Spaniel. The vet estimates her to be between 7-8 years old. She was rescued from Montcalm County Animal Shelter who found her abandoned on the streets. She was discarded by a puppy mill after she could no longer produce puppies. A Lake Haven supporting vet had to remove her reproductive organs that were severely damaged by several poorly performed cesarean operations (heavy build up of scar tissue). She's VERY timid and does not have normal dog behaviors. 

Goldie's Rehabilitation;
Goldie stayed with a foster family for three weeks before her formal rehabilitation started. During this time she began to learn what life outside of a crate was like. A Lake Haven volunteer with military K9 handler experience then took her to begin an intense daily rehabilitation process. The following describes the highlights of each week of that process.

Week One;
I have put her crate next to my bed with her water & food bowl close by. She will only come out to eat if I leave the area. She takes food from the bowl and heads back onto her crate to eat it. I feed her each evening between 4:30 and 5:30. Goldie wants to be in her crate. If anything is the house begins to frighten her she heads for the crate. I have to coax her to come out of the crate to get her for a walk. She is frightened of almost everything during our walks but she enjoys the company of my two cats. On her 1st walk she immediately ducked behind a bush outside my door and started shaking.  I have been taking her on 30 minute walks with a short leash. Keeping her on my left side and giving her plenty of encouragement allows her to begin to trust me. Walking is the best way to get a dog to trust.

Week Two;
A dog this timid will need calm assertive attention with a lot of patience. She needs to gain trust and learn to overcome her fears one at a time, little by little. We will use treats and praise during the rehabilitation. She is very frightened with most things outside. She still does not want to go outside at this point. This is undoubtedly influenced by the fact that she was abandoned on the streets after a life of making puppies in a puppy-mill.  She is particularly frightened of parked or moving vehicles. 

Week Three;
When Goldie sees me getting my coat on she runs to my bedroom and jumps on the bed. I come in and put the leash on her and give her a gently tug, she comes quietly. She is much more comfortable with her walks now and it’s clear that this is helping her develop trust. I have introduced my friend’s small 6 month old dog into my home each Tuesday to help with Goldie’s rehabilitation. Goldie becomes a bit more outgoing by following the lead of the other dog.

Week Four;
If I have to leave the house for a few hours I leave Goldie out with my cats. She may have a bathroom accident but not very often. She now gets excited to see my when I return. I’ve been taking Goldie with me to visit friends. She gets frighten coming up to my car so I have to pick her up and put her on the front seat. She shakes a bit but after I start driving she lays down. I want to gently expose her to different situation so she learns that nothing bad happens.

Week Five;
Goldie has started to bark if someone comes to the door. I’ve encouraged this ‘dog behavior’ and give her praise for doing this. It only takes a gentle NO command for her to stop barking. Goldie will now jump up into the car and will jump out at my destination. Goldie’s ears were a bit infected but they have been responding well to treatment.

Week Six;
After Goldie goes pee 1st thing in the morning she runs run back to my bedroom, jumps on the bed and wants to play. She is definitely comfortable in her surrounding now. She will now lay beside me on the couch but jumps down the moment I make any movement. However, she will immediately lie down beside me if I lay on the floor to watch TV. She is more comfortable when I’m down at her level.

Week Seven;
Goldie ears are normal now so she only needs preventative treatments now. I took Goldie to the groomers today. Once I got her home she actually appeared to be happier. Her behavior has come a long way.

Week Eight;
I've been bringing my friends dog 'Dash' over more often to help with the rehabilitation. Goldie is very happy to see him and is learning to be more like a dog in the process. They follow each other around all day long. They nap together and chew on their rawhide side by side.  Dash has been very helpful a part of the rehabilitation process.

Week Nine;
Goldie has settled in to a more normal eating practice. She knows when it time to eat and gets excited as I get her bowl ready. She now eats at her bowl. She takes a few bits come to see where I am, goes back to her bowl, eats a few more bits, comes to see where I am, etc. etc..  She is almost house trained, only a couple of accidents this week.

Week Ten, Adoption Day Coming;
Goldie meets her new owners soon. She is so much more like a dog should be. She is calm and loving in her home surroundings and is ready to steal the hearts of her new “mom & dad” as she has ours here at Lake Haven Rescue. I’m happy to have had the experience of working with Goldie. I'll miss her.

Goldie at a Petsmart adoption day.

Goldie at home with her new dad.

Goldie’s Happy New Home Dear Lake Haven, Goldie is doing great!  She has become playful and now walks behind Richard to go outside and do her duty.  We have almost no accidents in the house.  When she stays alone we just leave her have to run of the house and she just lays on her couch till we get back, but is usually close to the back door when we come in, obviously she hears us coming.  She sleeps on the bed with us and is happy with that.  She has become very playful and will chase a ball.  Also, she will snatch things.  In the yard is I leave my gloves on the grass she will run off with them one at a time. She deals with her grooming just fine.  She gets frisky in the mornings and evenings and will run through the house when we play with her.  She jumps and has all her feet off the floor at the same time.  We have never seen a dog do that before. We love Goldie, Lois and Richard

back to top