Christmas Newsletter for 2013

A message from the Director

This has been a great year for Lake Haven and one which will benefit many people and their pets. For starters we received a grant of $5,000 from the Lowell Fund through the Humane Society of the US to help with expenses on Pit/Bull type dogs and senior dogs. Another grant from Two Seven Oh Inc. was received to do free spay and neuters of Pit Bulls. Newaygo County like every county in MI and all across the states has more Pit Bulls in the shelter than any other breed. It is a breed more likely to be abused than any other. It is a breed that is killed routinely in huge numbers every week in every shelter in every state of the union. As a breed they have suffered terribly and it saddens me to see it. As I walk the halls of the county shelters and see the anguished looks and soulful eyes I cannot help but want to do something to solve the problem. We cannot adopt our way out of this mess so we need to spay and neuter now. We received another $5,000 from Bissell Pet Foundation as a Bissell Block tail grant for the purpose of spaying/neutering feral (stray) cats which is a huge bonus as they are being done for ten dollars. We hope to see even fewer kittens next year. As an additional bonus for all our hard work and dedication we received a $10,000 grant from the State of MI to spay and neuter animals before they leave the shelter. Many thanks to Lisa Portenga who worked tirelessly to get our grant requests submitted.

In addition to all the grants that will make big things possible at Lake Haven we have been gifted with a 2001 Pontiac Montana Van from Frank Harley and a beautiful transport and display van with 22 cages and a grooming center inside donated by Brent and Amanda Patterson. This van can make trips to rescue animals and can make trips to spay and neuter animals and can go to adoption events in parking lots

I can't help but feel that all these good things have happened to us for a reason. I really feel that we have been chosen to do great things. With that, I will try and do my best to rise to the challenge and make things happen for the good of the animals where ever I can.

In summary I know that none of this years extraordinary events would have happened without the teamwork and dedication of our volunteers, the numerous vets that support our efforts, and the generous contribution made by so many. Without them we could not do all of the day-to-day activities that make our rescue efforts possible. We remain so very grateful to so many people who made it possible to save so many lives.

Lake Haven's Goals are to:

• Educate pet owners and the public in proper animal care and the urgent need to spay and neuter their pets.

• Ensure that at time of entry to Lake Haven, animal receives needed medical care.

• Provide spay/neuter services via area veterinarians partners.

• Provide temporary shelter for homeless cats and dogs.

• Place animals in responsible and loving homes.

Lake Haven is run by the kindness, hard work and dedication of its nearly 160 volunteers BUT every job here at Lake Haven is of equal importance. The fosters, volunteers, shelter staff, transports, and laundry and cleaning, bookkeeping, computer entry, website maintenance, newsletters, donors and so much more are essential to Lake Haven's success. We thank each and every one of you for your part in helping homeless animals find their forever homes.

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Doubling Our Capacity, With Your Help

We have made many improvements at Lake Haven this year to benefit the animals and our volunteers. We took down the old chain-link fence panels and installed new fencing around the entire shelter area with a 5 foot fence. By doing it this way it allows us to walk down the fronts of the kennels and just let the dogs run loose to get some supervised exercise. In addition we added 4 more inside /outside kennels that will really come in handy when we get large loads in. Out quarantine areas also benefited from these renovations also. Lake Haven south benefited from the installation of a taught wire at the bottom of the fence to keep dogs from digging out. Doing so has left us with a lot of 6X10 panels which are available to fosters for use in fostering dogs. Any takers?.

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Happy "Tails"

Captain Barbossa's Story - A Cruel Beginning & A Happy Ending

As I lay in a metal box dying in the front yard in the scorching heat with three other kittens also sick. We were finally rescued with 60 plus other cats from a home in Newaygo County this past July. Before we were all rescued we encountered daily abuse and torture from these people who were practicing Veterinary Services on us with no license.

I will spare you from hearing all that was done to us at their hand as it will make you very angry and cry. Just know that over the years these people abusing us, many of us never made it out alive. I was one of the many lucky ones who did make it out barely alive and with my right eye that had exploded and very infected from all the torture I endured from these monsters.

After we were all rescued we were taken to a County Animal Shelter where they were very overwhelmed with many sick, pregnant, and afraid cats/kittens. The shelter then asked for help from other rescues and people to foster them. I was one of the very lucky ones to be rescued by Lake Haven Pet Rescue. The director, Cheryl McCloud, NEVER hesitated to take us four kittens and try to save us all.

Even after arriving at Lake Haven I was still at deaths door and my eye was still needing medical attention. I was still so sick and in so much pain from my eye I was unable to lift my head up at all. Cheryl never once gave up on me, never hesitated to give up her sleep or money to give me the medical attention I needed 24 hours a day. I finally I was able to have my right eye removed so the pain could be gone and I could start getting better.

After being at the shelter for many weeks I was finally able to move into foster care with my foster mom Shannon. She was so sweet and loving to me that I am not sure I could have asked for a better foster mom. So thank you Shannon so much for giving me the care and love I needed to get better. I know you were very sad the day I moved to PetSmart to try and be adopted into a forever home.

I wasn’t even at PetSmart for very long when my forever mom Kendra was there volunteering in the cat room when she finally seen me. You see my mom had been inquiring about me to Cheryl the entire time to see how I was doing and the progress I was making. So when she happened to see me come in on a day she was volunteering she fell in love with me even more. My mom wasn’t planning on adopting me though. She already had seven other cats at home. So I was at PetSmart for a few days when she came back in to work and I starting having problems with my good eye. My mom called Cheryl right away and Cheryl had asked my mom if she could take me home and foster me until my eye would be better. My mom then took me to the vet many times over the next two weeks for several tests, medication, and care.

They found out my immune system is very weak and will likely be like this for the rest of my life. I will need eye drops several times a day also. Finally after being at my home for a week it was decided I was going to be adopted. I have to say I don’t lack any love in my new home and I love playing with my brother. My sister on the other hand, well she just wishes we would go away and leave her alone. I also have to tell you how special my dad, David, is. He loves all nine of us; yes there are nine of us now that they adopted my brother Oliver. My dad is so sweet, loving and caring to us. As my dad was holding me the other day and he was telling me that would make sure that no one would ever hurt any of us, especially me again. My dad is not afraid to show his love and affection to us in front of anyone.

I have to give you an update on the person who tortured us. She has been to court and this is the first time in Newaygo County’s history that she will NEVER be able to own a pet again in her lifetime. All I can hope for is justice for all the cats/kittens that never made it out there alive like I did. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.  Sincerely,  Captain Barbossa, Formally Eli 

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We Absolutely Love Her

Just wanted to update you since we adopted Mary about a week ago. She is doing great! She loves running around and playing. We brought her home last Sunday and by Monday night she wanted to sleep on the bed with me and be cuddly. She is adjusting well to her new home and even steals the other cats' bed :) My boys, 7 & 9, are dying for her to sleep with them but she's still a bit shy with them but they are having fun playing games with her. We absolutely love her!

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It Was Well Worth The Drive

Over a year ago I adopted my precious little pug Lola from you. She had a rough life with her former owners who had given her to an animal shelter after she had three pups. We started walking a few blocks at a time and now she can walk two miles without a blink of an eye. She loves to run and play with her big sister Raina who is a ninety pound Rottweiler who we have raised since she was six weeks old and thinks she is our child. Lola may be small but she is the alpha dog . They snuggle together and are best friends. I live over five hours away from where I adopted Lola, it was well worth the drive to meet and adopt our little Lola. She is such a little sweetheart and loves our family and great with children!

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Everyone Is Happy, Even the 9 Year Old Pit

My daughter and I have Ruby and Ramona, now named Savannah and Sadie. They are doing great. Sadie has only messed the first night in her pen and waits 5 hours now. She is learning so many phrases that are important in our life here.....wait, sit, want to go outside?. She has learned to leave the barn cats and the ducks alone. She loves to play with our Pit. The 9yr old Pit wrestles with her and is careful to not hurt the pup. The kids love their new dog, Savannah. The 3yr old calls her Banna. She has finally stopped jumping on the little kids. She is also gaining weight nicely and is on her way to being house trained. She wants to play with the cat and there are many funny moments when the cat attacks her from under the table.

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A Loyal And True Companion

We lost our Lab of 16 years and decided to stay dog free for at least a year, well that didn't last long. The kids and I decided to go to Petsmart the following February to just "look" and stumbled upon Maggie, she was kind of hard to miss with that deep bark and 120 lbs of love. She did her leaning thing, and we instantly fell in love with her. There were some issues in the beginning with aggression toward other dogs, which we have been able to overcome with some helpful tips from Dave (her foster) and Cheryl as well as following the tips on the Lake Have website and using the gentle Lead. She went on vacation with us this year on Lake Michigan and we did find although she doesn't swim, she did enjoy the water up to her belly She loves to take her toy dragon for walk and is loyal and a true companion to her feline brother.

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The Gift of Adoption - Our Georgia Rescue

We just wanted to let you know how Dutchess (aka Shandie) is doing. We adopted her a year ago on the 22nd. She is a border collie rescue from Georgia (the smallest of the litter). She is doing well, has completed puppy training and I am thinking of doing an agility class with her. Her best buddy is Louie the cat. She is smart and full of energy and now weighs 44.5 pounds. Thanks for all that you do in rescuing.

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A Love For The Hound Dog

When we were first started looking for a dog, we just wanted one that was cute. My mom brought Lucy home randomly one day and she was the cutest little hound you had ever seen. We were told she was a mix of Beagle and Basset Hound but soon realized she was much too tall to be a Basset or a Beagle. We aren't sure what kind of hound she is, but that really doesn't matter! Lucy is now close to two and the most mild mannered dog. She has a ton of energy which is good for our family, but also loves to be cuddled even though she is a 45 pound dog. We still love her to pieces. She loves little kids and just people in general. She’s happy as long as she's with you and loves every minute of it. Lucy's personality is so vibrant it's hard to miss and everybody she comes in contact with adores her. She's stubborn at times, but is willing to do ANYTHING for a treat! Whenever it comes time for a new dog, I doubt I would be able to get anything other than a loving little hound dog.

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What Would We Do Without Our Teddy Bear

Just wanted to give an update on Theodore (aka Teddy) and thank you for the opportunity to give him a loving home! He is 2 and a half years old now and is still very energetic and loves to play, fetch, tug-a-war, and hide-and-seek! He also loves going running with mommy and daddy and loves to play with his best buddy Rudy (my parents chocolate lab). He lives up to is name and is a real cuddle bug. If you ever need someone to hold, he is right there just like a teddy bear. Only better! He loves his grandparents and knows them by name. They spoil him with treats and toys. Spoiled boy :) We are soooooo thankful for him and dont know what we would do without our little Teddy Bear!

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Such A Smart Dog

We adopted our dog Oscar (fka "Chase") from Lake Haven shelter when he was just a puppy. We drove from Chicago to get him & he was only 7 weeks old. He's a wonderful dog, extremely intelligent & energetic with one "up-ear" and one "down ear"! We have taught him over 20 tricks including bow, "cover your eyes", sit pretty, play dead, wave, spin, stand tall, and others. We would love to get in touch with anyone who adopted the rest of his little family, to see how the rest of his siblings look! Thank you for your compassion - and thanks so much for saving Oscar and his family.

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Time To Adopt Our First Cat

My family decided that it was time to adopt our very first cat. So one beautiful afternoon on July 5th in 2005 my mom, brother, sister and I went to Petsmart to look at some kittens...and in the very first glass window on the bottom was 2 little black and white kittens we all fell in love with the other kitten but I felt we should adopt the other kitten named (Buck) we wanted a female but buck was a male so we had to call our dad to see if it would be okay to get a male...and it was!! Buck was named Sammy he is 8 years old now and we LOVE him SO much! Thank You Lake Haven.

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Instant Love

We got Lacy, almost a year ago! We were so excited when our adoption application was approved, and started looking for a puppy! We decided to make a trip down to Grandville PetSmart. When we walked into PetSmart it was love at first sight! She's now 1 year old! She has over 100 acres to run in, and always knows where home is because if we lose her, we find her sitting on the front porch waiting to come in. Thank you Lake Haven!

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This Truly Amazing Dog 

Just wanted to give you a quick update and send some photos of Corabelle. She is doing great, is eating much better now and sleeps through the night. We are giving her plenty of exercise and attention, and she is rewarding us with lots of kisses. ;o) FYI, she has a vet appointment next Tuesday, so I will get her microchipped there. Thank you again, and thanks to Robin, for helping us to connect with this truly amazing dog. 

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Don't Bite The Big Dog

Just wanted to share some pix of Izzy. We are beginning week 2 together and she is back to full speed and puppy wildness. Izzy’s first lesson was “Don’t bite the big dog” (Grace a 13 yr old Chessie) and now Izzy loves her. Our other dog Mattie (a cattle dog mix) is the play buddy and tolerates the sharp puppy teeth as well as can be expected. Mattie also helps me find Izzy when she is out of sight in the yard. Thank you for making this possible!

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A Sad Ending, A New Beginning

A year ago, we bid a VERY sad goodbye to our beloved Ezri, having loved her for 12 years. But, just at the right time, we happened to be checking out the puppies from Lake Haven rescue and they introduced us to our friend and packmate puppy, Ziva. Who now is known as Beka.

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A Wonderful Addition

We adopted Glitter last Saturday and can't be more happy! We did rename her Penny and she is responding well. She is a wonderful addition to our family and we are lucky to have her! I want to thank everyone at Lake Haven for all the wonderful work you do! I especially want to say thanks to Glitter's (Penny’s) foster family for taking such good care of her. Next week we start obedience training and I think she will be in the top of her class because of the care and dedication given to her.

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Thanks for taking a chance

I adopted a puppy from you a few years ago and since then have myself become a dog foster mom. One of my favorite things is when people follow up and let me know how their dog is doing so I figured better late then never on our adoption of Dudley. We were turned down by a local rescue because both my husband and I worked and I don't think they believed that we were planning on taking the puppy to puppy daycare daily and I was so thankful you gave us the chance. We call him saint Dudley which is funny because he was trouble with a capital T - and made Marley (from the book) look like an angel - but he finally grew up and is the smartest, nicest boy and is so wonderful with every single dog I've brought in to foster. He loves to camp, dock dive, fetch, and pick tomatoes. We loved him so much we rescued a second dog and they are inseparable. We don't have kids so you can imagine they are spoiled rotten....thank you for taking a chance on us!

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The Best Thing We Have Ever Done

We adopted Eli, now known as Onyx and it was the BEST thing we have ever done! He was a part of a hoarding situation, and we thought he might be a bit scared and timid because of his circumstances, but he took to us just as quickly as we took to him! He is more than a family pet, he is our baby. He loves to play in the snow and in the water. His most favorite thing to do is to chase his feline brother around the house and play with his tennis ball! I am thankful every day that my husband and I decided to adopt and am so very thankful to Lake Haven for all that they do!

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Our Home Wouldn't Be The Same

Hello! My name is Whitney and my boyfriend and I adopted our first pet together in December and her name is Charlotte (formerly Cleo). We loved her so much that we decided to adopt one more kitty to our good home and instantly fell in love with LeRoy who now goes by Parker. It took them a little bit of time but they are great companions and playmates now. We are so grateful to have them. What you do is so wonderful and I am so grateful that there are people out there who do so much to give these sweet animals a home. I know our home wouldn't be the same without our two kitties.

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She Can Finally Be Happy

We were looking for a rescue to fill out our family, saw Vanna on Petfinder, and fell in love. Lake Haven insisted on keeping her, nursing her back to health after her 12 puppies and being extremely underweight, and having all of her vet appointments. They wanted to make sure she was ready before they sent her off to her "forever" home. After getting Vanna and seeing how far she came under Lake Haven's care, we couldn't be happier. Every day Vanna is getting healthier and more rambunctious. She can finally be a happy, spoiled puppy. We owe it all to the tireless effort of the extended Lake Haven staff and volunteers, who do these extraordinary things on a daily basis. Thank You!

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A Family of 4

After five months of living on our own without a pet I convinced my boyfriend we should get a kitty. Christmas was approaching and I told him that we should give a rescue cat a home for the holidays. We looked online at Lake Haven and eventually picked a day to go to PetSmart and decide. He looked kept looking at a beautiful calico who had just had kittens, while I looked at all the rest. Finally he said, “what about her?” I held her and she started licking my hand... it was love since then. Two months later we were looking online for a second and saw a sweet little orange boy on a Friday night. My boyfriend had to work Saturday, but said I should go to petsmart, and if and only if I fell in love to bring him home. I was probably in there ten minutes, peeked in his cage, held him, filled out the paperwork and was on my way to my boyfriends work to let him know we were now a family of four. They have certainly added nothing but happiness to our lives, I can't imagine not having them.

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I Hug Him Everytime I Think Of It

My boy Huck, rescued from euthanasia at his last possible chance by Cheryl McCloud. This past year had its struggles, and I won't lie I felt like giving up sometimes but he has turned into such a wonderful, loving dog. I couldn't imagine life without him. He is always happy, and is a wonderful stress relief after a hard day when he looks at you as if to say "don't worry, let's play!" Friends, please remember to choose rescue every time you add a new pet to your life. It is the most rewarding thing you could ever do... These pets don't ever forget that you saved them from deaths door. Just imagine, if Cheryl had showed up ten minutes later, this sweet boy would have stopped smiling a year ago at just one year old, and would have become another statistic. Another one of the 10,000 pets killed in shelters every day. That thought will forever haunt me. I hug him tighter every time I think of it.

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We Are So Grateful

We wanted you to see what a beautiful dog Louie has turned into. Maybe you remember how he was missing fur on all of his legs and other parts of his body and was also so lethargic as he was recovering from being treated for heartworms. He is healthy and happy now and is the most gentle and loving dog anyone could imagine. We are so grateful to you for caring for him when he was suffering and for allowing us to adopt our wonderful companion.

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What Rescue Means To Many Of Our Adopters

Seasonal Helpful Hints

With the holiday seasons upon us it’s important to keep your four legged loved ones safe! Here are a few tips to keep you and yours happy and safe this holiday season!

• Be mindful of cold weather products such as de-icing products, salt, and anti-freeze! When walking your pet outside during the snow and ice be sure to wipe their paws and undersides thoroughly when returning inside. This will ensure your pet is safe from any skin irritations or more serious conditions.
  

• Keep all holiday decorations out of reach such as tinsel and ribbon. Ingestion of these materials could cause serious health complications for your pet.
  

• There are lots of beautiful holiday plants out there but many of them are dangerous to your pets if ingested. Keep lilies, mistletoe, ivy, holly, and poinsettias out of reach!
  

• We all love our fur friends very much and want them to enjoy some of the same yummy treats we do but keep in mind that turkey bones can be very dangerous to our pets and could cause obstructions. Holiday sweets such as chocolate are dangerous too! Keep the yummies out of reach of your furry friends.
  

• With the holidays come lots of visitors and/or out of town trips. It’s important to ensure your pet is properly tagged and micro-chipped in the event they become spooked during this holiday season.

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Special Thanks To...

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.

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Making a Donation

DID YOU KNOW: All of our support at Lake Haven comes from donors and volunteers. This includes the director of Lake Haven who receives no income for animal rescue. Because Lake Haven is an all volunteer organization, operating from a donated shelter building and foster homes, 100% of all donations received benefit the animals themselves.

HOW IS THE DONATION MONEY USED: All donations collected, which are tax deductable, go into the general animal rescue fund. This fund is the mainstay of our organization. It is how we pay for all medical expenses of animals that come into our program. It also pays for their food and comforts, heat and air conditioning. We also have a low-cost spay/neuter program for the public, but that is a separate fund not paid for by donations.

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION: You can go to our online webpage and make an electronic donation using a credit card or PayPal. If you want to use a personal check simple print the form below and send it to Lake Haven in Newaygo (see address below).  

I would like to contribute:  $____________

My Name: __________________________________