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Christmas Newsletter for
2018
from Lake Haven Rescue
In This Newsletter:
A message from the Director
A MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE
Well another successful year of happenings, success stories and
adoptions. With Volunteers/Fosters being the backbone of
everything that happens at Lake Haven let it be said that we
could not exist without them. I can’t think of another
organization that has such a dedicated and committed group of
wonderful people that makes up Lake Haven. Not nearly enough
space to list them personally, they are all very important to
the cause no matter what they do. They bring new meaning to “it
takes a village”. I have adoptive families call me all the time
to thank me for all the efforts and consideration shown to them
when adopting a dog or cat, more and more home visits are done
and the adopters seem to like it to see the actions of the pet
in their home prior to adoption. Our volunteers are highly
motivated and efficient always maintaining our high standards.
The second component to our highly successful rescue is our
Veterinarians, some of the best surgeons in Western Mi. Without
them we are powerless to help the suffering. Dr. Sam Ciatto DVM
of Animal Wellness Center of White Cloud and his wonderful staff
have done thousands of surgeries for us thru the years and have
been instrumental in the Spay/Neuter program in Newaygo County
for 10 years. I also recall a day about 4 years ago he was so
kind enough to open his clinic on a Saturday to do 17 dog
surgeries in one day. The Fremont Animal Hospital and Dr Richard
Russell DVM, Dr Marie Breuker DVM, and Dr Gretchen Kronsbein DVM
have outdone themselves in the 35 years I have been with this
clinic. Yep I was there before Dr Russell. From euthanizing
kittens with distemper on Christmas day, sewing up ear flaps on
Sunday, delivering Pixie pups in the middle of the night about 4
times as I recall, and all the FHO’s and torn ACL’s and
entropion surgeries, putting a dog back together that jumped out
a second story window and saving dogs and cats that just were
not going to make it. Not to forget Dr Nauta from Cedar Animal
Hospital who has handled some tough cases for us with his
skillful use of his ultra sound. Our Veterinarians are our very
existence. We would not be who we are without them and out
reputation is tied to who they are…..exceptional and highly
skilled Veterinarians, whom we obviously recommend to anyone
looking for a really good Vet.
 And where would we be without our wonderful adopters who wait
patiently for us to wade thru mountains of paperwork and
applications to get to them. They are the reason we continue.
Some are so grateful, most stay in touch with pictures and
stories. When we see the love that pours from them unto their
pets it makes it all worthwhile. That and the animals themselves
that have transformed from neglected and abused to happy and
healthy.
And then we have our donors who have been our lifeblood all
these years. I am so grateful for the support they have given
for so many years. Without them we could not have accomplished
what we have. Since 1999 we have adopted over 20,000 animals.
Each were carefully placed in loving homes and all medicals
completed.
 The gratitude that I feel is overwhelming and is what keeps me
going in my toughest times. I would like to thank my Volunteers.
Fosters, Veterinarians, Adopters and Donors for their part in
what is known as Lake Haven.
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 Educate
pet owners and the public in proper animal care and the
urgent need to spay and neuter their pets.
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Ensure that at time of entry to Lake
Haven, animal receives needed medical
care.
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Provide spay/neuter services via area
veterinarians partners.
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Provide temporary shelter for homeless
cats and dogs.
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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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  He
came to us in September, a beautiful neglected 13 year old
Golden with heartworm and a severe ear infection in both ears.
Found by two kind girls running down M-37 his cable clip was
rusted unto his dirty collar and about 2 feet of cable attached.
It looked very much like it had been cut. He had been chained
his whole life. Owners were located and it was found this was
his 2nd bout with heartworm. Although financially able they
chose not to care for him. I cringed at the thought of him
spending his winter nights alone and cold at the end of yet
another cable, but was pleasantly surprised when they
surrendered him to Lake Haven. He now resides with a Lake Haven
foster who has another of our Goldens. The red on his forehead
is a lipstick kiss not an injury. He will never see a cold
winter night again except in a big bed in front of a fireplace.
What A Senior Rescue Means To Many Of Our
Adopters
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Our Success Story of
the Year
A Healthy Gentle Soul
  When
Cheryl emailed me Sissy's shelter pictures, I cried. To
willingly starve any creature is beyond the neglect and cruelty
charge levied against the former owner. It is pure evil. We
quickly decided to open our home to foster this girl. No more
breeding. No more neglect. No more starving, but instead lots of
attention and much needed medical care. Sissy has continued to
gain weight and successfully completed the intense Heartworm
treatments. Today
she is a happy, healthy 57 pound gentle soul, not the sad 28
pound skeleton dog rescued by Newaygo County Animal Control. She
who only wants to be sitting next to us on the couch waiting for
her "Dad" to scratch that special place behind her ear. A run in
the yard with her Pittie sister, a couple of bowls of kibble, a
few treats and, of course afternoon belly rubs and she collapses
with a sigh after a full day. She is happy. She thanks us
endlessly with that ever wagging tail and countless kisses. She
still shadows us from room to room; and each and every time we
speak her name, her entire body wiggles with such joy. She will
live the rest of her life being spoiled and loved on as a member
of our family
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More Success Stories
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What an Amazing Recovery
 When
Lake Haven received a call from Oceana Shelter about a cat
hoarding case with 66 cats Cheryl McCloud told them we would
help. We ended up with 26 kitties, all were sick, eyes were
stuck shut,
 and
all had respiratory issues. As I was leaving I saw a light
colored kitty coming out of a shed and he was trying to make it
to the house. He collapsed about halfway there. I went to get
him and he was just a rack of bones, and one eye was horribly
infected. I took him home and began fluids on him and force
feedings. He could not hold his head up to eat was happy to suck
it out of a syringe. I spent the next 4 weeks trying to bring
him back and finally did. He is in a wonderful home now where he
is inside only and cherished by his owner.
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 Today I have
this princess 4 years ,and I still enjoy every day with
her.Thank you Lake Haven !!! and Pam for fostering her. Louise
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Kami, Monte and their best friend Milo. Always
snuggling. Thank you Lake Haven. Liz
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Elvis (Pixie, aka Billy, Garth) is not super excited
about his Halloween costume!
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 Our
three fluffy cats from lake haven... Pixi, Dusty, and
Tosi it's very hard getting a picture of the three of
them close together. Thank you Cheryl for these
wonderful animals.
Bridgette
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Four years, today, with this little guy!! At about 10 months
old, he had already been surrendered by two families. I don't
know how anyone could ever give this cutie up, but we're sure
glad we were blessed with him! Parker (formally Roland), came
into our lives 6 months after losing my pup of almost 15 years.
I still will not forget getting teary eyed when I saw his
picture on your website, because I just knew he was the one. He
is funny, spunky, so sweet and so loved. I think we definitely
rescued each other.
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I adopted a wonderful, sweet German Shepherd mix named
Darla from Lake Haven. She has been my best furry friend
for 5 years. I love her so much and want to say thanks
to Lake Haven for putting us together.
Susan
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 Little
Bernie came to us with a horribly injured eye. He had
endured this injury for some time , along with both ears
so infected that pus was running out of both ears and
forming huge balls of pus and hair all around his head.
He went immediately to the Vet who removed his eye and
who told me he had glaucoma in that eye in addition to
the injury and said that was the most painful condition
a dog can have. Despite the horrible pain he was in he
allowed me handle him and put drops in his remaining eye
daily and I treated his ears for weeks. What a charmer
he is and such a deserving soul. He is in a loving place
where that won’t happen ever again.
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Our Lake Haven babies Wrigley (aka Boomer adopted in
2011) and Rocky (aka Stanley adopted in 2014) enjoying
their ferry ride to Mackinaw Island! If you are looking
for a place to take your pups, the Island was wonderful
and it has been named one of the top dog friendly places
in the country!
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We just wanted to send you a note to let you know Buster is
doing great. He is really fitting in with us, we couldn't be
happier that we found and adopted him! We hope you have a great
holiday season and thank you very much!
Jack, Brandy & Buster |
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My son took this picture of our sweet Cassie- doesn’t she look
like a model? In all seriousness though we LOVE this dog so so
much and she has completed our family.
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4 years ago, Sadie (Sarabelle) came to live with us, and
we’re so glad she did! It has been such fun watching her
blossom! She still surprises me with new things from
time to time. The very best part is, she is my sweet
little buddy, and she will be for the rest of her life.
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The first night we had Jax, we tried to make him sleep
in his own bed on the floor of our bedroom. 2 minutes in
we gave up and this is where he sleeps every night. He
won't even go to the foot of the bed where there's room,
he's gotta be smack dab in between our heads and usually
sharing one of our pillows.
Megan
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Happiest 7th Birthday to our sassy, sweet, spoiled
rotten and absolute love, Mae-Leigh Jo!!! The last 3
years with this pooch have been the BEST and I hope she
gives us many more!
Nikki
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Happy Gotcha Day to our Beautiful Zoe. Ten years ago
this adorable puppy came into our lives and hearts. She
is the smartest, most beautiful, loving, sweet, loyal
companion I have ever known. Our lives have been
enriched by knowing this amazing dog, and I want to say
thank you Cheryl McCloud and Lake Haven for entrusting
her care to us.
Cathy
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Happy gotcha day to this goof! We love Ajax so much and
are so thankful to Lake Haven for him, he's a big dog
with a bigger personality, and he's so sweet and gentle
with our son!
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It has officially been one year since we welcomed Laney
(Fallon) into our house. She has the goofiest smile
we’ve ever seen and most hyper wiggle butt that let’s
you know she’s excited. We never would have thought that
this little puppy would turn into an 80 pound lap dog
but we wouldn’t want to change a thing. Thank you so
much Lake Haven for allowing us to be her parents.
Brian
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This is our handsome Wallie! He has learned a new trick!
He can open the gate to Konnors room and He can open
doors if they push in. We have the door handle style!
Now to just teach him to close the door after he lets
himself and the other dogs in. Joni
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 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!
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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.
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Keep all holiday decorations out of reach such as tinsel
and ribbon. Ingestion of these materials could cause serious
health complications for your pet.
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There are lots of beautiful holiday plants out there but
man y
of them are dangerous to your pets if ingested. Keep lilies,
mistletoe, ivy, holly, and poinsettias out of reach!
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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.
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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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To Our Many Vets, Donors, Adopters, and Volunteers
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Lake Haven would like to thank the those veterinary clinics
that have done so much to help us save animals through their
dedication to the profession. These are skilled and charitable
Veterinarians with skilled staff and we encourage you to visit
and support their clinic....
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Hudsonville
Jelsema Veterinary Clinic
(616) 662-6230
White Cloud
Animal Wellness Center
(231) 689-0630 |
Cedar Springs
Cedar Springs Animal Hospital
616-696-1212
Fremont
Fremont Animal Hospital
(231) 924-4940 |
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I am especially grateful for our wonderful Veterinarians for
all the work and effort they put forth every day to help us make
a difference in the lives of animals in need. Thank you to
Dr.Richard Russell, Dr. Marie Breuker, Dr. Gretchen Kronsbein of
Fremont Animal Hospital for saving animals that have no chance
at all. The critical ones all end up here, and they do a
marvelous job.
    
  Special thank you to Dr. Sam Ciatto, of Animal Wellness
Center who takes care of animals at our Shelter and is the life
blood of the Low-cost Spay/Neuter Program that has been so
highly successful in Newaygo County. And thank you to Dr. Terry
Jelsema, Dr. Julie Eberly of Jelsema Vet Clinic for handling our
emergencies, and our animals in that area. Lake Haven is what
they are because of them and we urge you to use these wonderful,
skilled Veterinarians and their Clinics. Thank you Dr. Larry
Nauta of Cedar Springs Animal Hospital for his skill with ultra
sound, and Dr. Kelly Coll of Chicago Dr. Vet Hospital for
showcasing our kittens and spay/neuter help.
 I am grateful for our supporters, adopters, volunteers
and our highly skilled, hardworking Veterinarians who
help us make a difference in the lives of animals in
need.
And, of course, a very
special thanks to all of our volunteers who’s compassion
and dedication to saving the lives of animals remains
the engine that keep Lake Haven going. AND to all that
make a donation to our cause no words can thank you
enough.
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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.
Online Donations
We have recently added an online
donation capability to our website. You can contribute any amount you
like and use a credit card or PayPal. It can't get much easier so
click
on the "Donate" button below to get started.
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I would like to contribute:
 $____________
My Name: __________________________________
Address: ___________________________________
City: ___________ State: _______ Zip:
__________
Telephone: ________________________
Email: ____________________________
My donation is in Memory/Honor of:
_____________________________________________
Donation Purpose (see suggestions above):
_______________________________________
Send Acknowledge Card to:
Address: ___________________________________
City: _________________________ State: _______
Zip: __________
Send your personal check made out to "Lake Haven" at:
Lake Haven 551 Pickerel Lake Dr.
Newaygo, MI 49337
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