Become a member of Pet Haven

Members receive our quarterly newsletter and are eligible to vote at our annual meetings. Dues are $25 per person per year. The 2008 membership year for new members begins on November 1, 2007 and runs through January 31, 2009. Please join now!

Join Pet Haven

What is Pet Haven?

Pet Haven is similar to a humane society. We help homeless cats, kittens, dogs and puppies. Pet Haven was founded in 1952 and is a charitable 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Everyone in Pet Haven is a volunteer.

What does Pet Haven do?

Pet Haven has four primary purposes, as noted in our mission statement. We rescue and re-home cats and dogs, spay and neuter to reduce overpopulation, educate the public about responsible care of companion animals, and advocate on behalf of companion animals.

Pet Haven's adoption program helps homeless dogs and cats find new homes. We provide them with veterinary care including a spay or neuter. All of the animals in our adoption program stay in volunteer foster homes until they are adopted. The foster families care for the animal and learn about its needs and temperament. This helps us to find a suitable permanent home that is a good match for the cat or dog. Pet Haven is 'no kill'. This means we do not euthanize any of the animals taken into our adoption program unless they have an untreatable health or behavioral condition that prevents an acceptable quality of life or makes them a serious threat to the safety of people or other animals. Click here for more information on adopting a cat or dog from Pet Haven.

Pet Haven also is committed to reducing pet overpopulation and the needless suffering and killing of unwanted companion animals that results. We offer low cost spay and neuter surgeries for the pets of low-income families and grants to other animal rescue groups to help them spay and neuter more animals. Click here for more information about our spay/neuter initiatives.

Finally, Pet Haven volunteers educate the public about responsible companion animal care. We convey our respect for animals as we talk with prospective new homes for the cats and dogs in our adoption program, meet people at public events, and socialize with friends and family. We encourage others to view their pets as members of the family and to treat them as such. We are their guardians and they depend on us for our companionship and care.

Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to Pet Haven.

Click here for more information about volunteering with Pet Haven.

Does Pet Haven have a shelter?

No, Pet Haven does not have a shelter. All of the animals in our adoption program are cared for in volunteer foster homes.

Who runs Pet Haven?

Pet Haven, Inc. of Minnesota is a non-profit charitable organization incorporated and registered in the state of Minnesota. Pet Haven has a voting membership. The members hold annual meetings to elect the Board of Directors and discuss Pet Haven’s accomplishments and challenges. A nine member Board of Directors governs Pet Haven. The Board elects officers, sets policy and oversees all aspects of the organization. Pet Haven members, directors and officers are all volunteers. Click here for more information about becoming a member of Pet Haven.

What is the Spay/Neuter Initiative (SNI)?

Pet Haven received a very generous donation earmarked to be used to help reduce the overpopulation of companion animals and to help families keep their pets by providing low-cost spay and neuter services. The donor's hope was that the funds be used to reach animals not already being served by Pet Haven's adoption program. Pet Haven used this donation as the "seed money" to start its own low-cost spay/neuter outreach and to offer grants to humane and rescue groups to assist with their spay/neuter efforts.

I want to spay or neuter my pet but can't afford it. Can Pet Haven help?

Yes! We will help you pay for the spay/neuter surgery and related veterinary costs. Contact us by calling (952) 831-3825 and leave a message that you are interested in our low-cost spay/neuter program. A volunteer will get back to you. If we determine that our program can help your pet, we will work with you to come up with a cost you can afford and Pet Haven will pay the rest. You will need to be willing to take your pet to one of the veterinary clinics we work with in the Twin Cities area.

Why should I spay or neuter my pet?

Female pets are "spayed" and male pets are "neutered". This is sometimes also called "altering". This surgery makes them unable to reproduce so your pet will not contribute to the problem of pet overpopulation. There are many more puppies, kittens and other pets born every day than there are homes to care for them. Those that are without homes suffer from disease and malnutrition and are put to death because no one wants them. Plus, spaying and neutering can help to reduce behavior problems in your pet. Altered dogs and cats are less likely to fight with other animals and are less inclined to spray and urinate in the house. There are also health benefits to spaying and neutering. The possibility of certain types of cancer is eliminated or greatly reduced in animals that have been altered.

I work with a humane society. Can we get a spay/neuter grant from Pet Haven?

Pet Haven's SNI grants are available to 501(c)3 and other non-profit organizations concerned with the welfare of animals. Your organization must apply for the grant and your application must be approved by Pet Haven's Board of Directors. Pet Haven's mission focuses on cats and dogs and we anticipate that most of the grants will be awarded to similarly focused groups. However, applications from groups that work with other small animals will also be considered.

Organizations that participate in any of the following activities do not qualify for these grants: breeding animals; using or releasing animals for use in medical or other experimentation; and organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin in policy or practice.

The grant must be used for spay and neuter surgical procedures. The funds may also be used for pre-operative examinations, pre-operative and intra-operative pain management, and emergency veterinary care related to the surgery. This will enable grantees to use their own funds to provide additional services, such as vaccinations and microchipping, for the same animals that are being altered.

If you have questions regarding the grants for rescue groups and humane societies, or would like to receive a grant application, please contact the Pet Haven SNI Project Manager at Admin@PetHavenMN.org or by calling (952) 831-3825 and leaving a message.

Board and Committee Activity

Strategic Plan

The Board of Directors met in late July to develop a detailed strategic plan. The purpose of this plan is to focus our priorities and serve as a guide for our efforts during the remainder of 2007 and in 2008. Click here to see the document.

Pet Haven’s New Leadership

by Sally Morton, past President

Marilou Chanrasmi was unanimously elected the new President of Pet Haven at the Board of Directors’ organizational meeting on May 12, 2007. Marilou began volunteering with Pet Haven last year when she fostered and then adopted “Missy”, a pitbull/lab mix. Last fall she was appointed by the Board as Pet Haven’s HR Director, responsible for our volunteer management program. She has served on the Board of Directors since November, 2006.

While Marilou’s tenure at Pet Haven has been relatively short, her contributions have been tremendous. A few short weeks after she became HR Director Marilou volunteered to step in as the interim Dog Division Chair. She did a great job pulling together a team of experienced volunteers and directed the dog adoption program through a transition in leadership. She has since assembled and handed off this role to a new team and Pet Haven's dog adoption program continues to be strong. In her role as HR Director, Marilou brought many new volunteers into our organization and implemented a new volunteer orientation program. Her dedication to Pet Haven's mission is infectious!

Marilou has been a valuable member of the Pet Haven leadership team and we are very fortunate that she is willing to now serve as Pet Haven's President. Marilou's vision for improving the welfare of companion animals is expansive and we can all look forward to some great new ideas and programs in the next couple of years.

In addition to electing Marilou Chanrasmi as President, the Board appointed Sally Morton as Vice President, Kris Lawson as Secretary, Eldora Anderson as Treasurer, Kristen Denzer as Development Director, Paula Vest as Dog Chair, and Mary Ann Cameron as Cat Chair. Sue Simons and Frieda Wilson round out the list of volunteers currently serving on the Board of Directors. You may contact the Board of Directors at admin@PetHavenMN.org.

Pet Haven Board of Directors Meetings

Pet Haven is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership. The full Board and the Board’s steering committees meet regularly to conduct business. These meetings are open to all volunteers, members, and donors. The Board encourages interested parties to attend. Please refer to the schedule on the left side of this page for information regarding upcoming meetings.

In order to facilitate the effective management of both its operational and strategic responsibilities, the Board of Directors has formed 3 sub-committees called “steering committees”. These committees are each assigned responsibility for specific programs and functions within the organization. All Board members serve on at least one steering committee.

The Governance Steering Committee is responsible for compliance with statutory and other legal requirements, financial management, insurance, general administration, Board meetings, membership management, and annual meetings.

The Operations Steering Committee is responsible for the cat and dog adoption programs, the low-cost spay/neuter program, and volunteer management.

The Development Steering Committee is responsible for fundraising, public relations, coalitions/outreach, public education, advocacy, public policy, program development, the newsletter, and administering the Spay/Neuter Initiative grant program.

Please contact us at Admin@PetHavenMN.org with any questions.

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