Pet Haven's Pawgress Report (July 2021)

Pet Haven's Pawgress Report (July 2021)

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Seeking cat foster mentors! 

Top traits of the greats:

  • A caring heart - Your love for animals knows no bounds. You know that patience and compassion go hand and hand when it comes to both cat fosters who care for them. 
  • Proactive communicator - You aren’t afraid to pick up the phone, send an email or shoot a text just to check in on your mentors. You are both the listening ear and the sounding board throughout the fostering process for your mentees. 
  • Collaborative relationship builder - You enjoy being able to be part of the team and ensuring those around you feel that camaraderie and sense of belonging. You work to build partnerships with your mentees. 
  • A bit nerdy - Could you talk about cats all day? Have an interest in learning more about triaging cat behavior problems? Or if you are ready to curate tips, tricks and suggestions to create your own resources . . . your eager to learn spirit is welcomed and encouraged. 

Interested? Send an email to Misha at catdivisionmanager@pethavenmn.org with why you are interested and how you would make the role your own.

Seeking event coordinators! 

Interested? Email Volunteer Coordinator Lauren Rauchwarter at lrauchwarter@gmail.com.

Howly Meow it's been busy!

The search for a Pet Haven home continues! Ashley, Savannah and I reviewed several properties last week and have narrowed it down to two very strong candidates. The search for physical space for us has been much longer and more difficult than I had anticipated. 

The commercial real estate market has proved challenging to find properties that will accept our needs. However, I am excited about the new opportunities we have identified and hopeful that by October, just shy of our 70 year anniversary, Pet Haven will finally have a home.

Cross your fingers for us!

175 pets found foster placement in April and May. Due to this dramatic increase in need, we had no choice but to put an intake slow down into effect for June and July. The result of this was only 38 pets found foster placement in June. The reason for this slow down was rising animal care costs -  such as non standard veterinary care - a large amount of kittens and puppies that require higher care costs and staff time, several emergency and non-standard vetting needs, and the seasonal reduction in donation support that provides us the ability to take on more pets in need and responsibly cover our care costs.

It's unfortunate that finances have to drive decisions when working in such an emotional field such as animal rescue. However, we must be responsible and maintain the strong financial health of the organization to be able to save more lives for another 70 years!

I am hopeful we will release this slow down soon! In order to increase funding for vetting needs we have put in place some fun “fund-raising” opportunities that all of us can get involved in! 

Please consider being a part of and sharing our 2021 Pet Haven Rescue Brew Spokescat and Spokesdog photo contest with your network! We hope to raise $25,000, but wouldn't it be wonderful if we blew the WOOF off of it!! YOU can make a huge difference in our success. 

Personal Facebook Fundraisers for your foster pets is also super effective, very easy, and incredibly helpful. There is an ability on Facebook to create a fundraiser. I like to include a link to our website for donations too as some people do not like to use Facebook to donate. Featuring some good pictures of your foster pet and your experience with Pet Haven can be really powerful.

If you do not foster it can be fun to “Sponsor a Foster Pet”. You can sponsor one that is up for adoption or email me and I can give you one that is having some extra medical or care needs. I can be reached at director@pethavenmn.org.

I hope to see all of you at our Volunteer Appreciation Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, July 28 from 6 - 8 p.m., Smith Park in Bloomington. We did this last year and it was a lot of fun! Bring family and pups. I look forward to seeing old friends and new faces!

I cannot say it enough how grateful I am that I get to do this work with all of you. Our Pet Haven Family makes a huge difference in the lives of pets and people. We could not do what we do without this strong community.

Thank you for all you do and all you give to Pet Haven, the pets we serve, the people we help, and the families we create!

Kerry is contributing:

Exciting News…..

At Pet Haven we say, “Once part of the Pet Haven Family always part of the Pet Haven Family.”

With our focus on continuing to improve operations and services, we are doing some internal restructuring with staff. Ashley will be moving from Animal Care back into Operations.  As Savannah has been taking on more responsibility and doing pawsome, she will be handling more Animal Care with the support of a “new” staff member coming onboard in our Programs Manager position.

With that being said I am thrilled to announce the return of Anna Schaumberg to Pet Haven! Anna will be our new Program Manager and support Animal Care. She is so excited to come back and so are we! Anna left to pursue an opportunity she could not say no to at a shelter in North Dakota, which was very different from Pet Haven. She realized how much she missed Pet Haven and the amazing work we are doing to impact pets and people for the better. Anna reached out to see if she could interview for the Programs Manager position and we said YES!

Anna coming back to Pet Haven speaks volumes about our organization, the community we have created here, and the impact we make on pets and people. I am so excited for her return and the growth we will see as a result.

Please welcome Anna back with open arms. She is so grateful to be part of our team and mission again.

Good things are happening all around!

“Guess who’s back.. back again..”

I am excited to announce that I am moving back into the Operations role! Savannah and I have been working hard to get her trained in on all things vet and I will continue to be a sounding board for her as needed. With Anna coming into Programs, I am confident that we are going to be able to provide more support to our growing Pet Haven community. I will be focusing on process improvements, ensuring the ship is sailing smoothly, and *knock on wood* helping manage an office set-up! More to come in the next Pawgress Report on how our positions are defined with the addition of Programs!

Also SUPER COOL announcement alert! 

Dogs of a Good Society (D.O.G.S.) routinely sponsors vet care for organizations in need. I saw an Instagram post indicating they were ramping up to divy up funds. I immediately contacted our amazing Authorization Coordinator, Karynn, who swiftly got in touch with D.O.G.S. to see if they could sponsor the immense amount of animals we have getting altered soon. They said YES to sponsoring 29 animals - ALL of the care happening at their alter appointments which includes vaccinations, testing, etc! That is thousands of dollars in savings for Pet Haven - LIFE savings! This means we can say yes to more animals in need! Check out the faces of our sponsored animals!

Did you know that vet techs love gross things? We especially love gross things in the form of pictures or videos. Anytime you think there might be something of concern with your foster animal, even if it’s gross, try to capture a photo or video of it and send it on over to the vet email.

While we’re on the topic of sending things to the vet email, I wanted to remind you that no concern is too small or insignificant to bring up to us! The vet team relies on you to keep us in the loop about what is going on with our furry friends, so please always feel comfortable asking questions or just letting us know if something is out of the ordinary.

A few examples of things that might seem strange to bring up to us but are absolutely worth mentioning (and sending pictures/videos of) include but are not limited to:

  • Behavioral changes – For example, appetite changes, increased vocalizing, hiding, sleeping more, mood swings/irritability, and sudden intolerance of other animals in the house, are all small ways our animals might tell us something is going on.
  • Stool changes – anytime a stool is not firm or a normal brown, let us know! Take a picture 😊  Also let us know if you notice a decrease in stool production, animals should always be very regular! Irregular bowel movements are a really good first sign that something is wrong.
  • Urination changes – you might notice an increase in frequency (asking to go outside more often or many trips to the litter box), change in the amounts of urine produced, changes in color (send me a photo!), vocalizing while urinating, going outside of the litterbox or having accidents around the house.

Moral of the story: never hesitate to update us when something changes! Teamwork is what helps us take amazing care of our fosters!!

The Board is excited to announce our newest Board member - welcome, Annette Agner! Most of you know Annette as Pet Haven’s supplies queen and for all the other amazing work she and her husband already do for Pet Haven. Annette is apparently not busy enough and decided to join the Board too. We are thrilled to have someone with her talents and experience. 

The 2021 Pet Haven Rescue Brew Spokescat and Spokesdog photo contest launched this week. I’m so excited about this contest and we have a lofty goal - to raise $25,000 over four weeks. We can do it, but we’ll need everyone in the Pet Haven community to share and promote this contest. We've teamed up with Dual Citizen Brewing to create the 2021 Pet Haven Rescue Brew and the winning pets will be featured on the label! Mark your calendars for August 12, when we will have a Rescue Brew release party at Dual Citizen. A huge thank you to Lucina Winter for her leadership and coordination of the contest. 

It’s also not too early to start thinking about another fundraiser - the 2021 Holiday Auction. Last year, we tried an online auction for the first time, and it went so well, we decided to do another one this year. We’re looking for experiences and items (minimum value of about $50) that we can auction off. If you have any contacts at places that might be willing to donate or have any suggestions for prizes, please email board@pethavenmn.org. Thank you to Jen Sposeto for her leadership on last year’s auction and for getting us off to an early start on this year’s.   

As always, if you have questions or concerns or just want to chat, please reach out to us at board@pethavenmn.org.

Julie and her family moved from Kansas in 2017 and started fostering with Pet Haven in January 2018. In July of 2018, Julie became the Cat Division Manager. Julie and Brandon have fostered over a hundred cats, mostly kittens and pregnant moms, which led Julie to transition to the role of Kitten/Queen Program Manager this spring. They especially like fostering pregnant moms, litters, and bottle fed babies! 

Julie and Brandon live in Eden Prairie with their three children - Ben, Grace, and Molly. Julie is a pediatric speech pathologist by day and a full-time crazy cat lady. They have four cats - Sushi, Nova, Wren (foster fail), and Cloudpuff Squishmallow (foster fail). They may foster fail one more time before completing their feline family.

When not volunteering or working, you will find Julie walking, writing, relaxing on the front porch or near a lake, binge-watching shows, or cleaning litter boxes. Julie and Brandon just remodeled several parts of their house in order to make room for even more cats. They also have a catio that Brandon built and Julie would like to expand that as well!

If you are interested in getting more involved as a volunteer, check out the opportunities listed at pethavenmn.org/volunteer/

On the Road Again

Summer is certainly here! With weddings back on the books and camping trips galore, please remember to submit your requests for respite (temporary foster) care as soon as possible. The more advance you give, the better the chances are that we will be able to find a respite foster. 

Adoptions
Congratulations to the following 45 cats who found their forever homes in June: Diego, Kareem, Steffi, Nova, Pond, Capone, Lily, Ophelia, Oliver, Sasha, Fritz, Falk, Marcy, Olive, Paulo, Mike, Molly, Peach, Monroe, Tiger, Tofutti nka Lucy, Lola nka Cinnamon Rose, Sidney, Augustus, Cricket nka Loki, Raj, Pika, Eliza, Peggy, Angelica, Penelope, Simba, Tennessee, Saffron, Ed, Seth, Romeo, Forrey, Sammy, Nora, Luna, Tasha, Fluffy Boy, Fluffykins, and Hazel nka Gypsy.

Leading the Clowder

We are so excited to announce our newest Cat Foster Mentor, Nassim! Nassim is an active foster and volunteer with Pet Haven, and decided that she was ready to take on the challenges and rewards of mentoring. We’re so proud to have Nassim joining our group of mentors.

Do You Know Your Mentor?

  • Group #1 - Elysia (Facebook Name: Lysia Celeste)
  • Group #2 - Denise (Facebook Name: Denise Josephson)
  • Group #3 - Lynn (Facebook Name: Lynn Skauge)
  • Group #5 - Jackie (Facebook Name: Jackie Schmdln)
  • Group #6 - Brandon (Facebook Name: Brandon Urban)
  • Group #7 - Nassim (Facebook Name: Nassim Noori Rossi)
  • Group #8 - Angel (Facebook Name: Angel Stoffel)
  • Group #9 - Anna and Colin Carpenter (Facebook Name: Colin Carpenter)
  • Group #10 - Julie (Facebook Name: Julie Sgarlat Urban)

 

If you are currently an approved cat foster, keep your eye on the Foster Needed page and the cat album for felines seeking foster care!

Happy trails and happy tails to all the dogs adopted in June! Patience, Odin, Cleo, Lauren/Pepper, Rose, Lady, Princess, Lola, Esperanza, Winnie, Petty, Misty, Godiva, Max, Miles, Biscuit/s, Sam, Oakley, Scout, Hawk, Twilight, Bruno, and Bella.

Thank you to Ashley Marks for the facebook post outlining the process for keeping Maren, our adoption coordinator, and your foster mentor updated throughout the adoption process. See that post here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetHavenVolunteers/posts/2874601212795984

Did you know that if you decide an applicant isn’t a good fit for your foster, you can let Maren, our adoption coordinator (dogs@pethavenmn.org) know and she will let the applicant know. You never have to say no to an applicant if you’re not comfortable - our adoption coordinator does that for you! That’s one of the reasons why it’s such a great idea to keep Maren posted about the progress of each of the applicants. One of our promises of excellent customer service is to communicate promptly with applicants. Maren does a stellar job of staying connected but she relies on your updates to do that. 

When you are ready for a new foster and are checking the Fosters Needed page, make sure you watch for Pet Haven dogs that need a new foster. Occasionally, because of a change of circumstances a foster will ask to have their foster dog moved to another home. Those dogs have the highest priority for fosters. When you choose to foster a dog that’s moving from another foster home, you are helping both the dog and another member of the Pet Haven family. The great thing is that we have the most information for those dogs and you can meet them before deciding whether or not to foster them. 

If you are currently an approved dog foster, keep your eye on the Foster Needed page and the dog album for dogs seeking foster care!

Volunteer Appreciation Ice Cream Social!

Join us for ice cream truck novelties on us and a laid back evening meeting, or catching up with, fellow fosters and volunteers. Social is open house style, so attendees can come and go throughout the event. Kids of volunteers are welcome to attend, however, note there are no playgrounds or other forms of entertainment.

Open Shed

Note the Cottage Grove satellite location available by contacting Beth Alexander at alexander1629@comcast.net and 651-238-9878. She has a large selection of special needs products.

Nail Trims

Sip and Purr Events

  • Sip and Purr - Adoptable Felines, Coffee, and Q&A on Feline Behavior Event 
    • Meet some of Pet Haven's adoptable cats and kittens, enjoy a complimentary latte or two and learn about why your cats do what they do! Our Executive director will be speaking about feline behavior and answering questions.
  • Sip and Purr - Meet and Greet Event
    • Come and join us at Bentley's Pet Stuff in Excelsior for a cup of coffee and to see some adorable adoptable cats and kittens!

Paws on Grand with Pet Haven Rescue

Meet up with Pet Haven and some of our lovable animals this August 8th from 10 AM to 2 PM!

Pet Haven will be attending Paws on Grand, a yearly event in St. Paul that focuses on our most beloved friends....our pets.

Volunteers and our Executive Director will be there to answer questions and provide information on the mission of Pet Haven as well as the community outreach programs we are involved in. We will have some Pet haven adoptable there too!

Celebrate the dog days of summer on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue with Paws on Grand! Grand Avenue businesses partner with local rescue groups to pamper and celebrate four-legged friends all along the Avenue. Gather up giveaways, relax on a pet-friendly restaurant patio, learn about pet adoption, support rescue groups, and pose for the popular pet photo contest!

Click here for more details. 

Baseball and Dogs - Pet Haven Adoptable Pups and the St. Paul Saints

Let's go out to the ball game and meet some dogs! Enjoy a night out under the stars at the CHS field stadium with Pet Haven and our rescued Pup sponsored by Chuck & Dons, The St Paul Saints will be playing Indianapolis! You will get to meet Crystal, a 2-year-old 55 pound Shepard mix full of licks and love! Crystal is a high-energy dog with a great sense of humor and playfulness!

“Paws up to Lauren Rauchwarter! Lauren adds so much to Pet Haven in her volunteer roles, but she also goes the extra mile to write amazing bios for her foster pets that are entertaining, fun, and well-written. Well done, Lauren!”

“Paws up to Julie Urban! As the cat division continues to grow, I want to give both paws up to Julie. She graciously offered to train our newest foster mentor, and put together a library of foster mentor resources to set any future mentor up for success.”

The Paws Up winner of the $20 Amazon Gift Card is Julie Urban! This will be the last month of Paws Up! Thank you all for all the recognition you’ve given your fellow Pet Haveners! 

Did you know Pet Haven has one free doggy daycare spot per day at Lucky Dog Bloomington and Downtown Dogs? If you are interested in reserving the spot email respite@pethavenmn.org.