A message from the Director

I have always known that the successful adopting of animals was the result of good marketing and exposure. This year I was able to really expand on a new way of "marketing" kitties. We opened our first new adoption center at Pet Supplies Plus in Grandville and it was a huge success. Then everyone wanted one. We said yes to Jenison Chowhound and the Alpine Ave Pet Supplies Plus. Each one has been well received and adoptions are way up. A special thank you to Pet Supplies Plus in Grandville for being the first one to take a chance on my new and innovative approach to adoptions. The kitties are all having fun in their large new "digs" and people are thrilled they can go in and interact with them.

We also have had a lot of new fundraising going on. The Newaygo Art Dept. had their students paint portraits of our adopted pets. The unveiling of the portraits was Nov 11 and was a huge success, and a lot of fun. A comment was made as we stood in front of 50 portraits with 50 pairs of eyes on us...."just think none of these animals would be her today if Lake Haven had not stepped up for them". I found that statement to be pretty overwhelming as I looked at all those faces I know so well. There will be a silent auction for these portraits with proceeds to benefit Lake Haven and the animals.. Indications are that we have huge support in this area.

We have Kim Fisher and Ally Dora doing a 3rd bake sale again this year. Karin Vander Waal, Jerry and Nancy Kiel, and Molly Eddington doing Pictures of Pets with Santa. Barb Vanderwall doing gift trees. Diane Berriman donated a beautiful quilt of dogs which brought over $500.00. And she made a Kitty quilt yet to be auctioned off. And wait till you see her totes! We have had a couple of very successful T-shirt campaigns and several individual programs.

Our Grant writer, Lisa Portenga, has been very successful in acquiring funds to spay /neuter animals for the public. Also Grants in several other areas.

Our Spay/Neuter program remains successful because of the efforts of Katie Milthaler and Dr. Sam Ciatto of Animal Wellness Center of White Cloud. In 2015 we will spay/neuter over 300 animals for the low income public. A spay/ neuter program should be part of every rescue's mission. It is simply the answer to the problem, we can't adopt our way out of the mess we are in.

Did I mention how wonderful my volunteers are? Any one who has been to the shelter or spent time in my home knows it would be impossible to carry on without our literal army of volunteers.

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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Everyone Loves A Puppy, But Senior Dogs Love Everyone

In January, we lost our beloved rescue Quigley. Months later, my friends Jerry and Nancy Kiel (foster parents for Lake Haven Rescue) introduced me to his current foster dog- Maggie, a 7 year old Great Pyrenees. There was something about her and she seemed to like me also, we set up a series of meetings to see if Tia would accept Maggie into our house. Those meetings went well, and on October 30th, Maggie came home to our house in Augusta.

I had what Maggie needed- a big fenced yard, time to spend with a new dog, a nursing background and resources to care for her medical issues. And as I have found out, Maggie had what Tia needed. At 14 years old now Tia walks pretty slow and is set in her routine- which mostly involves sleeping. Maggie walks at Tia's speed we go out 3-4 times a day for short walks and Maggie has been running around the back yard saving us from the squirrels. Having Maggie around has also perked up Tia and she is more active.

Also, like other senior dogs, she has had some training. I am not sure how much, but she has learned every command we have worked on in 2-3 tries. She has already proven she can be in the car with Tia while I do errands and have lunch with friends. There is something about finding the right dog is similar to human relationships, when something clicks, it is right, despite any obstacle. She is everything I never wanted, a big, hairy, drooling, shedding, older female dog with medical issues and I am in love.

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What A Senior Rescue Means To Many Of Our Adopters

Happy "Tails" - Many of our Success Stories of 2014

Our Success Story of the Year

"Finding A Perfect Home"

The call came September in 2014, from Montcalm County AC that they had a German Shepherd in there truck that was agitated and pregnant and had been abused by her owner. She needed a place to go so she could safely deliver her puppies. Foster Patty White agreed to take her in. She set her up in her pole barn where she had 6 beautiful pups a couple of weeks later. Patty is dog savvy and made friends with Raven, but she would not allow anyone else near her pups. A decision was made to move her pups to foster at 6 weeks.

Raven then came to Lake Haven. It took me several days to win her over; she is a dog that does not trust easily. Once she adjusted to Cheryl McCloud she became very devoted. Then slowly she opened up to a small circle of volunteers. Strangers and men were not tolerated by her and she would charge the kennel if a stranger came in. Slowly I was able to stop that behavior and other bad behaviors by verbal command. But I knew she needed more than I could do.

A decision was made to send her for intensive training at K-9 International for 8 weeks. It broke my heart to leave her there but I knew it was the only way. Myself and other volunteers visited her there and she was always glad to see us. Coming back to the shelter she remembered all of us and was very glad to be with us again. But I knew she was still an edgy Shepherd and would require a very special owner.

In March we began our search for her new guardian. Everyone wanted her but no one had what she needed. As always I had to remind myself that my job was not to find what people want but to find someone who had what she needed and would want to help her along. She had a good start and we did a lot but someone would need to continue the work. And then one day someone put in an application and I knew he was perfect.

I was so excited I called several volunteers and told them I think I have found the perfect place for Raven. I invited him to come and meet her and I was holding my breath, as men were never Raven's favorites. When he came in I offered to get Raven out of the Kennel but he said he would just go in and meet her. She did so well and I was very proud of her. It was love at first sight and I could tell she liked him. She let him touch her all over and he even looked at her teeth. Although he was ready to take her ....I was not ready to let her go. I suggested he go home and think about it and make sure this is what he wanted.

The following week I paid a visit to his home and brought Raven with me. She seemed very comfortable with him and I knew it was time to let go. It was very hard for me and I left with a huge lump in my throat. I returned to visit her about a month later and she had adjusted so well I could hardly believe it. He had her off leash but under verbal control at a park across from his house. She now lives with her family in a log home on 100 acres. This was the toughest and most successful adopt I have ever done partly because she was so attached to me, and I to her. But I am so very confident about where she is now. My heart is happy for her.

HERE'S WHAT THE NEW OWNERS HAVE TO SAY

We were looking for a very special dog to rescue and up came Lake Haven during our search with a beautiful GSD named Raven. We contacted Cheryl and started to learn about this very abused, caged, muzzled, pregnant and mean GSD. Lake Haven had spent thousands of dollars at a dog training facility and turned her into a very special GSD. We started talking to Cheryl many times; to learn we had to convince her we were the people to take on Raven.

When given the OK to come see her we drove to her house and I begged her to take this beautiful dog home. Not a chance! Cheryl wanted to make sure this GSD went to the right people. She wanted to make sure we had the right stuff and location to have this girl. She checked with our Vet and Googled our property to make sure we were it. We made a time for Cheryl to bring Raven to our home and she left her with us.

Raven has become the best Shepherd I think we have had yet. So this is where I give credit to a lady and volunteers who do a great service in this area. This lady has given her whole life to doing a service in this area that most of us cannot do. I have never seen anything like this organization. They work with hundreds of abused, sick, injured animals that aren't even theirs. She is a good judge to tell if a home is right. We would like to thank these people for all they do and have done. Don and Betty

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Our "Runner Up" Success Story of the Year

She Was Waiting For Us

Truffles came to Lake Haven in April of 2015. She had been turned into the County shelter with her face full of porcupine quills. Her owners either could not or would not take her to a Vet. The AC officer took her to Fremont Animal Hospital for treatment, which is also one of Lake Haven’s Vet's.

The Vet proceeded to tell Cheryl McCloud that she was so sweet she had named her Truffles while she was there. She also told me she had a torn ACL. I agreed to take her and successful surgery was performed there and her recovery began.

Because she was a "Pit-Bull" I knew she would be tough to place. At the shelter a volunteer, Donna Ranger, took a liking to her and thought she was pretty special. She said, one day I will get a dog, when we get into a new house with a fenced yard.

Truffles stayed at the shelter for weeks while she recovered. I exercised her on my golf cart twice a day for 1/2 hour each time and everyone was enjoying her company. When a foster stepped up she was sent there to recover.

In November the Grand Valley State University students were doing a documentary on Lake Haven and decided to feature her because we had her so long. When a picture of Truffles appeared on our site as a result of this Donna called immediately and could not believe she was still here. She said, I want her. It seems they had just purchased a new home in Byron Center with a nice fenced yard and they were ready. She said ”she is still there because she was waiting for us". And so it seemed...

HERE'S WHAT THE NEW OWNERS HAVE TO SAY

Last Spring my husband and I were at Lake Haven doing some yard work when a tail wagging, sweet tempered Pit was delivered. She had been owner surrendered with a face and mouth full of porcupine quills and a bad ACL. Finances had kept them from seeking the vet care she desperately needed. She had already had the quills removed and had the ACL surgery in her future. And yet, she seems totally unaffected by all the trauma. Dubbed "Truffles" because of that super sweet personality; she made quite an impression on us both.

Fast forward 6 months. We had sold our lake house and completed a double move into our new home. That house had quite a check list, including a fenced back yard for the dog we knew we would eventually get; rescue, of course, preferably from Lake Haven, an organization I remained involved with and admired. My husband and I had the discussion and felt we were now settled I and ready to open our hearts and home to that dog.

Watching the Lake Haven Facebook postings, we had almost decided on a newly acquired Lab. But something just didn't seem right and we decided to pass on that handsome boy. That same day, Lisa Gould Portenga reposted Truffles. Coincidence? Oh no, I don't believe in them. Truffles was simply waiting for US. With Cheryl's blessing the adoption moved through smoothly.

So now "Truffles" has a new name, A.Z., and a new home. Her days are filled with running in her huge back yard, playing ball, lots of petting and hugs from new family and friends and naps. Naps she prefers to share on her new bed with her favorite new family member.

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My Story About Cheerio

I was looking for a companion for Rosetta, my beloved maltipoo whom I got last year from Lake Haven. When I saw Cheerio's face, I fell in love. When I heard her story my heart broke. She was abandoned by her original owner when they moved. Cheerio is about 3 ½ yrs old according to my vet. She looked like Chewbacca so her nickname is Chewy or Choo Choo. She had trust issues, barked incessantly, and absolutely hated to go near the basement steps. Rosie and Cheerio are becoming good companions. We continue to work with her accept her for what she is, as she accepts us for what we are. She is in her furever home never to be rehomed again. Cheryl’s words are always in my mind- “All she needs is love.” This is so very true.

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A Blessing to Our Family

AfterI saw the request on FB for adoption stories from 2015. Our family was lucky enough to adopt Jack (formerly Boone) a few months ago. We lost our dog, Addie, earlier this year to kidney failure and that left a big hole in our family. Jack has been the biggest blessing to our family. He is kind, gentle, intellegent, and of course CUTE! He and his furry sister, Molly, are best friends. They just play and play! He is also wonderful with our 2 year old daughter. Jack spends most of his time playing with Molly, running around the backyard, and demanding belly rubs. :) He also goes on tons of car rides and takes lots of walks.  

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I Was Smitten!

My journey toward Lake Haven began in early 2015. We had just lost our very special cat . His name was Monster. He was unlike any cat that we had ever known.
Then one fateful day I saw Conrad, a little snowshoe bundle of fur and I was smitten! I filled out the application twice before working up the courage to send it in. As fate would have it, we were able to adopt Conrad and his foster mate Tru-purr. Now as I write this with two purring boys on my lap, my heart is soaring. Thank you to all of the volunteers, fosters and Lake Haven’s director, Cheryl McCloud, for all that you do and especially for all that you are unaware that you are doing.

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This is Ava

We adopted her on December 5, 2014. After being abused and the recipient of blunt force trauma to her head, she was literally dumped off at a shelter along with her sister.
Lake Haven foster mom, Amanda, took her to the vet and found out that Ava was totally blind in one eye and her other eye had entropion (when the eyelashes grow into the eye). After two successful surgeries Ava's eyesight was restored! In January Ava had to have 6 teeth removed due to her jaw being injured when she was kicked.
Then early September we found out that Ava had to have the blind eye removed. The blunt force trauma caused a detached retina which later caused glaucoma. She was in pain once again. But Ava, being the trooper she is, came through the surgery beautifully and is finally free of all pain! Our darling Ava has taught us a wonderful lesson about life, living and love. Ava may never have received a second chance in life if Amanda and Lake Haven hadn't stepped in and rescued her! For this we will ALWAYS be grateful! 

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 They Make Our House A Home

Cuddling in the sunshine... does it get any better? Both boys recently had their annual checkup and are doing well. Little Baler weighs in at 7 pounds while aptly named Beast tops out at almost 13 pounds. Baler thankfully did not have a reaction to his vaccines this time, and Beast has overcome chronic ear infections after switching to grain free and fish free foods. I am beyond grateful for these two happy souls who are a constant source of laughter, joy, and comfort. They make our house a home, make our marriage a family... I can't imagine life without them!

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Can't Imagine Life Without Her

Happy 8th birthday to our beautiful, adorable, Zoe. She is everything I ever wanted in a dog, and more. She is loving, happy, smart, loyal, protective, and a wonderful companion. We are so thankful for her every day. I can't imagine life without her. Thank you to Cheryl for allowing the cutest puppy ever to come home with us.

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She Served Us Well

I want to thank you for introducing us to Millie on Memorial weekend 2007. She had just had puppies and had been recently been separated found running with her brother along M82 around Newago. So thankful that you saved her. She was the sweetest, funniest most loving dog we've had. Millie crossed her rainbow bridge last month. She went to be with Mulligan and Divot free of her pain. She served us well so again Thank You!

We know we'll get another dog when it's right. I've been looking occasionally at your site and all of the sweet dogs up for adoption. I had an interest in Fiona and FlapJack. When I happened into Pets Plus today, May 16, I got to pet, walk with and hold them. As sweet as they both are I'm just feeling right with FlapJack. I just completed my application to adopt him. Thank you Thank you for what you do.

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Can't Imagine Life Without Her

I adopted Cleo (short for Cleopatra) from Lake Haven. Cleo was 4 months old and 4 lbs. when I was finally able to bring her home to her new family. When I brought home the new puppy, we anticipated frustration with ‘accidents’, chewed up shoes and socks, sleepless nights of crying and barking. Instead, all of us experienced a new joy, laughter and happiness that none of us anticipated we would get from a new puppy. Cleo is now 8 months old and a great joy to all of us. I can’t imagine what life would be like without her. Thank you Lake Haven for your compassion and commitment to defenseless animals.

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We Knew He Was Perfect For Us

We knew that we wanted a German shepherd and wanted to adopt, so when the time was right for us to add a dog to our family and we saw shepherd puppies on the Lake Haven page we were so excited. We met Ajax, then Rumble, at a PSP event and knew he was perfect for our family. He is such a smart, gentle, active dog and has been such a joyful addition to our family! He has completed two obedience classes and lives a full active life including frequent trips north to the family cottage to enjoy the lake, lots of time at shaggy pines dog park, and even doggy day care. Everyone who meets him comments on how friendly and gentle he is. So far he has grown from 33 lbs at adoption to 89lbs at last weigh. He loves to lounge on the couch and has a full toy box at home. We are so thankful to Lake Haven for Ajax and all the joy he brings to us every day! Thank you for choosing us to be Ajax's proud parents, we love him!

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He Deserves To Be Spoiled Each And Every Day

In January we very unexpectedly lost our Springer Spaniel, Manny. My husband and I were absolutely devastated, and still are for that matter. However, we love dogs and knew we needed to have another one in our lives; not only for us, but for our Beagle Rocket.

When we originally started looking for another dog we were looking at the Springer puppies you had on the Lake Haven Facebook page. We ventured down to Pet Supplies Plus to meet them, but we found out that the little boy that we were interested in was already adopted. We were a little saddened by that fact, but then we saw Buck! Of course he had his Frisbee in his mouth and was as friendly as could be. The best part is that he didn't mind Rocket and Rocket didn't mind him.

Over the weekend we kept thinking about Buck and pictured what our lives would be with a new dog. This was hard to imagine because we had Manny since he was eight weeks old and he was seven when he passed away. Then his foster mom, Allison posted a video of Buck lying in his bed, wagging his tail. The caption read "Buck says don't forget about me" and I lost it! At that point my husband told me to reach out about adopting him so we decided to see if Buck and Rocket could meet again in our home, just to be sure they could live together and get along. This was very important to us because we wanted to be sure Rocket would be safe in his home. Allison agreed to bring Buck up to meet us and everything went great! Allison gave us time to think it over, but we knew within an hour that we wanted to go through with the adoption and open our home to a dog in need.

We met Allison at the dog park the next day, which is one of Buck's favorite places, and brought him home on February 15th. I felt sad for Allison because I know she cared for Buck, but she told me not to worry because she was ready to foster another dog. That night we got Buck home and invited him on the bed with us, our dogs sleep with us and I wouldn't have it any other way. As soon as he jumped on the bed he rolled on his back and wanted his belly rubbed, which is another one of his favorite things! It took us a bit to become acclimated with each other, but Buck has done no wrong. He deserves to be spoiled each and every day and that's what we intend to do for him.

Another point that I'd like to make is that it's great adopting an adult dog. The reason it took a while to be acclimated is because we had to learn about each other, but that's okay. Buck was fully housed trained and easily let me know when he did have to go out. We really do love Buck and can't imagine our lives without him. He's a one of a kind character! ;)

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Can't Imagine Life Without Her

We rescued Hope from Lake Haven and it was clear from information we received from her foster that she had been horribly neglected and abused. Her nose had several scars and she was severely underweight; unfortunately she also had heart worm, which Lake Haven treated as well. It was almost 5 weeks before she could officially join our family.

Initially she was terrified and reactive toward men, though I have 3 young sons and she took quickly to them. She often ransacked our cupboards and would growl at any man who passed us while walking on the street. It took many months of patience, hiring a professional trainer, whom we found through Lake Haven, consistency and love. Today she is a completely different dog. Her scars have healed; she is well fed, cared for, protected and safe. She's also loyal and can often be found belly up getting a rub down from my husband, Corey. We can't imagine life without her.

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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. A special thank you to the Clinics who make our daily work possible. Fremont Animal Hospital, Animal Wellness Center of White Cloud, Cedar Springs Animal Hospital, South Kent Vet, and Jelsema Vet Clinic. Visit our website for a detailed listing of these veterinary clinics.

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To Our Many Donors, Adopters, and Volunteers

Our volunteers, they are the best. If there is a need ...they fill it...if one can't the other does...it is a crazy system but it works. All volunteers are necessary, from little jobs to big ones; nothing works unless they are all done. I have said it before and it is still so true, we are like a football team with all of the players being volunteers all working for the same end....the touchdown...or in our case...the adoption. All jobs are of equal importance. There is no job too small because if it does not get done it will hold up a bigger one. All volunteers are of equal importance. It has been said that "volunteers do not get paid because they are priceless." Lake Haven volunteers sure fit that description. This year however we have felt a deep feeling of sadness as Lake Haven lost a valued member of our volunteer team, Jessica Gregory. She was a young woman who was full of compassion and kindness and enjoyed volunteering working with our cat population at our adoption centers. Sadly, she lost her battle with life and is dearly missed.

I want to personally thank our Donors for without them we would not be able to do the things we want to do....and there is so much left to do. For those who want to help but can't for one reason or another this is one way a person can chose to help our rescue work and we at Lake Haven are very grateful for the funds it takes to treat a critically ill animal.

I need also to thank our Adopters who have come forward to adopt FIV kitties, darling Beagle 10 years old, deaf and blind but full of love, a dog with Lupus.....no not all rescues are perfect but there is an adopter out there for all of them and I am very grateful for that.

As indicated on our website; If you can adopt-foster. If you can’t foster-sponsor. If you can’t sponsor-volunteer. If you can’t volunteer-donate. If you can’t donate-then educate and network. Everyone can do something large or small to help save lives.

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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: __________________________________