the journal - Animal Haven

the journal
sum me r
Ji t t e r b u g , a L ove St or y
By Lisa Rubisch
If you told me thirteen months ago that I would adopt a Pit Bull,
I would have called you crazy. If you told me that I would leave
my children alone in a room with a Pit Bull, or even pet one, I
would say bananas. Pit Bulls are ferocious, blood-suckling beasts,
or so I believed.
About this time last year, I found myself meandering home
from Chinatown with my three year-old son, Beckett, and we
happened upon Animal Haven. We weren’t looking for a dog
and Animal Haven wasn’t open for another twenty minutes, but
a strong gut instinct practically screamed for me to stay. I called
my husband to come meet us.
Soon, we found ourselves mesmerized by two tiny, sturdy-looking
creatures that were having a ball tearing at their bed.
We held them and they were incredibly sweet. “What breed is
this?” I asked Maya. “Pit mixes,” she said. And I thought, “Well,
that’s that.”
A few days
later, my
oldest son,
Owen,
had a
hard day
at school.
“Want to
pet some
puppies?”
I asked. I
couldn’t
admit to
myself that I hadn’t been able to stop
thinking about those little Pit puppies.
We went as a family and learned more
about one of them, Jitterbug, a brindle
girl with a white stripe on her nose and
a splash of white fur on her chest. She
was found in a garbage can in the snow,
2011
very ill and in need of serious medical attention. After several
surgeries, she had been nursed back to health and it was only a
few weeks later that we connected with her.
To my great concern, we fell in love with her. At dinner that
night, we took a family vote and the next morning, went to bring
Jitterbug home.
I did not sleep for two weeks. What had I done? In my
ignorance, I felt like I had invited a time bomb serial killer into
my home. Sure, she was sweet as a tiny puppy, but couldn’t she
turn mean as she got older?
What if she was sweet to our family, but attacked other children?
Admittedly, I had some traumatizing experiences with dogs as a
child, (none of them Pit Bulls), but I am, perhaps, extra-cautious
when it comes to dogs.
We introduced Jitterbug to my parents through Skype. I told
them she was a mutt. Leaning into his screen, my dad sputtered,
“Lisa, that’s a Pit Bull!” They tried to convince me to bring her
back.
Conflicted, I became obsessed with learning more about Pit
Bulls. I Googled, researched and studied the breed. I learned that
they were once considered Nanny Dogs at the turn of the century
...continued on page 5
i n s i d e
a n i malh avensh elter.o rg
Contact information
2
Happy Tails
3
internship Program
4
True survivors
5
Tributes
6
Wishlist
6
Ways to Give
6
meet our staff
Tiffany A. Lacey
Executive Director
Jennifer Bristol
Director of Operations
Kendra Mara
Director of Community Involvement
Maya Robinson
Client Services Manager
Mantat Wong
Lead Kennel and Cattery Attendant
Alessia Pagnotta
Weekend Kennel and
Cattery Attendant
Tracy Venezia
a ni m a l ha v e n s he l te r. org
m i ssi o n
Animal Haven is a nonprofit
organization that finds homes for
abandoned cats and dogs throughout
the Tri-State area, and provides
behavior intervention when needed
to improve chances of adoption.
Founded in 1967, we operate an
adoption center in Manhattan
and mobile adoption van. We also
provide programs that enhance the
bond between animals and people.
Please visit our website at
www.animalhavenshelter.org
and make a donation today!
Part-Time Client Services Manager
Katrina Krings
Intake Manager
Sandi Schiffman
we b s it e
www.animalhavenshelter.org
locat io n
251 Centre Street
New York, NY 10013
(Corner of Broome Street)
Administrative Coordinator
Paola Campos
Veterinary Technician
James Wendell
Weekend Client Services
Representative and Van Driver
p h o ne
212.274.8511
Board of Trustees
ho u rs
Seven days a week
Noon to 7pm, Monday-Friday
11am to 6pm, Weekends
Archie Gottesman
Andrea Arden
Michelle Berninger
Farrah Buchanan
Kimberly Davis
Robert Flanagan
James Keyte
Seth Molod
Kevin Morgan
Craig Napoliello
R. Scott Ornstein
Andrew Simon
Lori Tayar
Douglas Woodward
a dopt i o n
Cats and dogs are for adoption at Animal
Haven. Fee covers spay/neuter, vaccines,
microchip and license.
mo b il e
a dop t io n van
Animal Haven’s mobile adoption van is
on the road every week.
other s e r vic e s
Animal Haven offers a whole host of other
services from training to meet-up groups.
Honorary Board
Kelly Bensimon
Ian Kerner
John Masters
Norman Reedus
Sam Talbot
Animal Haven, Inc is a 501 (c) 3
organization.
le g al
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a ni m al ha v e n s he l te r. org
h a p p y t a il s su c c e ss st ori e s
G u s ( Gus )
A nni e ( M o nk ey Bu nny)
As soon as I walked in, I noticed
two puppies – Gia and Gus.
They were brother and sister
and about two months old. Gia
was the timid one while Gus was
the trouble maker. In fact, there
was a picture of Gus biting on
a door knob on the website. I
knew from that moment on, Gus
was who I wanted to be with! I
brought my parents in to take a
Gus
look, and they were won over by
his charm. This little puppy was
so full of energy and hope. We all couldn’t resist! When the day came
for him to come home with us, I knew this would be the point in my
life where a deep bond would form between Gus and I. Boy, was I right.
I think that not being
a “classic” feline beauty
worked in Annie’s favor.
She developed an awesome
personality, really loving
nature, and a great skill set to
compensate for any physical
challenges. I appreciate you
for letting me adopt her.
Annie
- Barbara
N el l ( S h a m po o )
Four years ago Nell (formerly Shampoo) came home from Animal
Haven. She was terrified of stairs, walking on a leash... pretty much
everything. Now she’s a
confident gal who loves
fetch, bones, giant sticks,
her dog friends, kids. She’s
such a happy girl, and
has taught me so much.
THANK YOU Animal
Haven for making sure she
got a second chance!
Now, after 7 years, I am happily by Gus’s side. We often take hikes along
the Greenbelt in Staten Island, and he would explore ever nook and
cranny of the hike trail.
He has been a gift from God, and I thank you guys for continuing your
mission to help these dogs find the homes they deserve.
This picture is of Gus during one of our hikes.
Thank you!
Eymon Zhu
Nell
L a n d on (Lan d on )
I’d love to share Landon’s story. He has been so good to us. I think he
is the most well behaved pup out there. There hasn’t been a second that
I haven’t had him by my side. He even comes to work! He is now the
mascot at our office. I can’t walk three feet without someone stopping
on the street to greet him. “Such a beautiful puppy!” or “What a good
looking dog.” He has so many friends now at the dog park too. He
has a particular interest in playing with the Beagles and Westies. I also
introduced him to my family and they all are threatening to steal him.
Now I only get calls from them in regards to Landon.
Gizmo (Gizmo)
I saw Gizmo and fell in love. On
my second day as a volunteer,
Kendra asked me to socialize
her. I came home later that day
and my husband asked me if I
wanted to adopt another cat. She
is mine now!
After the first week I noticed that
he truly became comfortable as
he is 10 times more energetic
than we thought. I am happy
he is happy and so thankful for
finding him at Animal Haven!
Thank you and we wish you
the best of luck with finding
great homes for your other
dogs and cats.
Sincerely,
Aja & Alex
Thank you so much, my dearest
shelter!
Ksenia Shor
Gizmo
d o yo u h a v e a h a ppy t a i l?
We would love to hear the many tails you have about your
Animal Haven friend that became a part of your life!
Send quotes to [email protected].
Landon
And remember, we love pictures too!
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a ni m al ha v e n s he l te r. org
a n i m al h a ve n’s t r u e su r v i vo r s
Felic ity
Felicity and Bentley are two dogs that are true survivors. Barely old enough to survive
on their own, they were found abandoned on a country road in Georgia. They were
picked up by the area animal control and taken to the nearest shelter. But because each
suffered from expensive to cure ailments – Felicity’s leg was lame and one of Bentley’s
eyes was terribly infected – they did not stand a chance to even make it to the adoption
floor. Thank goodness though Animal Haven has a great relationship with a rescue
group who connected us to these pups in need. We, of course, said we’d take them.
Once in New York City and safely at Animal Haven, Felicity and Bentley were treated
for their ailments. Unfortunately, Felicity had to lose her hind leg and Bentley had to
lose his left eye. But don’t worry! They are thriving even with their limitations. They
run around like nothing is wrong. Each will be adopted and never have any memory of
the tough first few months of their precious lives.
You can help injured animals like Felicity and Bentley by giving to our Road to Recovery
Fund. Please visit www.animalhavenshelter.org today!
Be ntle y
internship program creates a
bond between animals & people
By Mantat Wong
Animal Haven has been able to re-home about twice as many
animals once we implemented our internship program.
This is an impressive feat that is credited to Animal Haven’s
interns. They work diligently to care for homeless animals
while they are in Animal Haven’s care. Their hard work has
always been appreciated by many.
The interns at Animal Haven comes from a wide array of academic backgrounds. They range from high school
students to students in a veterinary program to even students with learning disabilities. Interning at Animal Haven
shows them the frontline of animal welfare. They come in contact with the realities of shelter animals, such as
how resources are always scarce, animals getting sick, and dealing with the bittersweet moment when the time has
come for the animal they have been taking care of to go to their new homes. The internship program helps create
a bond between animals and people.
Testimonies of past interns have been consistent: interning at Animal Haven is very physically demanding,
sometimes emotionally draining, but very rewarding. It benefits both parties as the interns gain valuable hands-on
experience that are required in either veterinarian offices or certain requirements needed for school. For Animal
Haven, we gain extra human resources, which make it possible for us to take in more animals in need of homes
for adoption.
The internship program is a win-win for everyone!
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a n i m alh avensh elter.o rg
Ji t t e r b u g , a Love St or y ( co nt inue d f rom page 1)
because of their intelligence, loyalty and sweetness. I asked dog walkers, experts, veterinarians and owners of the breed, all trusted
friends. Everyone said the same thing: Pit Bulls get a bad rap. They are actually one of the best family dogs you can raise.
So I went with my gut.
It is now a year later and I must tell you that our Pit Bull, Jitterbug, is the absolute dream dog; a goofy, adorable, affectionate
sweetheart. She licks babies. Is gentle with the tiniest of dogs. She cuddles with my two small sons. I have never heard her growl.
And if you’ll permit me to brag, she is the rock star of the Mercer Houston dog run. At least that’s what everyone tells me when I take
her there.
I love her like my own (furry) human child.
The most amazing thing is that Owen,
my seven year-old, was once so afraid
of dogs, he was almost phobic. Thanks
to Jitterbug, he is not only comfortable
with dogs, he has become a total dog
person.
The only member of our family who
is not madly in love with Jitterbug, is
Liam, our fifteen year-old, five pound
Persian cat. Somehow, Liam has
convinced Jitterbug that he could kick
her butt. She tries to play with him,
wags her tail and all, but with one hiss,
Jitters comes running over to me, her
loving mom, to protect her.
She is the love of our family and I don’t
think I will ever adopt another breed.
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a n i m alh avensh elter.o rg
w is h list
Non-latex, powder-free
examination gloves
Paper towels
Clorox wipes
Bleach
Dish detergent
Wee wee pads
t ri b u t e s
Gift s M ad e t o A n i mal Hav e n . . .
In memory of
Leamond Anthony Allen...in memory of Joanne Ahladiotis, who died in the WTC on Sept 1.
Linda Blacken...in memory of Sweet Maggie Huppert.
Elizabeth Blakeley...in memory of Kenny.
Charo Clark...in memory of Piper, Racqui, Cuddles, Penny and Benny.
Helen Doscher ...in memory of her husband, Edward.
Linda Edelman...in memory of Frances Seiden.
Cockinos Family...in memory of Holly, the most sweetest of golden retrievers, truly a member
of the Cockinos Family
Unused postage
Dorothea E. Matthews...in memory of Dorothea K. Matthews, a friend to all animals.
Office supplies
Mr. and Mrs. Murray Schiffman...in loving memory of Slinky.
Kongs
Canned cat food
Unused mops
Unused brooms
Dustbuster
(used or gently used)
Aria Phenicle...in memory of Joe Lopes.
Faith Urban...in memory of Ruben Contreras.
Helen Wallace...in loving memory of my darling beautiful precious Fred.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Weiss...in memory of Dorothea Kerr.
In honor of
Ronnie Gordon... in honor of the 15 pets belonging to her, her family and her friends.
Matthew and Marjori Lobman...in honor of Kosher the Pig’s 10th birthday.
Mary Rabiner...in honor of Scott Ornstein and all of his good deeds.
Carin Boeck and Matthew Smith...in honor of Grandpa.
Baby/puppy shampoo
WAy S tO G I v E ...
MAKE a one-time or
monthly sustaining gift
by visiting our website at
animalhavenshelter.org or
by calling 212.274.8511.
REMEMBER Animal
Haven in Your Estate
Planning.
To make a donation via the
Amazon Wish List, visit our
website at animalhavenshelter.org.
FOR MORE INFORMAtION
Contact [email protected] or call 212.274.8511.
www.animalhavenshelter.org
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