July 8, 2004

Safe Haven pet adoption fair is the cat’s meow
Local event gives felines a second chance at love

By Jeanne C. Lewis
Staff Writer

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” —Gandhi
They line up in cages the first three Saturdays of each month at Pet Club on Snell Avenue at Blossom Hill Road.

They look out through the bars with eyes full of innocence and trust. Who, you may ask? The cats and kittens rescued by Cupertino-based Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary (SHAS).

Two, three or four nestle in a cage with their food, water and stuffed toys and perhaps, a mother cat. It may look heart breaking, but this is adoption day, and these lucky felines have been rescued by the non-profit SHAS and are seeking new homes.

On a recent Saturday 27 cats and kittens were presented by SHAS volunteers, and were visited by families looking to adopt an animal.

“I adopted Cinder last week,” Tammy Muller said, holding pictures of her white-and-orange kitten. “I have four now but could take one more. I’m looking. They’re so sweet.”

The cats displayed at the adoption fairs have all had foster homes until the day of their arrival seeking a permanent residence. While with SHAS volunteers, the cats and kittens are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, checked and tested for any medical problems, microchipped, housetrained and socialized before being put up for adoption.

“We try to adopt them out two kittens at a time,” Dan Dawson, a SHAS foster volunteer said while taking a small black-and-white kitten named Molly out of her temporary home. “Many are related, and that way they keep each other company if no one is home.”

The sad statistic is that out of nearly 123 million animals brought to shelters each year, over eight million are eventually put to death. Feral strays are 40.6 percent of the total known cat population in Santa Clara County—per the Humane Society Silicon Valley, and for every cat in a home, there is a homeless cat trying to survive.

SHAS began three years ago and was founded on the belief that no animal should go hungry, homeless or live in fear or pain. The sanctuary believes that all animals deserve to be treated with dignity, kindness and respect and be provided with care that increases their opportunity for a safe life.

The group’s mission is to offer care and a peaceful living environment in foster homes for abused, physically handicapped, aged or homeless cats. Its goal is to provide temporary homes where these “special needs” animals can be provided with medical care, love and attention that will ultimately lead to adoption.

The Sanctuary believes in and practices Trap-Neuter-Release. Volunteers spay, neuter, control and feed feral cat colonies all over Santa Clara County. The undomesticated cats have lived in the wild so long that they would never make good house pets. Dedicated volunteers care for them and break the kitten cycle by having them fixed.

SHAS also educates people how to trap humanely and helps them by providing space for their rescued animals at the adoption fairs.

Dedicated volunteers open their homes to orphaned cats and kittens until they are ready to be adopted. None of SHAS’s cats are caged; rooms are provided for their free movement. Many volunteers use their own funds for food and medical treatments for their small charges.

The organization also has its own sanctuary on loaned land for cats that are unadoptable. Phase 1 has been completed of the no-kill facility for cats; other buildings are in the plan for other types of animals, and a search is on for a permanent location.
“We need more people to volunteer with trapping and fostering,” SHAS president Ginny Nichols said. “In the last 10 days I’ve taken litters from three people who have either on purpose let their cats have kittens, or the cat got out. By letting this happen, other cats die as a result. We’re trying to assist them in fixing their cats so it won’t happen again. And we always need donations.”

The statistics are staggering. If two uncontrolled breeding cats plus all their kittens and all their kittens’ offspring (if none are fixed) result in two litters per year, with two to eight surviving kittens per litter in a 10-year breeding life, in seven years 420,715 animals will result.

“Needless euthanasia of companion animals needs to stop,” volunteer Mary Fambrini said at the event. “We need to protect and care for the most vulnerable members of society. Every life is precious and we need to take responsible action toward ensuring there are no more homeless pets. Please spay and neuter always. You will be saving a life.”

Melissa Singh brought her two daughters, 8-year-old Zoe and 5-year-old Eden to the Pet Fair to find a new friend. “We lost our kitty this summer,” Singh said, watching her girls eye the small felines. “We’re filling out the adoption papers and I’ll bring my husband back next Saturday. Raj is a vet at Sunnyvale Veterinarian Clinic so he’ll help us pick out a kitty.”

For more information about Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary, call (408)420-SAFE or visit www.safehavenanimalsanctuary.org.

To learn about cats available for adoption, visit the Pet Adoption Fair the first three Saturdays of each month from 12:30-4:30 p.m. at Pet Club, 5625 Snell Ave. or call (408) 363-6068.