This is an archived newsletter. Information featured in it may no longer be pertinent or accurate and some features may be missing.
Spring, 2016
To improve the human-animal bond and to ensure every cat in our community has a safe place to live.
– Our Mission
From dog meat farm to FieldHaven.
Yalu
It is a remarkable change we have seen in Yalu since he came to FieldHaven in March, from eyes numb with fear and distrust to ones with a mischievous twinkle as he plays with toys or observes the activity in the shelter.
Yalu as found in Korea.
No human with a heart could even fathom what Yalu endured while living on a dog meat farm. He spent life living in a tight-spaced bird cage with a wire bottom. He could not even completely stand up or stretch his body to full length. The sounds around him were of constant frightened, barking dogs. This was his life until Humane Society International (HSI) and the Change for Animals Foundation came to intervene. They not only rescued each and every dog, but also re-established the farmer. The farmer now has the opportunity to tend to crops rather than slaughter dogs for meat.
Yalu flew nearly 6,000 miles to SFO airport with approximately fifty dogs rescued from the meat farm in South Korea. He was then taken to San Francisco SPCA.
Yalu today at FieldHaven with volunteer Lana.
After a thorough assessment, SF SPCA behavior specialists felt Yalu had the potential to flourish in our environment. We transferred Yalu to FieldHaven with the intention to give him lifetime sanctuary in the highly anticipated 2nd Chance Feral Ranch (coming soon).
Little did we know, Yalu wasn’t as feral as we initially thought. The walls he built up through fear began to come down as he started to have trust again. His sweet spirit and tenacity shine through at FieldHaven.
With a very carefully orchestrated plan to introduce Yalu to FieldHaven, we treated him like the emotional trauma survivor he is. We were astonished to find that after several days, Yalu began to show positive interaction with our staff.
The rest, as they say, is history. Less than two months after he left his horrendous life in Korea, Yalu is now social and playful. He responds to attention and loves every minute of kitty scratches and neck rubs. We can’t wait to watch this endearing kitty continue to flourish.
Kay, Jen, Linda and Natalie accompanied Champy when he received his reward.
While everyone at FieldHaven already knows that our sweet Champy is a hero, he was recognized on Friday, April 1 as Placer SPCA’s “Hero of The Year” at their annual Funny Bones Gala.
Each year they honor people, animals, businesses, and/or organizations that have gone above and beyond to demonstrate how strong the human-animal bond is. Champy most certainly fulfilled those requirements. Accompanied by Jen, Natalie, Linda and Kay, Champy arrived in his formal attire to accept his prestigious award. We are so proud of this very amazing cat who has warmed the hearts of thousands of people. This very unique cat even has his own Facebook page.
SF SPCA team coordinating with FieldHaven to find the best placement for cats from each shelter.
Animal shelters across the globe are sharing resources and developing partnerships with one another with the common goal of placing more animals in homes. Shelters in large cities tend to place most animals in smaller homes and apartments, whereas shelters in more rural areas frequently place animals in larger indoor/outdoor environments. Some outdoor living spaces include areas where a cat can be a successful barn cat. When we received a call from the San Francisco SPCA looking for indoor only cats, we were thrilled to partner with them.
On Wednesday, February 24, SF SPCA staff arrived at FieldHaven to see our unique shelter and meet with the staff and volunteers. The purpose of their visit was to return to their incredible shelter with twelve indoor only cats. With San Francisco being a large city, indoor-only cats are much easier to place in apartments, small homes, or condos. In return, we accepted two cats into our adoption program which would be better suited in indoor/outdoor homes. This type of partnership is a win-win because these cats will find homes faster in cities that fit their needs. It also allowed FieldHaven the opportunity to intake twelve more from our community.
Volunteers Lauren, Lilly, and Tami set up to microchip pets.
One of the best ways you can increase your chances of finding your lost pet is by having him or her microchipped. This simple, small device is probably one of the most innovative tools that has been created to reunite you with your beloved pet.
Microchip volunteers Vicki, Linda, and Scout in their Valentines Day attire.
A microchip is incredibly small: in fact, it is about the size of a grain of rice. It is inserted under the animal’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades. The chip has a unique number on it that can be picked up and read by a scanner. When an animal is scanned, the information about their registered owner pops up. This gives shelters the opportunity to reunite pets with their owners.
Millions of animals end up as strays in shelters every year. Unfortunately, less than 2% of cats are ever reclaimed by their families. Recent disasters in California caused thousands of people to flee their homes. Many only had time to get in their cars and leave without having the chance to locate, crate, and safely take their pets with them. Days and weeks later, as lost animals were found, the task then became bringing these lost family members back to their owners. Microchips drastically increase the likelihood of them being returned to their worried families.
FieldHaven was recently awarded a $250 grant from the Lincoln Community Foundation. We decided that money was a great start to fund a free microchip clinic for dogs and cats. On Valentine’s Day, FieldHaven shared the love and opened the Marketplace up to welcome anyone who wanted a free microchip for their pet. That grant along with additional funds from FieldHaven’s Tenth Life Club (TLC), has allowed twenty-eight dogs and cats to become microchipped; peace of mind for both owners and pets.
FieldHaven Feline Center
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 AM to 4 PM
Tuesday: 10 AM to 6 PM
Saturday: 12 PM to 4 PM
Sunday: Closed
2754 Ironwood Lane, Lincoln, CA 95648
(916) 434-6022
FieldHaven Marketplace
Monday–Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM
Sunday: Closed
454 F Street, Lincoln, CA 95648
(916) 434-0622
Snap It Up! Thrift Shop
Monday–Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM
Sunday: Closed
590 McBean Park Drive, Lincoln, CA 95648
(916) 434-0622
PetSmart
Saturday and Sunday: 12 PM to 4 PM
920 Groveland Lane, Lincoln, CA 95648
Pet Food Express
3rd Saturday of Each Month: 12 PM to 4 PM
Fountains Shopping Center
1013 Galleria Blvd., Roseville, CA 95678
At Twin Oaks Elementary School, students Chase and Noah chose FieldHaven as their
community service learning project.
February was a very busy month for our Ambassador Kitty Champy. On top of his full time job overseeing (as best he can) his Catfe, he was the star attraction at two different school presentations. Antelope Creek Elementary School and Twin Oaks Elementary School in Rocklin chose FieldHaven to be the beneficiary of their hard work.
Antelope Creek Elementary School Leadership Class chose FieldHaven as this year’s fundraising recipient. Joy and Champy (pictured above) visit the school to accept the donation.
Every year, thirty students in the leadership class at Antelope Creek Elementary School collectively choose a cause or organization to support. Together, they also decide how they will raise these funds. After their teacher spoke with them about how helpful FieldHaven had been when she contacted us for much needed help and advice about feral cats, it was unanimous: FieldHaven was their choice!
The students decided they would make cat-themed bookmarks to sell. A design was agreed upon and the students colored, laminated, and sold each one for $2.00 a piece. Family, friends, neighbors, and other members of the community purchased these artistic bookmarks to benefit our kitties.
On Tuesday, February 9, Joy Smith, Scout Valentine, and the Guest of Honor, Champy, were invited to the school to accept the donation from the students. After a brief exchange of stories, the kids couldn’t wait any longer and excitedly handed Joy a handful of cash totaling $512! We were overwhelmed with their huge donation. Thank you, Antelope Creek Elementary! The entire story was detailed on KCRA 3 Common Ground Program.
Antelope Creek student proudly shows off the a bookmark used for the FieldHaven fundraising.
The 5th grade students at Twin Oaks Elementary School also completed community service learning projects that took them several months. Each student selected a unique project they wanted to accomplish. Students Chase and Noah both chose FieldHaven to be the beneficiary of their hard work. Chase researched and then hand-made unique cat toys to sell at FieldHaven’s Marketplace. She also made a generous cash donation from the proceeds of selling many of the toys herself. Noah decided that he, with supervision from his mom, would be responsible for several months of Saturday morning kitty responsibilities at Champy’s Catfe. Thank you so much Chase and Noah!
Champy and Joy attended the open house where the students showcased their causes explaining how they carried out their chosen projects. Of course, Champy joined in the fun and was quite the star.