This is an archived newsletter. Information featured in it may no longer be pertinent or accurate and some features may be missing.
Winter, 2017
FieldHaven’s supportive role in the Cascade Fire
The Santanna family is reunited with Lady.
When the Cascade Fire broke out north of Lincoln, residents didn’t have hours: they only had minutes to escape before the wildfire burned their homes. First responders raced against the flames to help people and their animals evacuate safely. Horses, goats, cats, bunnies, dogs, and chickens were among the thousands of evacuees. The Yuba Sutter Fairgrounds became the evacuation center for those who didn’t have family or friends to retreat to.
The Yuba County Office of Emergency Services called FieldHaven Feline Center to establish an intake area for cats. We had a temporary shelter up and running just four hours after receiving the first phone call. In a very short time, we were preparing for incoming animals. With few supplies, equipment, or food on hand to set up a shelter, we put the word out for help…and help came! No sooner were fire victims and evacuees bringing their pets to us, the public came in with food, litter, bedding, office supplies, and cages. Evacuees were comforted knowing their pets were safe and cared for close by.
Over the next six days, pets were cared for by our compassionate team of staff and volunteers until the fires subsided, allowing them to return home. Unfortunately, there were some with no home to return to.
Such was the case for the Santanna family, who were vacationing in Disneyland. Although the pet sitter was able to flee the burning home with their two dogs, he was unable to find their two cats. One of the cats was found and rushed to a veterinarian to treat his burns. However, “Lady” the other cat was still missing.
Animal Services found a kitty with burned paws and brought her to our evacuation shelter. She didn’t have a microchip and needed time to heal from her injuries so she recovered at FieldHaven. We posted her picture on Facebook and Lady was reunited with her family! Little Ivey Santanna hugged Lady as we all watched with misty eyes. Lady went home, healthy, spayed and (most importantly) microchipped!
Another tiny evacuee brought to the evacuation shelter was an orphaned kitten we named “Cascade.” Sadly, his burned paws were the least of this four-week-old kitten’s problems. He had panleukopenia (AKA kitty parvo), which is an often-fatal condition. Our staff and volunteers never gave up on this tiny refugee, closely following our treatment protocol. Cascade, now ten weeks old, was cleared and has been adopted!
FieldHaven is honored to have been able to bring comfort and support to the furry family members of fire evacuees.
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- Cascade evacuee
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- Adopted!
Thanks to your support, the 2nd Chance Ranch was officially opened on Saturday, October 22.
This new state-of-the-art facility will temporarily house feral and semi-feral cats until they’re ready to assume their Rodent Ranger jobs at barns, warehouses, wineries, stables – or wherever unwanted critters invade.
2nd Chance Ranch residents will begin their journey in Buck’s Barn, a holding area where each cat’s health and behavior will be assessed prior to being spayed or neutered. Buck’s Barn (named in memory of long-time volunteer Buck Ewing) also doubles as a resource center for people who manage feral colonies, and will offer traps, cages, and all the necessary equipment needed.
After they’re cleared, cats will move into one of four enclosures in Camp Joe Willie (named in memory of Mark Glickman’s beloved tuxedo). Camp Joe Willie is a barn split into four rooms. Each enclosure accommodates eight to ten cats, including a generous outdoor area.
PLEASE COME BY TO WITNESS YOUR DONATION DOLLARS SAVING LIVES
I am so excited to invite you to join a very special club named after me!
The club is for kindhearted people like you who want to make a difference in the lives of animals. In becoming a member of Champy’s Champions, you’ll be supporting the life-saving work that happens every day at FieldHaven: saving cats and kittens by caring for all of their needs.
After signing up as a Champy’s Champion, you will receive a personally written letter from me telling you all about what’s going on at the shelter – I can’t wait! On the flip-side of the postcard, you will be introduced to a special kitty…one like me! When I came to FieldHaven in 2014, I was not at all well. I was one of the September 60 group of cats and kittens rescued from a terribly overcrowded home. We were all very sick. Unfortunately, overwhelmed with so many to save, the people who had us didn’t know about me in time to save my eyes. Thanks to FieldHaven’s boundless care, I am healthy again and have also become their spokescat!
Your generous monthly gift provides a steady and ongoing source of support for the cats and kittens in need who come through the doors of FieldHaven each and every day. To sign up, visit our website: after you click on “Donate,” fill out the Monthly Giving form. It couldn’t be more simple to save lives!
– Champy
I am beyond excited to start writing to you!
– Champy
In late October, an older orange tabby was found wandering in a Lincoln neighborhood by one of our volunteers. He had a huge, unsightly mass hanging from the right side of his face. We presumed he had been lost for some time. How else could that growth have gone untreated?
Upon examination, Dr. Alex Rensing found that he was neutered, at a healthy weight, but had no microchip. She was concerned that this possible tumor would impede his ability to eat in the future. Further examination revealed the claws on his front feet had grown into his pads, causing infection and pain. We wondered, “How long had this boy been lost?”
Dr. Rensing performed surgery and removed what turned out to be a growth weighing almost half a pound. She also trimmed his overgrown claws. This sweet boy recovered quickly and was happily purring in a very short time. He could make kitty biscuits again!
The following day, we posted the story on our Facebook pages. Within hours, we heard from a local family who said they had been searching for their tabby boy and missing him dearly! We learned that Bubba’s family had fallen on very hard times. The father had suffered from significant medical issues, which prevented him from working.
His wife, a teacher, needed to stay home with him full time and lost her job. They had sought treatment for Bubba, but the surgery would cause more financial hardship during an already challenging time. They were also worried that their beloved 14-year-old kitty might not survive surgery. They were beyond relieved to learn that not only was their boy found but he was treated as well.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the shelter when Bubba was reunited with a member of his family. When he heard that familiar voice, he jumped up and reached out of his cage! It was a heart-warming reunion that reminded us that presumptions can often be incorrect, especially in the face of true love.
Have you ever wondered where the Marketplace, FieldHaven’s thrift store, acquires its fabulous jewelry? It comes from near and far, donated by generous supporters in Lincoln and, in some cases, well beyond.
Old jewelry, whether it has gone out of fashion or you’re just tired of it, is welcomed and given new life there. Donors don’t even need to bring it to us themselves. Many supporters mail us their unwanted jewelry, which doesn’t require a lot of postage.
Some donations include semi-precious stones. Others boast unique designs or vintage appeal. Whenever we come across such a find, the piece is promptly routed to our group of volunteer jewelry experts for evaluation.
Maggi, a retired nurse, Sandy, a former executive secretary at PG&E, and Janice, of Ice Capades fame, carefully untangle chains, and sift through rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, and earrings. They are armed with jewellers loupes, knowledge of jewelry markings for metal purity, and an infinite amount of patience.
Their work is tedious and time consuming, but the rewards to our kitties borders on extraordinary. Jewelry sales have continued to grow every year and our jewelry selection has generated a loyal following.
(Unfortunately, that “following” included a thief, who broke into the store in September and absconded with about $500 worth of jewelry.)
If you’d like your unwanted jewels to benefit our kitties, please mail them to the Marketplace or drop it off in person. Our address is 454 F Street, Lincoln, CA, 95648.
As always, we and the kitties thank you!
From all of us at FieldHaven. Please don’t forget to visit our Holiday webpage fieldhavenholidays.com
You might not know it, but underneath this poised, fluffy, and strikingly handsome exterior, I’m in the midst of a midlife crisis, and unlike those cool cats in their Corvettes, I have a good reason for it. You see, I was adopted through FieldHaven back in 2010 and led the happiest of kitty lives, but then my human needed to move into a memory care unit and couldn’t bring me along – so I was returned to FieldHaven. Though I was scared in the beginning, I’m starting to come out of my fearful shell. It might take me a little time to warm up to you, but once I do, I’ll talk your ear off and tell you all about my decision not to invest in a Corvette at this time.
More importantly, I’ll head-butt you for attention and happily accept your pets and caresses. I’m eight years old, so I’m pretty sure I’m on the waning end of my midlife crisis, but I do know one surefire way to make it stop: take me home with you. What better gift could you possibly give or receive for the holidays? My adoption has been sponsored, so you’d only pay $11 for my microchip.
#AdoptDontShop