A Letter from the President | 2023 was a very tough year at The Animal Haven, with more cases of neglect and abuse of companion animals than we have ever seen before. Despite the hardships of the year, however, we were continually uplifted by you, our supporters. You came through for us time after time, with tremendous generosity throughout the year. Whether our plea was for general monetary donations, help with veterinary expenses for an abused or neglected animal, food when our cupboards were bare, or volunteers to help with the many tasks needing to be done at the shelter, you generously responded. Our deepest gratitude and thanks to all of you. You are the reason we look forward to 2024! Advocating for companion animals has never been more important. Your generosity and commitment fills us with hope that the future will be better and brighter for all. | |  |
Pet Story of the Month: Cairo |  | Charlene and Larry counted themselves among the ranks of a group of people who vow to never again get another pet because they don't want to re-experience the heartbreak and loss. And then they met Cairo. “I was NOT going to get another dog! No way!” said Charlene, a volunteer at The Animal Haven. “But now that Cairo is with us, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Larry took some convincing, but I think he’s in love too!” When Cairo came to The Animal Haven, he was hunchbacked from being confined in a small crate and could barely see through the tangled mass of hair in his severely infected eyes. But once he was shaved and bathed, he really came alive. When Charlene met Cairo at an adoption event, “I fell in love right away,” she said. "He is such a good little dog. He has health issues, but he keeps plugging along. He is a happy chap, wags his little tail a lot and is still prancing!” Now, Charlene and Larry are among the ranks of another group of people: those who open their hearts again to give an abandoned or abused animal a second chance at the life he or she deserves. | |
Emery, this gorgeous, gray, seven-year-old girl, was skin and bones when she was found roaming in New Haven. Her stomach was bloated and filled with bird seed and trash, which she ate to try to survive. She had heartworm and two mammary tumors, but after lots of care from our vet and staff, she recently received a clean bill of health! She is as cute and well behaved as she appears in her holiday photo. Emery is extremely friendly and adores people. She loves to cuddle and does not seem to be bothered by other dogs. If you are interested in adopting Emery, fill out an adoption application on our website. | | |
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Volunteer of the Month: Dawn Criscio Gabriel |
 |  | When Dawn Criscio Gabriel talks about her volunteer work at The Animal Haven, one thing becomes clear: She loves a challenge. The East Haven resident has been volunteering at the shelter since 2017 after adopting a cat in 2014. Dawn didn’t adopt just any cat -- “My attention was drawn to a cage where there was a scared, hissy, biting, grey and white cat named Missy,” Dawn said. “She appeared to hate everyone. When I was told she had been in the shelter for four years and her sibling had been adopted right away, it broke my heart. I said 'I’ll take her.'” (Missy was already 12 years old and inflicted with bowel cancer.) “And, when I pulled out of the shelter with Missy on my lap, she curled up and fell asleep. Every day after that, we started our day with her kissing my nose.” Missy died seven months later. Dawn has adopted three more cats since then. Her love of a challenge didn’t end with Missy, however. One of her volunteer roles is selling raffle tickets to raise funds for the shelter. “I always try to sell record numbers of raffle tickets,” she said. “I beat my own numbers with every raffle. LOL!” As if adopting Missy and selling record numbers of raffle tickets isn’t enough, Dawn rises to one more challenge on Sunday mornings: she comes in early to clean some of the rooms at the shelter and socialize the cats. Dawn is so wonderful that it’s a challenge for us to find a way to thank her enough for all she does!
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Hours of operation: Adoption by appointment only.
If you are interested in one of the animals at the shelter, please fill out and submit an application on our website. If your application is approved, we will be in touch to schedule an appointment. Thank you.
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