By: Paola Gicelle Escalante
Like Greenhill, Safehaven Humane Society is a no-kill shelter located in Tangent, Oregon. They have received nationwide attention for their efforts in rescuing animals that were put on euthanasia lists from Hawaii, Oklahoma and New Mexico. One of the shelters occupants has a unique story.
Establishing Shot
Every animal who arrives at a humane society has its story. Cruzette, a 5 year old cattle dog from Safehaven Humane Society in Tangent, Oregon has her own. Cruzette was given a second chance when Safehaven saved her from a shelter’s euthanasia list in Maui. Safehaven Humane Society vows to not euthanize a healthy animal like Cruzette due to overpopulation and instead focuses on rescuing animals from shelters that do so.
Close-up
What sets Cruzette apart from all of the other animals at Safehaven is that she is the humane society’s longest occupant. She arrived from Maui over a year ago and has not left the facility since. Although it has been a struggle to find a suitable and loving home for Cruzette, Safehaven holds its promise to provide her with a chance at life rather than have her on another shelter’s euthanasia list. This “promise” also provides her with her own socialization room in which people are invited in for a one-on-one to get to know her better with hopes that a family will want to provide her with a new beginning outside of the facility.
Action Shot
Being locked in a kennel while surrounded by other dogs takes a toll on Cruzette. Safehaven does not let the issue of overcrowding affect the quality of life of the animals. Instead, they work closely with each and every animal to make sure that they are getting the quality attention that they deserve. Cruzette is an example of an animal who receives the attention that she deserves. The training staff at the facility makes sure that Cruzette participates in indoor sports and receives her personal training at least twice a day in order to insure that she is allowed to destress from being in her kennel/room all day.
Detail Shot
Safehaven values the importance of finding each animal a compatible adoptive home. This is also important so that they can make more room for incoming rescue animals. To do so, they make descriptive and personalized identification cards that are hung up outside each animal’s kennel or socialization room.
Interaction Shot
Kaysha Rogers, Safehaven Humane Society’s Enrichment and Training Coordinator, has been with Cruzette since the day she arrived after being rescued from Maui. “Even though she’s been here for a while now, I’ll be here for her no matter how long it takes. We are not one of those facilities that will let overpopulation take away the life of an innocent companion animal,” Kaysha says.
