The Animal Haven, Inc.

The Animal Haven aims to reduce the number of homeless cats and dogs in the Greater New Haven area and beyond by providing them with humane refuge and the veterinary care they need and then adopt them out to loving, permanent homes. We also aim to lower the incidence of new births of homeless and unwanted dogs and cats by practicing a mandatory spay/neuter policy for all animals we take in.

• We treat every animal we take in humanely, and provide them with the medical attention they need. The animals receive a complete examination and health assessment by a veterinarian and are vaccinated against disease. Ongoing problems are monitored and addressed.
• We practice a no-kill philosophy, prohibiting euthanasia except when it is in the best interest of a sick or dying animal or required by law.
• We adhere to an adoption policy that maximizes the success of placement into permanent homes: we do not do same-day adoptions, we require references, we do vet checks, and we conduct home visits as resources allow. We strive to find the best match for each animal and each adopter. The Animal Haven staff gets to know the personality of each animal, which helps us successfully match the dogs and cats with potential adopters.
• We practice a mandatory spay and neuter policy to assist in reducing the population of unwanted cats and dogs.
• Staff and some volunteers foster our youngest kittens at home, bottle-feeding them until they are old enough to eat on their own.
• We never give up on an animal. If cats or dogs are not adoptable for any reason, they will live with us at the shelter for the rest of their lives.
• We honor the human/animal bond. The staff and volunteers work with the cats and dogs to reinforce positive interactions and strengthen their bond with humans. We also seek to strengthen this bond by ensuring as much as possible that every adoption is successful. To do this, when necessary, we make home visits to help an animal acclimate to his or her new environment and provide training to help a dog adjust to life in a new home.

• A staff of one full-time shelter manager and six part-time kennel assistants, as well as a part-time development manager and part-time bookkeeper.
• A large volunteer force, including volunteers who foster animals, those who walk the dogs, and those who do a significant share of the administrative work of the shelter.
• An expanded and renovated facility, including a 1600-square-foot cat wing; a state-of-the-art HVAC system; isolation rooms for sick animals so we can prevent the spread of disease; upgraded kennels for dogs; a renovated kitchen and laundry area; and tile or epoxy floors throughout the facility that make it easier to clean and sanitize the shelter. Our facility also includes a meet-and-greet room for people when they are considering adopting an animal.
• We have a close working relationship with the Guilford Animal Medical Center, which provides veterinarian services to the shelter’s animals, including, but not limited to, physical examinations, medical testing, spaying/neutering, and other surgeries as needed. They refer us to specialists when necessary.
• We are located on a wooded, seven-acre parcel of land in North Haven where volunteers and staff can take the dogs on long, peaceful walks.

In the past year, we completed a five-year strategic plan and have recruited a new board member. We are in our third year of work with a fundraising consultant who has performed an internal assessment of the shelter’s fundraising activities and written a development plan, including a major gifts plan. We are well into the process of implementing the development plan. We have hired an independent contractor to work as our development manager, substantially revamped our donor database (DonorPerfect) so that it is better tailored to our needs, and began marketing the recently created Animal Haven Legacy Society, which already has 15 members who have informed us that they have left bequests to the shelter in their estate plans. We were awarded a grant from the Wiederhold Foundation to install a backup generator on the shelter property to ensure that we do not lack power to heat or cool the shelter during a power outage. Finally, despite the continuing epidemic, we were able to take in 191 cats and 30 dogs last year, and adopt out 190 cats and 30 dogs into loving, permanent homes.