Select Page
The Scratching Post: Fall 2023

The Scratching Post: Fall 2023

Sep 27, 2023 | News, The Scratching Post

Message from Our Interim Executive Director

Dear Friends of SAFE Haven,

This past year has been of remarkable change and life-saving here at SAFE Haven. Without your generous support, we would not have been able to

  • Welcome 1,356 cats and kittens into our adoption program.
    • Many (318) of these cats came from local, euthanizing shelters; this means 24 percent of our kitties were given a second chance at finding their forever homes.
    • Even more (643) came to SAFE Haven because they were on our stray cat waitlist. We are so very proud that we can offer this to our community; you are the voice for the strays that show up in your backyards, at your workplaces, and even on the sides of the road. You come through for these kitties every day, providing them food, shelter, and even medical care before bringing them here.
    • Did you know that about eight percent (106) of cats who enter our shelter come through our SAFE Care Clinic? Most of these kitties come from colonies nearby; they are some of the sweetest cats you will ever meet! We believe many of our clinic cats have been abandoned or lost and were lucky enough to find their way here.
  • Adopt 1,323 cats and kittens to wonderful families in 38 North Carolina counties. Almost 10 percent of the adopted cats were adults and mature companions; our SAFE Haven family has such a heart for cats of all ages and origins!
  • Alter 7,283 cats and dogs at our SAFE Care Clinic; these animals came from 41 of the 100 counties in North Carolina (and a couple of counties in Virginia!). Preventing overpopulation and needless suffering is the mission of SAFE Haven and SAFE Care; Dr. Kutner and her team certainly met that challenge.
  • Provide families in need with over 30,000 pounds (15 tons!) of pet food through our Pet Food Pantry. Your contributions of dog and cat food throughout the year and during our Food Drives keep companion animals in their homes and their owners from having to make hard decisions—surrendering or abandoning their animals, going without food and medicine themselves, providing unhealthy alternatives.

The best part of sharing this message with you is this past year was record-breaking on all levels—the most cats taken in, the most cats adopted out, the most spay/neuter surgeries, and the most food distributed. This is all because of YOU, our supporters and champions. We have nowhere to go but up as they say, and 2023-24 will be all about the cats, all of the time!

With gratitude,

 

 

Patti Godin
Interim Executive Director

WRAL Community Cares Award

WRAL Community Cares Award

Sep 12, 2023 | News

We were honored to be this month’s WRAL Community Cares Award Recipient! As part of their commitment to the community, Whitley Law Firm donates $2,000 each month to a local charity. In September 2023, SAFE Haven was chosen and we are so grateful to WRAL and Whitley Law Firm for their support.

Read the profile of SAFE Haven.

 

The Cat Chronicle – September 2023

The Cat Chronicle – September 2023

Sep 7, 2023 | The Cat Chronicle


Happy Cats
Fantastic news – at last month’s Clear the Shelter event, 27 cats found their fur-ever homes. Even better – we far exceeded our goal of $3,000, raising $10,073.75, to help an additional 100 cats. Thank you to everyone who adopted, shared our posts, and donated. You helped save lives!

 

 

 



Meow-some Mondays
Mondays don’t have to be blah – brighten them with Meow-some Mondays! For a short time, we’re offering Monday adoptions by appointment on September 11, 18, and 25 between 1-3 p.m. To start your week off with a furry friend, fill out our adoption interest survey and indicate that you’d like to come during Meow-some Mondays. Our excellent adoption team will reach out to schedule an appointment. Here’s everything you need to know.

 

 


Purr Cup Scrapbook
Since they started in October 2020, Purr Cup Cafe has helped to find homes for 279 cats and counting! Join us in a look back at just a few of the many sweet kitties who have gotten to call Purr Cup home temporarily.

 

 

 

 


Voters’ Choice
WRAL’s Voter’s Choice nominations open on September 12, and we’d be honored if you took a moment to nominate SAFE Haven for Cats! Last year, we won Best Nonprofit Organization and got second place for Best Volunteer Organization. Our community – that means you! – is the reason that we can do all that we do, and the Voter’s Choice awards truly recognize all we achieve together.

 

 

 


Meet the SAFE Haven Team
We’re delighted to welcome our new Director of Development, Maddie Majerus, to SAFE Haven! With a background in nonprofit work and a focus on community engagement, she looks forward to expanding the SAFE Haven network of friends and getting folks connected with adoptable cats. Get to know Maddie.

 

 

 



Come Work with Us!
SAFE Care Spay/Neuter Clinic is looking for a veterinary assistant who loves working with a high-performing team, loves our mission to reduce suffering and overpopulation, and above everything else, loves cats and dogs! Experience in a veterinary setting preferred. Hours are 7 am to 5 pm Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri. Salary range: $16 to $18 per hour. Medical insurance and PTO are offered to all full-time employees. Please contact us at info@safehavenforcats.org if you’re interested!

 

 



Join Our Board
We are looking for individuals from all walks of life to join our Board of Directors and serve on committees this fiscal year. After reaching so many milestones last year, we need great ideas to plan for saving more lives and impacting more communities! Please email our Executive Director, Patti Godin, at patti@safehavenforcats.org for details.

 

 

​
SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR CATS WITH A DONATION!

Click here to DONATE

October Vaccination & Microchip Clinic

October Vaccination & Microchip Clinic

Sep 6, 2023 | News

ALL SPOTS ARE FILLED FOR THE OCTOBER CLINIC.
Join the waitlist should there be any cancellations. Please note that joining the waitlist does not guarantee an appointment. You will be contacted should space open up.

When pets are like family, we do everything to keep them healthy and safe. Come get your cat or dog vaccinated and microchipped at our Vaccination & Microchip Clinic on Saturday, October 14, 2023, from 9 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at SAFE Haven for Cats! Rabies and distemper vaccines are only $5 each and microchips are $15.

Why Vaccinate Against Rabies & Distemper?
Rabies is an easily preventable disease caused by a virus often found in mammals (most commonly raccoons, foxes, and bats). It’s transmitted mainly through saliva via bites or scratches of an infected animal; without immediate treatment after exposure, rabies is nearly always fatal. Distemper is a highly contagious and incurable disease that is spread from animal to animal. Getting your pets vaccinated against these two diseases will keep them healthy and disease-free. Additionally, rabies vaccines are required by law in the state of North Carolina; all owned dogs and cats must be vaccinated by four months of age, and the vaccination must be kept current.

Why Are Microchips So Important
Since you’re considering having your pet vaccinated, why not also think about getting them microchipped? Only about 22% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats are reunited with their owners, but microchipping increases the chances of reuniting lost pets with their humans to almost 75%! During this simple and quick procedure, a small chip is inserted below the surface of your pet’s skin that allows them to be scanned by animal control and veterinarians if they get lost. Microchips are an important part of pet care because you never know when your pet might decide to go off on an adventure!

Vaccination and Microchip Clinic
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Pet Cats, Feral Cats and Dogs: 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
SAFE Care Clinic | 8411 Garvey Drive | Suite 133B

Registration is required for this event. Each animal must be registered separately. The vaccination registration is only good for October 14, 2023, during the event.

Friendly Cats must be in carriers. Feral cats must come in a trap. Dogs must be on a leash.

Payment will be taken at the event. We accept cash and major credit cards.

PRICE

  • Rabies Vaccination: $5
  • FVRCP (Cats – Distemper) Vaccination: $5
  • DHPP (Dog – Distemper) Vaccination: $5
  • Microchip: $15

* The 3-year rabies vaccine is available for animals with a valid and current vaccination certificate. The certificate must be displayed at check-in. Otherwise, the one-year rabies vaccine will be administered. We must have the certificate; the tag is not sufficient proof.

Feral Cats – Cats must be in a trap. We will only be offering 1 year rabies for ferals, no other services are available at this time.

Visit the SAFE Care Clinic to learn about all the benefits of vaccination and microchipping for your pets.

Meet the SAFE Haven Team – Hanna

Meet the SAFE Haven Team – Hanna

Aug 25, 2023 | News

Hanna Johnston is a cat care associate. What does that mean? That means she helps care for the cats: cleaning their cages, making sure they’re medicated and fed, plus ensuring they’re happy and healthy. Previously a software developer, she volunteered with SAFE Haven so she could get a good understanding of how the shelter worked before joining as an employee.

Get to know Hanna:

Why did you choose SAFE Haven as your next job?
For the cats, of course. After volunteering for over a year, I grew to really like the community of people here, too.

What are you looking forward to learning as an employee of SAFE Haven?
Learning more about the world of shelter medicine and caring for cats on the community scale.

What do you love about cats?
The way they spread their toe beans during a good stretch!

Do you have any pets?
Two cats! Dewey, a 10-year-old orange tabby, and Sybil, an 8-year-old torbie.

What’s an animal you’d like to encounter that you haven’t?
One day, I want to pet an alligator – one of the big ones!