SafeHaven is a limited admission shelter that remains committed to the philosophy of not using euthanasia to control population. Once an animal is accepted at SafeHaven, there is no limit to the amount of time that animal can spend at the shelter. Once the shelter is full, however, no new animals can be accepted, thus preventing our current residents from being euthanized to make room for newcomers. It is this policy which differentiates SafeHaven from publicly funded "open admission" facilities. These public shelters receive their funding from government agencies at a county or city level through animal control contracts which require them to accept all animals presented to the shelter within their contractual agreement.

So we can think of animal welfare like a patchwork quilt, made of different organizations; some "Open Admission", some "Limited Admission" and others such as specific breed "Rescue Groups", "Sanctuaries" and "Animal Control" who all want to get homeless and unwanted animals off the street and into a better place.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: I understand you are a limited admission shelter. What does limited admission or "no kill" mean?

Here at SafeHaven it means that we guarantee a home for every adoptable animal we take in. Animals are euthanized only if they are too sick to be rehabilitated or too aggressive to be safely placed in a home.  SHHS never euthanizes animals to make space for new animals.

Q:  Does this mean you turn animals away?

A:  Unfortunately, space is limited at SafeHaven and when we are full we have to prioritize and serve animals that are in the greatest need.  Sometimes the animals are accepted immediately, and other times they are put on a waiting list.  SafeHaven Humane Society does our best to serve as many animals and people as possible.  When possible, animals are placed into foster care until space is available at the shelter.  Another resource available to the community is Linn County Dog Control.  Linn County Dog Control accepts owner surrendered and stray dogs from Linn County.  They can be reached at 967-3925 or visit their website online.

Q:  Are you limited admission in that you pick and choose which animals you will take?

A: SafeHaven does not discriminate when admitting cats or dogs and will take in cats and dogs that pass our temperament test when space is available. All cats and dogs receive the same love and commitment by our staff when they are admitted.  Sometimes we take animals that have physical limitations, health concerns, or behavioral issues that take longer to adopt.  With time, we know that the right person will come along and provide these animals with a loving home they so greatly deserve.

Q: If people are turned away, won't they just abandon their animals at the side of the road?

A: Interestingly, the answer to this question is "no".  Some people do sadly; abandon their animals from time to time.  There is however, no evidence to suggest this happens as a result of being told by a shelter they have to wait to come in.  Many people tell us they would much rather wait than leave their animal at an "open admission" shelter where there is a even slight possibility they would be euthanized. 

Q: What if, hypothetically, someone was told they'd have to wait to bring
their animal in and instead, just decides to kill it.  Wouldn't it have
been better for the animal to humanely euthanized by a shelter?

A:  Looking at the math lets say there are 20 cats waiting to come into the Shelter.  If SHHS was "open admission" meaning accept any animal at any time, then the existing 20 cats would have to be euthanized to make room for the new ones.  It is most likely that those 20 owners are willing to wait until space is available or will try to place the animal on their own. 

Q: Is it really humane to keep an animal at the shelter for an extended period of time?

A: We do everything in our power to help insure the health and well-being of the animals in our care.  Animals in the shelter are given lots of love and attention by staff, volunteers, and the visiting public.  Dog are allowed to romp in our play yards at least twice a day for an extended period of time. Many dogs are paired with a play mate as well.  Cats are brushed, held, petted, and cuddled several times per day by staff and volunteers.  Cats have a variety of interactive toys and are also paired with a friend if they choose. While we understand that living at the shelter is not ideal we do our best to keep the animals comfortable and healthy.  And to put things into perspective, if a cat stays here 6 months of its life but is then adopted into a home for the next 10+ years of its life, isn't that worth the wait?

Q: What role do foster homes play in supporting your work?

A: Foster homes are invaluable to SHHS.  They provide a safe and comfortable environment for mother cats to care for their nursing litters.  They also provide a temporary home for older, ill or injured animals who need a quiet place to recover.  Foster homes also help with the influx of animals and in turn enable SafeHaven to help more animals in need.

Q:  What else are you doing to stem the influx of unwanted animals?

A: Spay and Neuter!  Spaying and neutering animals is critically important to preventing the birth of more homeless animals.  SHHS offers low-income Linn County residents the ability to have their cat spayed or neutered for $10 through our "Cats Count" program.

Funding
SafeHaven Humane Society is a private, nonprofit 501 (C)3 organization which receives no government funding from the City of Albany, Linn County, or the State of Oregon. Our funding comes from private sources, such as:

• Donations
• Memorials
• Bequests
• Special Events and Fundraisers

SafeHaven receives NO tax dollars from any source.

Adoption Statistics

	2005 Dogs	2005 Cats	2006 Dogs	2006 Cats	2007 Cats	2007 Dogs
January	41	23	42	41	40	44
February	48	22	31	30	32	50
March	33	17	49	20	36	52
April	43	24	45	28	25	33
May	31	12	24	20	31	62
June	39	25	42	16	40	48
July	34	47	50	63	50	45
August	55	22	42	28	28	42
September	44	22	29	40	61	45
October	29	21	53	44	58	34
November	48	27	50	37	43	40
December	36	29	44	53	50	62
Total	481	291	501	420	494	557

Total Adoptions for 2005 - 772
Total Adoptions for 2006 - 921
Total Adoptions for 2007 - 1,051