America's Best Cocker Spaniels

Grateful for Our Volunteers

Mon, 19 May 2025 18:33:01 GMT

Here is a glimpse into a day in the life of a Desert Haven volunteer. We are fortunate to have wonderful people helping us!

Our volunteers help shape the lives of our animals, help our events run smoothly, and help keep the operations of our non-profit organization moving forward.

Saying we are grateful for their time and effort doesn’t scratch the surface of how we feel. Many hands make light work and the helpful hands of volunteers that pitch in at the Sierra County Humane Society which operates Desert Haven Animal Rescue are made of gold.

We love each and every one of you!

(A few of our volunteers prefer not to have their photos published so their photos are not in this post but let it be known we love them too!)

Thank you!

It’s Spring in the Desert!

Mon, 19 May 2025 18:32:58 GMT

It’s Spring in the desert!

The flowers are blooming across the grounds. The air smells amazing. The mesquite blooms are intoxicating! The hummingbirds are humming and the bees are buzzing.

Here are a few pictures to show off some of the beauty of the land that holds and supports us. She’s even more beautiful in person, so definitely come visit us! Take a tour, read to our cats, sign up to become a volunteer dog walker, or just stop by to say hello!

dhanimalrescue #chihuahuandesert #NewMexicoTrue

Roxie’s Journey

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:43:00 GMT

From Feral to Forever Home

Greta here. I have helped take care of lots of dogs at Desert Haven. (One day I'll count them.) I fall in love easily so it's basically love at first sight over and over. Their mere existence equates to love to me.

Then I get to know them. I take them for walks. I snuggle them. I learn what makes them tick to help them get adopted. They get adopted. I cheer! Then, I do it all over again. Somehow my heart and soul stays protected, mostly intact. Never breaks. Love, care, cheer. It's a good life if you can get it.

Those newer to following the happenings at Desert Haven might not know our darling Roxie's history so I can catch everyone up. Here are the CliffsNotes.

We rescued Roxie as a feral, one-year-old dog back in December of 2022. She was a nameless feral pup and Desert Haven made her family. We named her Roxie. Once with us at Desert Haven, everything was new and scary for Roxie. The presence of people frightened her. It took us weeks of laying and sitting with her in her kennel and oodles of hotdog bits before one of our work campers was finally able to get a leash on Roxie. It took several more weeks to help her cross a threshold of a gate. It took months before a second person gained Roxie's trust and could then get her leashed up for fun times around the Desert Haven grounds. Getting her to enter a vehicle was another months long process, the first trip to the vet, and so on and so on. Every single little thing your domesticated, socialized dog does normally and easily, had to be painstakingly taught to Roxie.

All along the way Roxie was a willing, eager, albeit cautious participant in all her lessons in How to Be a Domesticated Dog. However, because Roxie's training was so time intensive, we decided that a foster home was the best place for her to continue her lessons. Since September 2023, she's been in foster care.

We have experienced the definition of a long and winding road in rescuing and domesticating this precious girl on the right, Roxie. I have buried the lead but here it is: since March 2, 2025 she's been adopted! This long and winding rescue road ended in adoption. Roxie is adopted!

Roxie is adopted! That has rung over and over in my head the last few weeks and each time it does I stop what I'm doing to send her my positive energy that she will allow trust-building with her new papa. Allow him to take care of her. Teach her. Love her. Bond with her.

Roxie knows how to trust. She learns. She loves. Bonds. Roxie's love is magic. Her smile is life. Her loyalty is legendary.

Transferring those beautiful abilities to her forever family has given me the greatest challenge and the biggest love. The amount of joy I feel that she now has someone to love her as much as I love her overwhelms me. She has a dog-sister, Sassy. Sassy will show her the way. Her papa will guide her. Roxie has what she needs.

Please join me in wishing Roxie well! Congratulations, sweet girl! We did it!

Be brave. Be open. Choose trust. We love you!

Treat Your Pup to Homemade Goodness!

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 15:19:28 GMT

Homemade Dog Chicken Jerky!

Do you have a dog? Do you have an air fryer? Then get ready to make a super easy homemade treat that will have your pup loving you more! Yes, more! If that’s even possible.

HOMEMADE DOG CHICKEN JERKY

These single ingredient treats are super delicious, made with just good old chicken (no artificial ingredients, additives, fillers, or doubts about what you’re feeding your doggy friend.) This is a perfect weekend recipe. Have fun making these for your pup! https://thirtysomethingsupermom.com/homemade-dog-jerky/

Cool Cats, Cool Adopters

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 15:14:30 GMT

A Purr-fect Match!

If you met our cool cats Gunther and Hawk at our Feel the Love event a few weeks ago you knew that these bobtail boys would attract some cool cats to adopt them. And here they are, Lynne and Shayne!

Two of our favorite volunteers who kitty cuddle and dog walk every Tuesday morning, Lynne and Shayne, were smitten with Gunther and Hawk the moment they met these enigmatic boys while cuddling them as part of our Kitty Cuddler volunteer program.

The question for the couple was always, were they ready to take the plunge of being owned by cats?

Then when they saw Gunther and Hawk walking around confidently at Feel the Love in harness and leash, they knew their lives would be best lived revolving around these great cats!

The adoption application rolled in, conversations were had, adoption day photo was taken!

We are pleased to introduce you to this adorable family of four! Congratulations Hawk and Gunther.

By the way, this family heads off to their stationary home on the east coast soon which leaves us with an opening for a new Kitty Cuddler.

Apply at deserthavenanimalrescue.org by clicking the APPLICATION button then VOLUNTEER APPLICATION . We hope to hear from some local cat lovers!

Support Our Rescue

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:55:26 GMT

Save Aluminum Cans & Bullocks Receipts!

Please save your aluminum cans! The more aluminum cans we have the more treats we can purchase for our dogs and cats! Aluminum cans need to be securely bagged up and dropped off at our Can Corral (by the garbage bins) at the entrance of Desert Haven.

And please continue to save those Bullocks receipts! Bullocks receipts are an effective way for the community-minded grocery store located in TorC to give a financial boost to 501-c-3 nonprofit charitable organizations like ours.

We have collection boxes at the TorC Public Library, the Williamsburg Post Office, the Heart-to-Hand shop in the Martha’s Building, and here at Desert Haven by our donations bin near the entrance. Thank you!

Meet Michelle

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:37:58 GMT

The Heart & Hands Behind Desert Haven

We haven’t introduced you to Michelle yet and it’s our pleasure to finally do so today. Michelle is one of our work campers who lives in her rig with her dog Paco in our small no frills Desert Haven RV Park. She trades her time volunteering to take care of our animals in exchange for her campsite and hookups.

Michelle is a hard working woman who keeps her head on straight. She’s got a story for every conversation, an interesting take to consider, and an easy way of living life that creates a calm energy around her. Michelle is eager to help and has an enviable array of skills she shares with us. Not only is she excellent at animal care taking, but she can often be found stylistically painting grave markers, repairing wooden picnic tables and repainting them, and renovating kitten rooms! Michelle can do it all and we sure appreciate that she wants to do it at Desert Haven.

She’s a credit to womanhood, Michelle! We are happy to have her!

Molly’s Happy Ending

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:28:14 GMT

A Journey of Fate, Friendship & the Perfect Match!

Miss Molly is very pleased to introduce you to her new mama! Here they are! Molly and her new mama!

But first, a quick story. We track how adopters discover the pet they inquire about. Knowing where our little rescue was seen helps us know how and where to put the resource of time into marketing and promotions to help our dogs and cats get noticed.

Molly's adoption came about from a big variety of sources! We have been trying to help an adoptee named Nutmeg get rehomed. Nutmeg was adopted over four years ago but there is too much stress in her home for the family to remain intact. We have done much outreach to try to help Nutmeg into a new home so she could avoid coming back to Desert Haven.

Sidenote: Nutmeg still hasn't found her new home. Molly's adoption opens a space for dear sweet lover-girl Nutmeg to come to us early next week. Stay tuned for Nutmeg to be our newest resident of Dogtown.

Back to Molly! Well, it happens that Molly's new mama's friend saw Nutmeg on Facebook. That led Molly's new mama's friend to our website. From there she scrolled through looking at all of our adoptable dogs and clicked on Molly. This took her to Molly's Petfinder bio and photos.

She was intrigued and thought her friend (Molly's future mama!) should take a look at Molly, in the event she was ready to adopt. (She had suffered the loss of her heart dog recently. Was it too soon, she wasn't sure but Molly was too cute and sounded too perfect not to share, she thought.)

Turns out, Molly's new mama was indeed ready to entertain the idea of adopting and thought Molly was worth the drive from Albuquerque to find out if Molly was the right fit with her.

One meeting later and Molly was heading off into the sunset with her new mama pictured here! This adoption was brought to you by Facebook, Website, Petfinder, and a great friend!

Molly, we love you sweetie pie and we are so very happy you're home. Molly is adopted!

January Adoptions

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:13:42 GMT

A Fantastic Start to 2025!

What an incredible beginning to the year at Desert Haven— 10 adoptions in January! �� That’s TEN animals finding their forever homes! Congratulations to our beloved pets and their new families—we wish you all a lifetime of love and happiness.

A huge thank you to our amazing supporters! Whether you share our posts, volunteer your time, or cheer us on from afar, you make a difference. Together, we’re changing lives—one adoption at a time! ��

Zia’s Journey

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:05:27 GMT

From Rescue Kitty to Road Trip Companion

Zia became part of our traveling family about a year ago. It took some time for us to bond, but now she showers us with chin-resting snuggles and greets us with her adorable little chirps. We’ve discovered she’s a parkour pro, a catnip fanatic, and absolutely loves chasing laser lights.

One of the biggest surprises was how well she adapted to life on the road! She joined us for our summer job in Wyoming and had a blast taking in all the new scents and watching chipmunks tease her through the RV windows. We couldn’t imagine life without her sweet and playful presence!

We’re beyond thrilled for Zia and her family—keep on exploring and enjoying life, little adventurer!

�� Calling All DHAR Adopters!
If you’ve adopted from Desert Haven Animal Rescue, we’d love to hear your updates! Send us an email at dhanimalrescue@gmail.com —and don’t forget to include some cute pictures! ❤️

Lights, Camera, Adoption!

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 17:18:20 GMT

A Big Screen Shoutout to El Cortez!

We’re incredibly grateful to El Cortez Theater for their generosity in supporting Desert Haven with free ad space! As true animal lovers, they go above and beyond to give back to the community, and we couldn’t be more thankful.

Next time you’re at El Cortez, keep an eye out for our big-screen ads promoting pet adoption and animal welfare! Their kindness helps us spread awareness and find loving homes for our rescue animals.

Thank you, El Cortez, for being a champion for animals and our community! ❤️��

#SupportLocal #AnimalRescue #ThankYouElCortez #DesertHaven

Layla’s Happy Tail

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:25:24 GMT

From Pixie to a Loving Life

It’s always heartwarming to hear updates about our adopted furry friends, and Layla’s story is no exception! Formerly known as Pixie, Layla was adopted about a year ago and has since been living her best life as an emotional support animal with her loving dad, Brian.

She’s truly settled into her new home—responding to her name, cuddling up in bed, and staying lively and playful. Layla enjoys sunbathing, exploring her own playground, and even making herself comfy in dad’s laundry (because why not?). She’s also competing in a contest, so be sure to check out the link and show her some love!

We’re beyond happy for Layla and Brian—here’s to many more years of love, fun, and laundry nesting! ��

�� Show your support for Layla! �� Facebook Contest Link

A New Purr-ever Family!

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:29:51 GMT

Selena’s Holiday Wish Comes True

Lookie who is #homefortheholidays! Selena!

This gentle man came to meet our kitties to see who might fit best with him and his best furry boy Gwyn. Turns out Selena’s interactions with Lee were most compelling and caused him to want to take her home.

Lee + Gwyn + Selena = Family

Happy life, Selena now Morri!

Sassy's Journey

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:26:34 GMT

From Stray to Loved, Finding Home Again

Sassy was a kitty-cat who began her life as a stray kitty over three years ago. She was on her own for food, shelter, and comfort. A hard life for a kitten. She survived, and then one day, when she’d gotten bigger, she found all she needed in a kind resident of Elephant Butte. That nice woman took Sassy into her home and loved her freely. They became inseparable and had a great life together. Sadly, Sassy's savior passed away several months ago.

When Sassy needed saving again, we stepped in. Desert Haven was the bridge she needed to another family. She became a member of our Cool Cat Neighborhood and got her two hots and a cot. We love our cats and dogs that live with us at Desert Haven, but this is not home. This is love, yes. This is compassion, yes. This is the highest quality care we can muster, yes. This is ... almost home.

Fortunately, our sweet Sassy girl didn't have to wait too terribly long before the next kind woman walked into her life. After Lani met Sassy, she decided to give her all she needs. She decided that Sassy would join her family.

We are overjoyed to share that Sassy has been adopted and is once again part of a loving family. Home.

Hannah’s Perfect Match

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:18:36 GMT

A Heartfelt Journey to Her Forever Family!

This family drove from the Gila Valley near Mimbres to Desert Haven to meet our cat Hugo. Hugo had caught their attention, but they were open to meeting all of our cats to see who clicked best with them. When we confirmed that they knew our location and that it was a 1.5-hour drive one way, they said, "Our hearts are calling to welcome a new member to our family, and we much prefer to support your small sanctuary." Well, that sure made our hearts sing!

We prepared for their arrival by completing pre-adoption counseling along with processing their adoption application and home visit photos. When pre-adoption counseling had been completed, we received a nice compliment: "All so incredibly helpful! Thank you! We love that you’ve included such thoughtful touches for each cat’s transition. I’ll have $75 cash for the adoption fee, and we’ll bring a carrier in case we find a match."

The work had been done on our end to prepare the family, and now it was up to our kitty cats living in the Cool Cat Neighborhood to decide who would join the family.

Hannah! It was Hannah! Hannah was the standout! The family fell in love with her. They loved her temperament, and Toby's adoration didn't faze her a bit. Kristin, Kay, and their chihuahua Toby are now Hannah's family.

Enjoy your wonderful family, sweet Hannah! (Hugo missed out on this family, but he sneaked in and stole someone else's meeting in the same way that Hannah had been the star of his! Stay tuned!)

Home for the Holidays

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:13:12 GMT

Emilio and Charlie Find Their Forever Family!

Whether you’ve been sipping egg nog with family or reading a book at home, however you’ve spent today, all of us at Desert Haven Animal Rescue and the Sierra County Humane Society wish you peace, health, and happiness.

Happy Hanukkah! Warmest Solstice! Shubh Diwali! Joyous Kwanzaa! Blessed Yule! Merry Christmas! But most of all, let us all wish Happy Adoption! to our darling babies Emilio and Charlie!

These cute and funny twins are now livening up their new home with kitten antics and kitten love. Emilio and Charlie, now Wiley and Coyote, are #homefortheholidays.

June’s New Beginning

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:05:32 GMT

A Perfect Match Made!

We’re overjoyed to share some fantastic news—June has found her forever home! She’s gone to the best family, with a doting dad who absolutely adores her.

June’s journey to her new home has been nothing short of heartwarming. From the moment her dad laid eyes on her, it was clear they were a perfect match. She’s now surrounded by love, care, and a family ready to give her all the happiness she deserves.

Please join us in celebrating June’s adoption and wishing her a life filled with joy, snuggles, and endless adventures in her new home. Happy Adoption Day, June! ��

Lacy’s Happy Tail

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 13:55:39 GMT

A Special Bond Leads to Adoption!

This wonderful woman is Betsy and this wonderful puppy is Lacy. We rescued Lacy in August and Betsy came to Desert Haven as a work camper in September. This was, in fact, Betsy's second go round work camping at Desert Haven. We were so happy to welcome her back to our team!

From the get-go, Lacy was a complicated pup with lots of feelings and opinions. She made getting to know her easy for some while making others work their butts off to get on her good side. We all worked overtime creating care plans around increasing Lacy's confidence and comfort around a wider variety of people. Executing the care plans proved easier for some than others and Betsy just knew how to relate to Lacy from the start.

Some of us needed Betsy around if we wanted to have a good chance of getting Lacy leashed up for a fun walk around the grounds. Lacy adores going for walks and play times and for Betsy it was a piece of cake to leash her. Betsy was ever supportive of Lacy's growing up and they connected deeply.

I bet you can see where this announcement is headed! Oh yes! Lacy now has the best home and dog-mom and yes it is Betsy!

Betsy is finishing up her work camp commitment at Desert Haven and so she and her new puppy Lacy and their cat Middy are heading off into the sunset soon to share in all of life's grand adventures.

Please join us in thanking Betsy for taking the absolute best care of our animals and also wishing Lacy a Happy Adoption Day!

Frosty’s Snowy Farewell

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 18:03:20 GMT

Our First Adoption of the New Year!

Today’s snowy landscape is a perfect day to share that our darling boy Frosty has been adopted. Frosty was actually our very first adoption of the New Year! His applicant hails from Denver and fell in love with Frosty from afar. We had several chats about him, and when all the parts of our adoption process had been completed, there was nothing left for her to do besides get to the airport and board a plane.

One rental car ride from ABQ to TorC later, and she and Frosty were together for the first time. Once he was roused from his mid-afternoon siesta and wiped the sleep from his eyes, it was love at first sight!

A couple of hours later, the pair boarded a flight back to Denver together. When you know in your heart it’s a match, plus you have standby flight benefits, a full day of travel is no biggie.

Frosty is her first-ever pet, and we couldn’t imagine a better buddy to teach her the intricacies and magical ways of being owned by a cat.

Even though he wasn’t with us long, he still made a big impact on everyone here at Desert Haven with his quick-action purring and his striking handsomeness. Frosty, we bid you adieu and wish you a full and glorious life of snuggles with your new mama.

Pupdate Alert!

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 20:10:46 GMT

Pupdate: New Year’s Gifts and Goodbye Hugs from Nessie and Selene!

What a heartwarming way to ring in the New Year! Nessie and her lovely mama Selene stopped by Desert Haven with a generous box of gifts for our kitties and doggos. From toys to treats, their thoughtful surprises brought so much joy to our furry friends—and to us!

But the gifts didn’t stop there. Queen Ness herself wrapped it all up with a bow by handing out hugs and kisses to everyone. �� This sweet family truly knows how to spread love and happiness.

As they prepare to set sail for warmer weather, we send Nessie and Selene off with all our best wishes for safe travels, love, and endless joy on their adventures. Your kindness and care will be deeply missed, but your gifts and hugs will keep the spirit of your visit alive here at Desert Haven. ��

Thank you, Nessie and Selene, for starting our New Year on such a bright and beautiful note!

#Queens #DHAnimalRescue #NewYear2025 #Grateful #Pupdate

Snow at Desert Haven!

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 20:07:29 GMT

Winter Magic in the Chihuahuan Desert

We woke up to a delightful surprise today—our first snow of the season here at Desert Haven! That’s right, it snows in southern New Mexico! The soft white blanket covering the rugged beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert creates a breathtaking contrast that’s truly magical.

To help you share in this wonder, we’ve captured some pictures of the snowfall. Imagine the serene quiet of snowflakes settling on desert cacti and the mesmerizing transformation of the landscape into a peaceful winter wonderland.

If you’re thinking about exploring the Southwest during the winter, be sure to add Desert Haven to your travel plans. It’s a unique experience where you can enjoy the charm of snow in the desert while meeting some of our wonderful animals. We’d love to give you a tour and share the magic of this special place with you!

Whether it’s the snowy beauty of winter or the vibrant colors of other seasons, Desert Haven always has something unforgettable to offer. We can’t wait to welcome you!

What’s your favorite winter travel destination? Let us know in the comments!

Celebrating 2024’s Success

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:07:14 GMT

60 Animals Adopted! ��

Happy first Monday of 2025! As we kick off the new year, we’re thrilled to share some heartwarming news from 2024. Drum roll, please… �� 60 animals found their forever homes last year! ��

This incredible milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the collective effort of our community. From our dedicated volunteers to the kind-hearted adopters, every person and every action made a difference.

To all the families who welcomed these precious animals into their lives, congratulations! We love hearing about the joy and love they’ve brought into your homes.

Here’s to making 2025 another amazing year for adoptions—because every paw matters. Let’s continue to work together and change lives, one adoption at a time. ��❤️

Create a Cozy DIY Cat or Small Dog Hideout

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:53:37 GMT

DIY Cozy Pet Hideaway: Perfect for Cats and Small Dogs (Featuring Diego!)

Looking for an easy and fun DIY project for your furry friend? Whether you have a curious kitten or a small dog who loves to snuggle, this quick craft is perfect for creating a cozy spot they’ll adore! The best part? You only need two things: a collapsible hamper (bonus points for picking a fun or vibrant color!) and something soft and comforting, like a fleece blanket or an old sweater.

Why a sweater, you ask? Pets love familiar scents! Using an item of clothing with your scent on it provides them with extra comfort, making this hideout feel like a safe haven they’ll never want to leave.

Our adorable volunteer, Diego, a playful and confident 5-month-old kitten, absolutely loves this setup. He’s been happily modeling his cozy new space and showing us just how simple and effective this DIY project can be. Best of all, Diego is still looking for his forever home!

If you’re ready to adopt a cuddly companion like Diego, why not make their first day with you extra special by crafting them their very own comfy hideout? It’s a thoughtful and inexpensive way to make them feel loved and welcome.

Try this DIY today and see how much your pet enjoys their new favorite spot! And if you’d like to give Diego a home, reach out to us—he’d love to meet you!