Safe Haven to hold adoptions Oct. 26

Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary officials say dogs remaining at the shelter will be adopted as soon as possible.

The future of the shelter is unclear; spokeswoman and board member Lynn Lofthouse said Safe Haven is fighting to stay open so the dogs can be adopted. So far, she said, the shelter has managed to reduce its dog population from 140 to 100 through adoption.

Long term, she said, the shelter is just making do, or as Lofthouse described it, day-to-day.

“All we can focus on now is getting the dogs out. This is more than a full-time job.  The board members are working in the shelter to take care of dogs and to run it just so that we can get the dogs adopted or transferred,” Lofthouse said. She said the goal is to make sure the dogs go to permanent homes.

Safe Haven has been troubled financially; in July it was revealed the Georgetown facility was $200,000 in debt. That same month, the shelter lost its dog-control contract with Kent County; the contract was subsequently given to Kent County SPCA.

To ensure the health of the dogs, Safe Haven has requested that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals provide assistance. ASPCA spokeswoman Emily Schneider said the organization has deployed a team of five sheltering professionals to assist in the daily care of the dogs currently housed at the shelter.

“Additionally, the ASPCA is providing supplies to care for the animals at Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary. Any animal with medical concerns will receive veterinary care,” she said.

Safe Haven is holding two Halloween adoption events Saturday, Oct. 26. Adoptions will be held at Safe Haven, 19022 Shingle Point Road in Georgetown, from 1 to 4 p.m. Adoption fees are $100.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., volunteers at Concord Pet on Route 1 in Rehoboth Beach will host an adoption event for Safe Haven dogs.

For more information, call the sanctuary at 302-856-6460. View adoptable dogs at www.safehavende.org or on Safe Haven’s Facebook page.