Safe Haven Puppy Sanctuary Facts
• Safe Haven Puppy Sanctuary is an approved Non-Profit 501(c)(3) with the following additional approvals that include State of Tennessee Charitable Organization, Corporation with Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, a Federal EIN number and Charter. Our mission is the rescue of puppies and their mothers and pregnant mother dogs as well as the occasional adult dog in need of help.
• SHPS pronounced Ships is the abbreviation for Safe Haven Puppy Sanctuary. We are currently looking for the best location and facility (in Crossville, TN area) as using only fosters for the hundreds of puppies and their mothers abandoned annually in this part of the country is not practical. Without a facility we have to turn away too many rescues that all deserve a second chance and a forever family
• SHPS is a totally volunteer organization and depends upon donations and any grants we qualify for as an animal rescue. Grants are typically not available to a new rescue until they have a one year history of number of rescues and financial data
• Start-up costs are a challenge due to the lack of grants during the first year
• All our puppies and adult dogs are rescues and under normal situations we have no history or other information on them which requires us to estimate age, breed, potential size as an adult and what might have happened to the animal prior to arriving at SHPS. We can usually tell if an animal has been abused, broken bones or injuries that were not treated
• Because we provide all medical, vaccines, spay/neuter and other veterinarian needs to our rescues, our biggest bills are for this critical professional help. On all intake animals we immediately start a medical record and an intake form with as much information as we can get. SHPS has a very specific intake protocol for all animals.
• If an animal is owner surrender – we require a form be completed by that owner with signature that this person has the right to surrender the animal.
• We work with veterinarians whom we have known for years and who we take our own pets too regularly. If we need a specialist – we get a referral from our vet to get the best possible care
• To adopt one of our rescues, we require a completed application that will be reviewed by the board of directors of SHPS. Once approved to adopt an adoption contract is written between the new family and SHPS which protects the newly adopted furry family member from being sold, given away or dropped off at a county shelter.
• Our needed facility will have the following capability: Hard washable surfaces as we practice extreme cleanliness and our disinfection protocols are state of the art and meet the University of Florida’s Veterinarian School Shelter Medicine Group criteria. We have an intake/quarantine protocol for the first two weeks of the animal’s arrival to make sure an illness is not introduced to otherwise healthy residents of our facility. We also segregate any sick or recovering animals until 2 weeks beyond recovery to cover any length period when the recovered animal could still pass the illness to others. Finally, we have the well puppy and mother dog area where the animals get frequent play time outside.
• We make every effort to get special needs puppies and their moms into foster care in our volunteers homes and prefer to have newborns in foster for at least the first 4-6 weeks of birth, prior to coming to the sanctuary. We welcome all new foster families and no experience is required as we are happy to train and always completely support our critical foster network. You can fill out a foster application by clicking here.
• To keep our puppies and adult dogs healthy, SHPS provides to all its rescues:
1. Vaccines including a series of 3-4 for puppies starting at 6 weeks of age and a single vaccine annually for adult dogs that includes Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvo and Para-Influenza (DAPPV – Combo vaccine)
2. Bordetella (Kennel Cough) vaccine to all dogs and puppies over 6 weeks of age and annually thereafter
3. Rabies shots for all animals over 3 months of age and annually thereafter
4. Regular worming for parasites such as round worms, hookworms, whip worms, tape worms and Coccidia
5. Flea and tick monthly treatments and heart worm preventative starting at 5-6 months and continuing monthly
6. Medically required treatment for Demodex and Sarcoptic types of mange
7. Medically necessary surgery for any injury not treated
8. Medically necessary treatment for illnesses such as bacterial, viral, fungal, rickettsial, allergy, etc.
9. Health checks immediately prior to travel to their new family if they are located outside of Tennessee.
• Spay/Neuter is required for all rescues:
1. Puppies at least 11-12 weeks of age
2. Mother dogs at least 2-3 weeks after weaning pups to give time for milk to dry
3. No animal goes to its new family prior to spay/neuter unless medically necessary due to failure to thrive or other immune compromising condition
4. A normal spay/neuter costs $80 per animal at a sponsored clinic that specializes in this service to shelters, rescues and individuals
• Transport out of State and what is required for crossing state lines:
1. A veterinarian created and signed health certificate done within the last week prior to travel must accompany the animal in order for an individual or a transport company to transport over or across state lines
2. Within the state of Tennessee this health certificate is not required but the SHPS requirement and policy is that we never send a puppy or dog to its new adoptive family unless completely healthy
3. The additional charge of $50 over our adoption fee is required for this necessary health certificate
4. Many transport companies who specialize in moving cats and dogs also require their own forms be completed in addition to the recent health certificate
5. The three transport companies we used are P.E.T.S. LLC, Got Orphans, LLC and Hearts, LLC. We have years of experience with all of these groups and strongly recommend them for all transport needs for cats and dogs. We tend to use P.E.T.S. LLC if they go to a location nearest the adoptive family due to their location right in Cookeville, their ability to house pets overnight at their facility prior to leaving and their on time record. All our recommended transports are extremely clean and treat each pet as their own. Their drivers are responsible and take exceptionally good care of all the animals. All animals travel in very roomy travel crates all equipped with individual hanging stainless steel water mini-buckets for water at all times and due to driving all night – breakfast for all the furry passengers the next morning. We send packets of food with all our rescues so they do not get an upset tummy from an abrupt change in food. Fees for transport range from $140 – $150 per animal per trip depending upon the transport company. If two adopted pets, going to the same family fit comfortably in a single travel crate, there may be a discount depending upon the transport company. It is the responsibility of the new adoptive family to pay for their transport prior to the travel. They all have website but we are happy to help guide the new families through the system.
6. All our transported pets have identification tags on well fitted collars, a leash and in the colder months of the year blankets. Some of the pups have favorite toys or gifts from their foster parents that will be in a separate tote bag with their name on it. A manila envelope, clearly labeled with the animal’s name accompanies each of our transports that contains the health certificate, the full medical record for the specific animal and often a letter from the foster mom about the pet.