Dear Editor:
Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary of Sussex County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing a No-Kill environment for abandoned and abused cats and dogs in Sussex County, Delaware.
The process of building an animal sanctuary is a long and arduous one. We have been working toward the goal of building a no-kill sanctuary in Sussex County since we were formed in 2004. In 2005, we purchased 13 acres of undeveloped land off Shingle Point Road between Georgetown and Milton. Since then, we have been steadily working to clear and prepare the land, create and refine our engineering plans, raise funding and obtain permits. This has resulted in six years of steady progress toward our goal. Multimillion dollar facilities such as ours do not fall out of the sky. In the current economy, the job is especially tough. Thousands of dedicated, animal loving volunteers have donated countless hours and assistance to get us this far. According to the ASPCA, it typically takes an established organization five to eight years to build a new shelter.
Recently, we have been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a Rural Development loan. This amazing opportunity will allow us to hire a general contractor to begin construction as soon as possible.
We expect construction to take approximately 10 months, depending on the weather. We will continue to look to the public to support this project during and after construction with donations and volunteer efforts.
In addition to our main focus of working toward building at our site, we have helped some cat groups financially in the past. We feel it necessary at this time to clarify that we are not a foundation set up to support other groups – our mission is to build the sanctuary and operate it once we open. In 2008, we organized our own Spay/Neuter clinics. It is Safe Haven's policy not to send a sick animal for spay or neuter, and we advise the pet caretakers we work with to do the same. We have also transported homeless dogs to a shelter in New England where they were adopted. In 2009 we started a Pet Food Pantry program to help get donated food into the hands of those who need it. This year we started an Emergency Medical Fund for animals in our care with severe medical issues.
As a true No-Kill organization, Safe Haven is committed to making sure that all the animals we take responsibility for, and use our donors' funds for, receive the best treatment and chance to live.
