# Havs with permanent 'HALOs'



## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

HALO has just put out the following update and I thought I'd share it with all of you in case anyone can include these special need Havs in their holiday contributions.

Thanks,

Jill

........

As all of us are aware, the economy is not very stable, the employment 
future is not very stable, the political structure is about to change. We need to inform you of a few things that HALO is doing that you may not be aware of.

Most of our rescued Havanese appear on petfinder.com and find homes within a short time. But there have been some who have not:

Sammy: breeder surrender, born with encephalitis, used as a breeder (can 
you imagine), had a family but the husband didn't like him and would kick him 
out at night where he and his brother would try to stay warm (he lived in 
Chicago). HALO took him about a few years ago. We offered him for adoption but no one came forward and his foster family wanted to care for him so we've made an arrangement where HALO is responsible for his medical and grooming expenses for life.

Pockets: owner surrender. Owner drove from FL to GA and dropped her off, 
not bothering to tell us she became excessively possessive, was a biter, 
became destructive and ran off twice; once she was lost for several weeks. She has some behavior issues and is being kept safe with a friend of HALO but we provide her medical, grooming, food, etc. She also wears a permanent "halo".

Dulce and Kilo: 12-year old male and 9-year old female: owner is facing 
bankruptcy and regretfully needed to surrender his family pets. He obtained 
them from a breeder who needed to get rid of them. HALO worked out an 
arrangement where the family kept the dogs and we are "sponsoring" them. We've had 
them completely vetted (spay for the female), the male had 19 teeth removed 
and the female had 12 teeth removed due to decay plus they are now current on 
all vaccinations and have a year's supply of heartworm preventative, plus 
they will receive regular grooming. Their vet bill including a 20% discount 
came to over $1,200! But they get to stay in their home and the kids get to 
keep their beloved Havanese. HALO has committed to them financially until they 
can get back on their feet (possibly 3 to 5 yrs.).

Recently a 68-year old lady contacted us to surrender her 4-1/2 year old 
male Havanese, Benji. She is facing some health issues and the dog has a 
chronic skin allergy and she was unable to afford his medical expenses. We have him now and are awaiting her decision if she is able to take him back. If not, he will be offered for adoption but we are having him see another 
veterinarian who may possibly have a different form of treatment which maybe the owner can afford. But he could very possibly wear a "halo."

The above situations are ways in which we are "rescuing" Havanese - not by attending dog auctions or buying them out of puppy mills but by caring for their medical needs and keeping them safe. We feel very fortunate that 
financially HALO can do this but it is expensive. The monies spent for the above animals means that much less goes towards buying dogs at auction or out of mills. So we are asking for your help. We'd like to designate a separate fund to draw on for "special care Havanese." We might even be fortunate to receive enough to add another dog or two to this group. But at this point we have decided against it because of the continuing expense. *So if you could help, please send a check made to HALO, Inc., P. O. Box 367, Manteno, IL 60950. Mark on the envelope "Special Care Havs".*

There has been much in the news lately about the newly elected President's 
promise to his daughters for a new puppy. We know you all love your dogs and are thinking that a Havanese would be a great puppy for them - great with kids, non-shedding, hypoallergenic, friendly. And you're right - this breed would be perfect for them and the fact that it would be a puppy mill rescue is even better. But PLEASE DO NOT WRITE AND SUGGEST A HAVANESE. Every time a specific breed gets put into a movie, is featured with a celebrity, or gets any kind of positive media attention, the run is on by the uninformed and uneducated public to get one - and then two months later these dogs end up in rescue. It also creates a demand at pet stores for the breed and we, of course, know that means that the puppy mills increase their breeding to meet the demand. We have more than enough to handle at this time. Let's just keep the Havanese as our own special secret, please.

A little update on our 33 new rescues. All are doing well and are being 
vetted and properly loved and spoiled in their foster homes. We had 2 little 
babies that had to be hospitalized but they are both back home again and 
thriving under their foster moms loving care. Many have pending adoptions but there are still quite a few waiting for their forever homes.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you and your fur-babies!!

Warmly,
Cindy, Pat and Kathi
HALO Havanese Rescue
_www.rescuedhavanese.org_ (http://www.rescuedhavanese.org/)


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