Pay it Forward: Ruff Haven takes care of 'both sides of the leash' with crisis sheltering
(KUTV) A nonprofit takes care of your pets when you need some temporary help.
"We are like a safe haven for not only pets, but their people," said Kristina Pulsipher, president of Ruff Haven.
Their motto is to take care of "both sides of the leash" by providing crisis sheltering for pets.
"We will take them temporarily while their person is basically going through some kind of hardship," said Pulsipher.
Some of those hardships can include homelessness and eviction, hospitalizations, need for substance use treatment, and more.
Steven Thomas took advantage of this service while getting treatment at the VA. His dog, Korra, stayed with Ruff Haven for five weeks.
"I wasn't sure what I was going to be able to do with Korra," he said. "I was worried that I was going to have to give her away."
2News got to come along to witness the sweet reunion between Korra, Thomas, and Korra's original owners Ted and Verlaine Van Horn.
"I am so grateful that they are here," said Thomas. "She's my best friend."
Ruff Haven can keep pets for up to 90 days. The animals stay with foster families or at the Dogs All Day day care, owned by Ruff Haven's vice president Marisa Hernandez. They would love more people to volunteer to be foster homes.
"We're the only organization dedicated to this kind of a pet retention program," Pulsipher said.
While they have the animals, they help with grooming, medical needs, and vaccinations. They also provide weekly contact with the owners.
"Then they can kind of focus on their recovery and their healing," said Pulsipher.
Ruff Haven officially started in June and has kept over 50 animals from being surrendered to shelters.
They run on volunteers and donations so Mountain America Credit Union donated $500 to Ruff Haven to help them take care of the pets.
If you would like to get involved, visit Ruff Haven's website. You can also find them on Facebook.
