The Loop Newspaper - Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide

All of us at Have a Heart Humane Society would like to wish all of you and your pets the happiest and healthiest of holidays.

We have had an incredible year, lots of ups and only a few downs.

We haven't set any adoption records, but we have found some wonderful new homes for over 200 pets. We took several dozen cats and dogs from nice folks who found them here in Tehachapi and couldn't keep them, rescued seven dogs at one time (the mom and her 10-month-old pups) from an equipment yard on South St. (the Magnificent 7), rescued 25 pets from our local shelters and found them new homes, and took a few dogs and cats back from their adoptive families when things didn't work out.

The homeless pet situation is starting to change nationwide; people are finally becoming aware of the issues and are doing something about it, like getting their pets altered and microchipping. On Thanksgiving night Cause For Paws aired on TV. The show promoted pet adoption with mega-stars. It was a great show and a milestone for the pet overpopulation problem.

Many pet stores across the country have stopped selling "puppy-mill" dogs and are offering rescue dogs instead. Pet adoption centers are opening in high-traffic, up-scale shopping malls. Some cities, such as Long Beach, Calif., have adopted mandatory spay/neuter laws.

Here in Tehachapi we have a new local vet, Dr. Willis, the owner of Bakersfield's San Joaquin Vet Hospital. Have a Heart works with Dr. Willis to bring all Tehachapi pet owners affordable spay/neuter services via mobile clinics, and we have just begun offering Mini Wednesday Clinics. Pet owners pay $20 for cats and $25 for dogs and the pet is altered, vaccinated against Rabies and microchipped. These services are funded by private donations and grants, not county or tax-payer money, and will continue as long as the funds holds out.

In the spring of 2015, Have a Heart will celebrate the arrival of its "Adoption Mobile", a trailer outfitted with cages inside and wrapped on the outside with our logo, sponsorship names and logos, and pictures of pets. Our intent is to take it to various parking lots around town and host adoption events. A grant from the Bakersfield Californian Foundation is funding the purchase, a grant from the county will pay for the wrap and a grant from ARK will buy the generator.

Have a Heart is developing a strategic plan, and at the top of the list of goals is a no-kill animal shelter for Tehachapi.

A conveniently located shelter would help Tehachapi residents who find pets by giving them a safe place to take the lost animal where it would have a better chance of being found by its owner, or adopted to a new home.

The shelter of our dreams would also have a low cost spay, neuter, vaccinations and microchipping, and many more services that are so badly needed here. The first step is getting the community on board with the project to help us find the right piece of property for the right price, or possibly as a donation.

Have a Heart Humane Society has come a long way since its founding in 2010. We would like to think we are making a positive difference to the residents and the pets of our community. To keep up with our work, to find out about future clinics, please like our Facebook page at: http://facebook.com/haveahearthumanesociety