FALL 2001/WINTER 2002 NEWSLETTER

Ringing in the New Year...Our Mama goats (Suzie Q, Priscilla, Jill, Vicky, Losac, Chewey and Snoobie) brought some babies into the world and we're happy to report that already two of them have been adopted out to good homes. Take a peek at one of the new additions, Elsie, our LaMancha goat, pictured on the back of the newsletter. Suzie Q with her baby
She's being bottle-fed formula and kept in the house, as she was born with a bad cold and her mom wasn't able to nurse her properly. (As a means of controlling the population, it is our policy here at the Double D Bar Ranch to neuter the male goats and lambs.)
Another new arrival this year... a much needed Bobcat
(pictured left) generously donated to the farm through the kindness of a benefactor from Nassau County. This machine will be a tremendous help to Rich in cleaning the pens and paddocks. And we received word that a company will donate sand so we can implement it into the horses and pig pens to prevent flooding of their areas, which is a constant problem in the rainy season.

Thanks to our thoughtful neighbors... Waldbaum's Supermarket in West Babylon and the SCM Bakery in Patchogue have allowed us to pick up any food that is unsold by the end of the business day. This little extra help is always appreciated, not only by us, but by the goats, sheep and deer (the bread is like a candy treat for them!!!) And the pigs just love the fruits and veggies. Norman, Pearl and Lucky (pictured on our inside fold) also send a special thanks for their Pinky & Porky treats, too!!!

Mid February... we took in a young female peacock, we are not yet sure if she is an India Blue or a China Jade. We missed the peacocks it has been almost a year since we have had one at the haven. We also took in a very beautiful Golden Pheasant. His body is a brilliant red while his crest is a bright yellow. He is something to be seen. We are going to see if we can get a good picture of him to put into our next newsletter.

This is a picture of some of the deer on the day that we had our one snowfall in January. All are doing well.

We would also like to thank all our generous contributors for their donations over the holidays. I fully intend to send each and every one of you a personal note...one of these days!!!!! (We're low on volunteers in the winter months and so Rich and I don't get much of a chance to spend indoors in the computer room. Hopefully, as the weather warms up, we'll get some volunteers to help with the chores.)

On our Wish List..We are in need of materials to build a cattery. Many of our cats have had to be housed indoors and space is all too limited, so we are reaching out in behalf of our furry friends who would indeed enjoy the freedom of a larger living area. A special thanks goes out to S.A.V.E.S. (Spay and Vaccinate Every Stray) who has helped us so much with low-cost neutering and spaying of our feral cats. We are grateful for the assistance of the wonderful people in this organization.

Upcoming Plans/Events...
This spring we plan to enlarge the goat pen so that we may separate the mild mannered goats
from the more aggressive ones, so everyone will get the proper feed. We would like to build a better duck pond.

April 7...All Saint's Church of Great Neck will have the Blessing of the Animals and we have again been invited back to join in this wonderful event.
April 20...St. Joseph School in Ronkonkoma is having a craft fair where we will have some of the animals.
May... date not yet determined... Antique Car Show at the Center Moriches High School. We will send separate fliers about this fund raiser as soon as we get all the details together.
Fall 2002...Either a golf tournament or a Wine Tasting Event is in the making, we will also
keep you apprised of this event.

The little bull, Lucky still has his good fortune, but is hardly little these days! He's very playful and sometimes likes to head butt, but he's a good boy and seems to understand when we tell him he is a little too big for that china shop. Norman, Pearl & Lucky

The 2 horses that we took in for the SPCA last March are now up for adoption. Their pictures are below. The Dun according to the SPCA is 14 years old, the dentist thinks he is a bit older, maybe 18 years. He is over 15.2 hands tall (one hand = 4 1/8") but seems much bigger. He is broad backed and will make someone an excellent trail horse or possibly a good barrel horse. The appaloosa is 14 hands tall and is a real character. You tie him to a rail to groom him and he unties the lead line. They are a lot of fun. They are now healthy and hearty. We may have a home for the appaloosa, but the Dun is still available. If you are interested in adopting him please contact us. He is a beautiful animal and has a wonderful temperament.

The Sponsor a Pet program is off to a good start...due in part, to the Kidsday article on The Haven in Newsday on February 10. A big, warm thanks with hugs to the children who worked so hard on the article - they did a great job! We still, however, have so many animals that need to be sponsored and/or adopted - keep spreading the word.

Some of The Haven's "fans have asked us about fundraisers, as a means to reach our goals and objectives. We would, therefore, welcome any suggestions or ideas any of you may have to assist us in our funding efforts to keep our organization up and running.
Services:
*** Adoption Clinic
*** Sponsor A Pet Program
*** Volunteer Program
Elsie Says Hello Too!!

With your help we look forward to a new
and exciting year. Thank you.

We also need volunteers to help us to feed the animals, and to help clean up after all the animals on a daily basis.