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Chloe
& Max
& Maverick
SHELTERING PROGRAM
For information about our Pet Food Pantry Please Click
Are you and your pet experiencing one of these temporary crisis situations?
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Hospitalization
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Substance Use Treatment
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Domestic Violence
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Eviction
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Incarceration
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House Fire
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Natural Disasters
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Other Crisis
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Admissions Process
Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering is the only organization in Utah whose mission it is to offer temporary pet care to dogs and cats due to crisis situations. We are run entirely by volunteers. We provide services for individuals going through an unplanned emergency or crisis. We are unable to provide services to people looking for care for their pets because of relocating for work, building a house, traveling, or other situations that are due to personal choice.
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In partnership with Dogs All Day boarding facility in Salt Lake County, Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering provides a safe haven for people in need of temporary sheltering for their pet(s). Our goal is to reunite pets with their people so animals aren't surrendered to local shelters and animal rescues. Our program offers up to 60 days of care.
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Each person in need of temporary foster care is required to fill out an application, which can be found down below. Ruff Haven volunteers carefully screen each application to ensure it meets program requirements. Once reviewed a volunteer will reach out to the applicant to discuss next steps.
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Ruff Haven provides the pet(s) with short-term housing at Dogs All Day, or in a foster home, routine veterinary care and exams, food, and socialization, and exercise. We also provide spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and microchips when needed, free of charge to the owners.
For additional information please check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Eligibility and Requirements
We provide a basic crisis service, keeping your pets healthy and safe, which allows you to be with your pet again in the long-term. Our program is at no-cost to you. We do our best to accommodate frequent visits and other requests, but as we are serving many other pet families, we make decisions based on our overall program needs and availability. This may include temporarily separating your pets from each other, placing them into a foster home where you aren't able to visit frequently, housing them with several other animals (such as our community cat room), etc. If you feel these are not the best options for you or your pet we will direct you to other resources, such as private boarding or social media groups.
Please read the following guidelines before filling out the temporary care application:
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The owner of the animal (or their Power of Attorney) must be able to consent to our services. We are unable to provide services to individuals who are unconscious or cannot communicate with us.
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All animals must be spayed/neutered or be spayed/neutered while in our care (provided by Ruff Haven at no cost to the owner.)
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All animals must be current on vaccinations (rabies, distemper/parvo, bordetella, FVRCP) or be given vaccinations while in our care (covered by Ruff Haven)
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All pet owners must be able to retrieve their pet within 60 days (extensions given on a case-by-case basis)
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Pet owners must have exhausted other potential sheltering resources (family, friends, coworkers, etc.) before applying
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Pet owners receiving medical or substance abuse treatment must be willing to sign a Release of Information (ROI) with the treatment provider
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Pet owners must be available for weekly text or email check-ins (exceptions may include incarceration or treatment requirements)
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If you meet these eligibility guidelines and requirements, please fill out the application below. A Ruff Haven volunteer will contact you within 24 hours. Program space is limited and clients are not always served on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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**All intakes and contacts are by appointment only. Please do not show up to Dogs All Day without an appointment as the staff will not be able to serve you.
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