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- Ruff Haven provides short-term pet shelter for individuals in crisis situations.
- The shelter allows pet owners to seek treatment without surrendering their pets.
- Fit to Recovery collaborates with Ruff Haven, offering dog-walking classes for recovery participants.
SALT LAKE CITY — Right as we speak, somewhere between 60 and 70 pets are saving their humans' lives, and they may not even know it.
But their humans do. So do the people at Ruff Haven, a crisis sheltering spot for pets.
By providing the pets shelter, Ruff Haven allows the pets' humans the chance to seek chemotherapy, attend in-patient recovery programs, receive protection in a domestic violence shelter, or navigate through whatever crisis they may need to address without worrying about what to do with their furry or feathered loved ones.
"We're an organization that tries to keep pets and their families together," said Kristina Pulsipher, co-executive director and co-founder of Ruff Haven. "Pets are an important part of these families, and they want to keep them safe."
In the past, anyone considering going to an in-patient rehabilitation program for substance abuse or was suggested by an oncologist to receive in-patient treatment in a hospital had to decide between accepting the lifesaving help or staying home with their pets, if there was no one else to watch them. Recovery program staff have said that giving their pets to an animal shelter is an option in theory but is more feared than viewed as a real choice.
The Ruff Haven founders saw the need for a short-term sheltering option — including for those who did not and would not go to a domestic violence shelter or a rehab program if it meant getting rid of their pet. By June 2020, they opened their doors for these sheltering needs, the only location in the state to offer such services.
With time, leadership added other needed programs, such as pet vaccine injections and a pet food pantry. However, providing shelter for pets with humans experiencing crises has been and continues to be their main focus.
The programs are free and offer stays of up to 90 days for the pets. Currently, cats, dogs and a rabbit make the Ruff Haven shelter their home for the time being. Staff said the number of pets in the shelter ranges between 60 and 70 and has also included birds and hamsters in the past.
Pulsipher said Ruff Haven sees itself as part of the local recovery community, building a network with others in that space, especially Fit to Recovery, a program in their neighborhood.
Fit to Recovery is an action-based substance abuse recovery program that centers on four themes: fitness, nutrition, service and creative arts. Classes and other activities, such as open mic nights and various exercise and cooking programs, take place all week long, providing attendees with an opportunity to build a clean and sober social network.
Staff at Fit to Recovery enjoy any work with Ruff Haven due to their commitment to the recovery community, they said, and are looking forward to future projects together.
They will not have to wait long.
Starting Wednesday, members of Fit to Recovery will participate in what they are calling a "walking class," a chance to walk the dogs from Ruff Haven at Liberty Park, giving them a chance to get some human socialization and exercise. Walkers will also benefit from giving back to a program and also exercising.
"A lot of people in recovery want to give back," said Vickie Shaw, executive director for Fit to Recovery. "What we do, we've seen it work ... so we're excited to work with (Ruff Haven)."
If you are interested in learning more about Ruff Haven, visit www.ruffhaven.org. To learn more about the substance abuse recovery fitness, nutrition and art classes at Fit to Recovery, visit fit2recover.org.
