At the 
Thursday, May 3rd meeting of the Hickory Rotary Club, club member Justin Hartman and his wife Crystal spoke to the group about Hartman’s Haven Dog Rescue.
Crystal became interested in helping with dog rescue shortly after moving to Catawba County in 2007. She started volunteering at the Humane Society of Catawba County, but soon realized nearly all of the animals there were “safe” from being euthanized. The focus then became working with rescues that focused on removing animals from local kill shelters. This decision led to the creation of Hartman’s Haven Dog Rescue, a tax exempt organization under IRS code section 501(C) (3). The state of North Carolina also recognizes Hartman’s Haven Dog Rescue as a non-profit entity.
Hartman’s Haven Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, all-donation-supported rescue for unwanted and homeless dogs (and sometimes cats) in Catawba County. They rescue dogs in need from Catawba County Animal Control. Large breed dogs are their specialty, but they occasionally have other sizes. Hartman’s does not have a shelter and operates solely out of a very small network of foster homes. Rescued dogs are transported to Northeast and Midwest states where tougher spay and neuter laws have limited animal overpopulation.
Hartman’s mission is to make the community a better place for animals and in
return give people the wonderful everlasting companion of an animal by: helping the animals in county animal control facilities and adopting them into caring, responsible homes; providing education; endeavoring to reduce animal overpopulation; and serving as an advocate for animals and being their voice.
In 2010 Hartman’s Haven Dog Rescue was responsible for pulling, placing, moving, and/or fostering 307 dogs. In 2011 the Hartmans helped 676 dogs and 25 cats, an average of just under 60 dogs a month.
For more information or to find out how you can help, visit www.hartmanshaven.org.
