After 20 months of operating Safe Haven's no-kill shelter and adoption services, Peninsula Friends of Animals is beginning the second phase of their plans-providing lifetime care for cats whose owners have died, and temporary care for cats whose owners find themselves in emergency situations.

Plans are being drawn for a new structure to be built on the 34-acre site off U.S. Hwy. 101 near Barr Road. Their goal is to raise the money within the next two years and have the new building operating by the end of 2008. The new structure will house offices and the new cat adoption center while the existing two-story, 4,600-square-foot home, which has served as a temporary adoption center, will then house the cats in "lifetime care" in addition to the cats needing temporary emergency shelter.

"Providing such a shelter and service will cost at least $500,000, and we intend to raise most of it in the community," says Janet Harker, a founding member of Peninsula Friends of Animals. There are also limited funds available for capital improvements from various animal foundations, she says.

The need for these additional services exists on the Olympic Peninsula.

"There is a great demand for lifetime care for cats," Harker says, adding that such homes across the country are filled to capacity with long waiting lists, and PFOA has had frequent inquiries ever since they've been in existence.

The group is especially aware of the importance for older members in the community to have a reliable, caring place for their cats to go if the owners should die or enter a nursing home. Family members, if they exist, can't always be counted on, and there is no guarantee of a happy outcome for a beloved pet if taken to a public shelter.

"This uncertainty weighs heavily on the minds of our senior citizens," Harker says.

In addition to the lifetime care program, where owners make financial arrangements before the need arises, PFOA will offer temporary emergency care for cat owners in difficult situations, such as losing their homes to fire, sudden hospitalizations or dealing with abusive relationships, all of which the organization has dealt with in the past. Normally, battered-women's shelters won't take animals, so many women stay in abusive relationships in order to avoid abandoning pets to a dangerous or indifferent spouse.

"It is similar to recent hurricane tragedies where many pet owners refuse to leave their homes because there is no place for their pets to go," she says.

Peninsula Friends of Animals board members are confident that they will get the community support they need, demonstrated by the success of previous fundraising efforts such as the 2004 and 2005 calendars, and the cookbook just published.

"We believe many of our supporters will be pleased to contribute generously to such a major, permanent project which will help pets and their owners for generations," Harker says.

While PFOA is best known for its spay/neuter and adoption services, having placed more than 490 animals into homes since it was formed, they also provide several other important kinds of assistance.

Their low-cost and free spay/neuter clinics and assistance have been extremely important to low-income pet owners, and heavily utilized. They also provide emergency medical assistance, have an emergency pet food bank, and have an active feral cat spay/neuter/return program.

The new building and services are intended to round out PFOA's ability to address the complete range of the community's pet-related needs.

Contributions to the building fund can offer both deferred and immediate tax advantages to donors; interested parties should contact their lawyers or call Peninsula Friends of Animals message line at 360-452-0414 for more information.

'A Purr-fectly Wonderful Cookbook' has 140 pages, 275 recipes, 7 sections, and 21 treat recipes for pets.

'A Purr-fectly Wonderful Cookbook' kicks off Peninsula Friends of Animals' 2005-06 fundraiser in conjunction with the announcement of the second phase of their no-kill shelter, Safe Haven. The new building, slated to open in 2008, will house the adoptable cats and kittens, leaving the existing renovated building available for the new "lifetime care" program plus a temporary emergency shelter for cats.

Peninsula Friends of Animals operates entirely on private donations, grants, and fundraising. This is their first cookbook for sale and all recipes were submitted by members and their friends.

Some recipes feature local Pacific Northwest ingredients such as Dungeness Crab and salmon, apples, zucchini and other locally grown delights. Categories include brunch, appetizers, soups & salads, main dishes, vegetables, breads, rolls, pastries, desserts, cakes, cookies, snacks, treats, drinks, and a special section for pets with items like Doggy Banana Bones, Frosty Paws, and Kitty Crunchies. Special recipes for the youngsters, or the young at heart, include a Jell-O Aquarium treat and Kids' Eeu-Wee Kitty Litter Cake, both 100 per cent deliciously edible.

The private, nonprofit organization opened Safe Haven, located half way between Port Angeles and Sequim, in February 2004, and can shelter up to 65 cats and kittens awaiting adoption. The group also provides low-cost and free spay/neuter clinics and assistance to low-income pet owners, provide emergency medical assistance, run an emergency pet food bank, and have an active feral cat spay/neuter/return program.

A Purr-fectly Wonderful Cookbook sells for $12 (no tax) at the following locations:

In Port Angeles: