In September, GiveAndDate hosted its first volunteer event at Animal Haven. We thought hosting a volunteer night would be a great way for our users to meet each other offline in a setting unlike any other singles mixer out there (nothing against singles events!). While the male/female volunteer ratio was a little off that night, volunteers had fun taking part in the everyday operations of this SoHo animal shelter.

Animal Haven is not just your average animal shelter. Rather it’s like the boutique hotel of shelter hospitality. The shelter has a storefront entrance that sells pet necessities and not-so-necessary accessories. All proceeds from the store go directly back to the shelter. Need a fur-trimmed down vest for your pup or a cat nip-infused scratching post for your kitty? Animal Haven is your place. But what’s more inviting than their cute store are the friendly, pet-loving staff. Every time I’ve walked in they've give me a warm welcome and are usually busy admiring a new animal or saying their goodbyes to a cat or dog going home with a new owner. It’s clear that the staff’s dedication runs deep.

We started off the night by cleaning out the kitten’s corrals. Two volunteers helped hold the kittens as two more cleaned up cat food (kittens like to have food fights apparently) and kitty litter. Later we moved on to the dogs -- volunteers walked dogs and helped socialize the more timid puppies. As we wrapped up the evening around 7:30 pm, events at the shelter were just beginning, including a puppy training night and a dog nutrition class. The pet and pet-owner watching was fantastic – a broad range of New Yorkers from a pup-in-purse toting fashionista to a tough guy with a fierce hound. Animal Haven is truly a neighborhood gathering place for animal lovers of all kinds.