Helen Woodward Humane Education Provides the Unconditional Love of Animals to Chabad of Poway Synagogue Shooting Survivor…
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (August 20, 2019) – This Sunday, a very special guest will celebrate her 9th birthday surrounded by family, friends, dignitaries and, perhaps, her very favorite kind of guests of all… animals. Noya Dahn, the youngest shooting survivor in last April’s synagogue attack at the Chabad of Poway, will be celebrating a birthday she came dangerously close to losing. Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Humane Education Program and an impressive group of people and local businesses are all pitching in to make sure it is a birthday to remember. Noya’s party will take place between 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the Pavillion at Helen Woodward Animal Center.
Earlier this year, the world was stunned to learn of the hateful acts of a 19-year-old man who opened fire at Chabad of Poway Synagogue on the last day of Passover. His shooting spree killed a 60-year old woman and injured three others, the youngest being Noya, just 8-years-old. (Noya’s uncle, Almog Dahan, was also injured in the attack.) Noya suffered shrapnel wounds to her leg and face and was treated at a children’s hospital. The incident was not only terrifying to Noya’s family, but disheartening. Her parents had moved to Poway from Israel after they had been injured by rocket fire, hoping to find a safe place to raise their family.
It has been said that love conquers evil and Noya is a shining example of that theory. In an interview televised in April, Noya spoke of being scared but wishing she had been able to help others. The young girl with a beaming smile is a passionate lover of animals and her four siblings.
This Sunday, between 10:00am and 12:30pm, Noya will be the guest of honor at a Helen Woodward Animal Center Critter Camp Birthday Party that will include her entire family and dearest friends, surrounded by fuzzy faces and cuddly critters. Honorary guests will include Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein and California State Senator Brian Jones. Special gifts for Noya will include a gorgeous animal-themed cake from Sugar and Scribe Bakery in La Jolla, as well as passes from The Children’s Museum, The San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, Aqua Adventures – San Diego, and a Gift Basket from Maddie Ziegler & Thank You film.
Helen Woodward Animal Center is incredibly pleased to host this special event for Noya. “The healing power and unconditional love of animals is at the core of everything we believe in at Helen Woodward Animal Center,” explained Center President and CEO Mike Arms. “Animals give us a glimpse into a world that is focused on joy and friendship. It gives me great pleasure to see Noya surrounded by our furry friends.”
To learn more about Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Humane Education Programs, go to: https://animalcenter.org/programs-services/education, or contact Center Education Manager Haylee Blake at (858) 756-4117 x 318.
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About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: www.animalcenter.org.