About – Havanese Day

Meet The Pack

LILY LU had an extraordinary life filled with travel and loads of exciting adventures. Introduced to carrier bags of all shapes and sizes at a very early age, she was always up for a brand-new experience, and was born with a zest for FUN that was off the charts!

At barely 16 lbs., our little girl had a personality that could fill an auditorium! Making people laugh and feel good came naturally to her.

Lily got along with everyone – even cats! A very caring and sharing foster sister, she welcomed many a rescue dog into her home with a wide-open heart – spreading the love both here and all the way across rainbow bridge, where there is no doubt, her dedication to saving her friends in shelters and puppy mills continues without paws.

Lily, my beloved…you will live in our hearts forever.

Lily Lu

CLASS OF 2006

Voted most likely to

succeed at stealing hearts

JAN SODERQUIST is an author, photographer, filmmaker, and Founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Havanese Day, Inc.

An internationally published Fine Art photographer for more than three decades, Jan became known for her emotionally expressive portraiture and beautifully hand-colored black-and-white prints. But long before photography became her profession, animals were already shaping the direction of her life.

With a degree in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Massachusetts and years of volunteer work in animal shelters, Jan’s passion for advocacy grew alongside her artistic career. Her work has taken her from coordinating international conferences to protect endangered species, to documenting the wildlife on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker island for a resort guidebook, to fostering shelter dogs in the communities she has lived in.

Today, Jan and her husband and partner, Gareth Rockliffe, channel their creativity and passion for storytelling into books, films, photography, and advocacy projects designed to inspire compassion for animals and encourage meaningful change. Through Havanese Day, they collaborate with shelters, humane societies, and rescue organizations to raise awareness around critical animal welfare issues, and support foster and adoption efforts, while giving a voice to animals that need to be rescued and loved.

Jan and Gareth share their home in Naples, Florida, with their rescue pups, Shep and Sadie, and a feisty but loveable community cat named Tab Hunter – all of whom remind them daily why this work matters so deeply.

To see her photography, visit: Soderquistphoto.com

GARETH ROCKLIFFE is an award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and the Director of Photography and Videography at the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Havanese Day.

Internationally recognized for his soulful landscape photograpy, Gareth’s work has been exhibited throughout the united States and Europe and has received numerous honors, including awards from the Photography Masters Cup and the international Kontinent Awards.

In addition to the films and other animal related advocacy projects he co-creates with his wife and partner, Jan Soderquist, in collaboration with shelters and rescue organizations, he is promoting his most recent project – Contemplations, which combines photography, video, and reflective self-narration, to explore shared human experiences that unite us and foster meaningful conversations.

Through Havanese Day, Gareth and Jan combine visual storytelling with a deep love of animals, hoping to inspire compassion, raise awareness, and encourage action on behalf of animals in need.

Whether through photography, film, or the written word, together, they strive to create meaningful work that fosters kindness for all living beings, and has the power to open hearts and eyes, deepen understanding, and promote positive, lasting change.

Discover his work at: Garethrockliffe.com

Sadie Lynn was rescued the day before she was scheduled to be euthanized at a kill shelter on the east coast of Florida, by Find A Home Give A Home – a local rescue organization where Jan and Gareth do volunteer work.

She came to them with advanced heartworm and debilitating fear that was at a level they had never seen in a dog before. It turns out, Sadie had been severely abused for three years, by not only her previous owners but by two other dogs living in the house with her.

After fostering Sadie for a short time Jan and Gareth adopted her, and through patience and a lot of love, they helped her to overcome her fear and fully trust them.

Now, nearly 9 years young, Sadie is the sweet, playful, and loving dog she always was.

SHEP BLU is the most recent recruit to the pack. Also rescued by Find A Home Give A Home, Shep was a 7-month old puppy when he was shot in the Hillsborro area of Florida on the 4th of July, 2022 for chasing a cat…and left to die by the cruel person who pulled the trigger.

Thanks to a kind and compassionate woman who found him and reported the incident to Domestic Services, Shep was taken to a nearby shelter where he was transported to an emergency veterinary clinic for surgery.

He is now living a full and exciting life with a family who loves him, cared for him throughout his long recovery and ultimately, adopted him. That family is us!

And even though he has lost a front leg because of the traumatic shooting, and now must get around on three, you would never be able to convince this adorable, loveable, and VERY active little guy, that he ever had four!

Why adopt from a shelter?

Because every animal deserves a loving, forever home.

“People who say, ‘money can’t buy you happiness’

have never paid an adoption fee.”

Anonymous

Join Us in Making a Difference

When people connect emotionally to the lives of animals, hearts open, awareness grows, and action follows. Through education, storytelling, and collaboration, we can help create a kinder future for animals everywhere.

Please consider joining us in this life-changing work.

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Address:

701 109th Ave. N Naples, FL 34108

Phone: 239-877-4140

Email: info@havaneseday.com