June 22 – As the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society celebrates its 85th anniversary, more and more pets continue to arrive.
Dylan Moore, senior director of shelter operations, said the shelter has been operating at full capacity since early 2021, a struggle many animal shelters have shared in recent years. It’s often not a matter of having the capacity, Moore said, but a matter of “how far over capacity are we?”
To help ease the tension, the shelter is hosting a two-week “85 for 85” adoption event, with the goal of having 85 pets adopted at discounted rates through June 30. The event started on Monday.
“We have been a fixture in the Santa Fe community for years,” Moore said. “So we’re celebrating our longevity and hoping to get some thoughts and eyes on adoptable animals.”
The adoption event will conclude on June 30 with a party at the shelter, 100 Caja del Rio Road.
During the event, the adoption fee is $8 for puppies and kittens and $5 for adults. At the party, from 2pm to 4pm on June 30, all fees will be waived.
Typical shelter adoption rates vary. Sometimes waived for animals that have been at the shelter for an extended period of time, while the fee for high-demand puppies can be as high as $250. Moore said the higher rates for animals that find homes quickly are used to help older animals and animals with special needs needs to support those spending more time in the shelter.
This “85 for 85” initiative comes amid a peak shooting season. Between Monday and Thursday afternoon, Moore said, the shelter had adopted out 22 cats and 17 dogs, an increase of about 20% from the same period last year.
Moore, who has worked at the shelter for 13 years, said one of her greatest points of pride is achieving no-kill status, which means a 90% or higher animal rescue rate, where only animals face irreparable medical problems or serious problems. behavioral problems account for the 10% or less that are euthanized.
According to data from the Best Friends Animal Society, 17 of New Mexico’s 45 shelters are no-kill shelters.
Moore said other accomplishments include the strength of the shelter’s community, the continuation of the stray cat release program and the expansion of services through the opening of the behavior center and Thaw Animal Hospital.
“There has been a lot of growth in my 13 years, and I’m proud of that,” Moore said.
The shelter has also faced challenges in recent years.
In 2023, the shelter faced declining donations, the resignation of then-CEO Jack Hagerman, the resignation and return of four board members, and criticism and concerns about shelter policy.
The two most notable criticisms were the ending of the trap release program and the implementation of a Capacity for Care model that many said discouraged people from bringing animals to the shelter.
Board Chair Sheila Vaughn told The New Mexican in January that new and hybrid policies would be developed and that the search for a permanent CEO had begun. The shelter has not yet announced a new leader.
The anniversary party on June 30 will include food, drinks, music and games, as well as a prize for the winner of a drawing. Community members can enter the drawing by stopping by the shelter during the adoption period and participating in a scavenger hunt. The winner will receive a bundle of pet care gift cards.
A win for the shelter is getting as many pets into good homes as possible.
“We have a lot of great pets. If you are looking to adopt a dog, now is a great time to adopt because we have a lot to choose from,” Moore said. From lap dogs and cats to walking companions, mouse-catching cats and pets with life stories both awe-inspiring and tragic, there is a pet for everyone, he noted.
