Jun. 22—As the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society marks its 85th anniversary, it continues to see rising numbers of pets come through its doors.
Dylan Moore, senior director of shelter operations, said the facility has been at full capacity since early 2021, a struggle shared by many animal shelters in recent years. It’s often not a question of being at capacity, Moore said, but a question of “how far over capacity are we?”
To help alleviate the strain, the shelter is holding a two-week “85 for 85” adoption event, with a goal of seeing 85 pets adopted through June 30 at reduced rates. The event kicked off Monday.
“We’ve been a fixture in the Santa Fe community for many years,” Moore said. “So, we’re celebrating our longevity and hoping to get thoughts and eyes on adoptable animals.”
The adoption event will conclude June 30 with a party at the shelter, 100 Caja del Rio Road.
During the event, adoption fees are $8 for puppies and kittens and $5 for adult animals. All fees will be waived at the party, from 2 to 4 p.m. June 30.
The shelter’s typical adoption rates vary. Fees are sometimes waived for animals that have been at the shelter for long periods, while the rate for in-demand puppies can go up to $250. Moore said the higher rates for animals that quickly find homes are used to support older and special needs animals that spend more time at the shelter.
This “85 for 85” initiative comes amid a heavy intake season. Between Monday and midday Thursday, Moore said, the shelter had adopted out 22 cats and 17 dogs, about a 20% increase over the same time period last year.
Moore, who has been with the shelter for 13 years, said one of its biggest points of pride is achieving no-kill status, which means meeting a rate of 90% or higher of saving animals, with only those experiencing unrecoverable medical issues or serious behavioral issues accounting for the 10% or less that are euthanized.
According to data from the Best Friends Animal Society, there are 17 no-kill animal shelters in New Mexico out of 45 total shelters.
Moore said other accomplishments include the strength of the shelter’s fostering community, the continuation of its trap-neuter-release program for stray cats and the expansion of services through openings of its behavior center and Thaw Animal Hospital.
“There’s been a lot of growth in my 13 years, and I’m proud of all of it,” Moore said.
The shelter also has dealt with challenges in recent years.
In 2023, the shelter faced donation declines, the resignation of then-CEO Jack Hagerman, the resignation and return of four board members, and criticisms and concerns regarding shelter policies.
The two most notable criticisms concerned putting a pause on the shelter’s trap-neuter-release program and implementing a Capacity for Care model that many said discouraged people from bringing animals to the shelter.
Board Chairwoman 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 June 30 anniversary party will include food, beverages, 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 event period and participating in a scavenger hunt. The winner will receive a bundle of animal care gift cards.
A win for the shelter is getting as many pets into good homes as possible.
“We’ve got a ton of great pets. If you’re looking to adopt a dog, now’s a great time to adopt because we’ve got lots to choose from,” Moore said. From lap dogs and cats to hiking companions, mouse-catching cats and pets with both awe-inspiring and tragic life stories — there is an animal companion for everyone, he noted.
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