SANTA CLAWS
Saint Nick makes some very special deliveries in ca(t)hoots with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter
Rita Garcia will be spending this Christmas without a special furry friend that she’s spent the last nine holiday seasons with. But thanks to a kind gesture from her older sister — and a Santa Claus with a specialized gift selection — she has a new companion this year.
Garcia’s female cat, Kitty Cat, got sick over the summer and had to be put down. Garcia, 33, had had the feline for almost 10 years. So Garcia’s elder sister, Melanie Garcia-Abbott, decided to get her a new pet for Christmas.
“She was heartbroken,” Garcia-Abbott said. About 15 years ago, Rita had helped when Melanie lost her own beloved feline and the older sister wanted to return the favor. “She did the same for me, and it helped me,” Melanie said.
Garcia-Abbott knew a new cat would be special, but what if Santa Claus himself delivered it?
And that’s what happened on Thursday, thanks to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter’s Christmas Eve delivery program.
For four years now, the shelter’s adoption manager, Dylan Moore, has dressed up as St. Nick and personally delivered pre-adopted pets to people around Santa Fe. This year, five cats were taken to four different families.
“The director of the shelter (Mary Martin) had been thinking about it for a while as something fun to do for the holidays, and people were a little bit nervous about putting on the big red suit, and going out and being jolly,” Moore said. “One year when we were in a bit of a population crunch, I jokingly said to my director, ‘Heck, I’ll dress up in a suit and drive around in my pickup truck with puppies if it will help.’ It seemed like a really fun thing to do, so we just started doing it.”
Santa, aka Moore, and his elf, Chelsea Gregg, delivered Garcia’s cat to her door off Upper Canyon Road Thursday afternoon. Garcia had no idea the new critter was coming, and burst into tears as soon as she opened the door and saw Moore with her Christmas present. Her sister missed the emotional surprise, but she later said that she loved the joy she saw on her sister’s face.
“I’m happy to see that she’s happy — and we can save a cat,” Garcia-Abbott said. “I’m sad I missed it though.”
Santa got back into his sleigh — a Mercedes Sprinter van — and proceeded to the next house. On the way, several people honked and waved at Moore. It’s not every day that you get to see Santa driving a van.
“What’s really interesting is the non-adopters who wave and come out, and cheer and all that fun stuff,” Moore said. “It’s exciting. I get people who say, ‘Santa, you never come to my neighborhood.’”
Next came Morris
Next on the Nice List was 8-year-old Denise Aragon, who also had no idea she was getting a new companion. She immediately grabbed the male cat, who she inexplicably named Morris, and didn’t put it down. It’s possible that, as of Christmas morn, the cat still hasn’t been on the floor.
Denise’s father, Jose Aragon, said he didn’t know about the Santa Claus delivery program when he went into the shelter to adopt a cat, but he was totally on board when he heard about it. He said this Christmas is one he and his daughter will be talking about for many years.
“She’ll never forget this, ever,” Aragon said. “It will be a Christmas she’ll always remember. Kids get used to Santa dropping off presents in the middle of the night and not actually delivering a present to her. So that’s kind of cool.”
While Morris already has a name, Garcia hadn’t named her female as of Thursday afternoon. She said she has to spend more time with her to figure it out, but what’s the rush? She and her new companion have several years of bonding ahead of them.
“I’m not sure,” Garcia said as the new cat clawed at everything in sight.
“I’ll figure out what her personality is. She’s pretty feisty now.”
‘The Farolito Lounge’
A bigger and more traditional Santa Fe Christmas Eve event came later in the day.
By sunset, hundreds had started congregating on Canyon Road to enjoy the annual Farolito Walk up and down the historic street. At one spot a few yards from Canyon Road, some old high school buddies were continuing their own longtime custom.
Manny Morales, 40, and several friends from the Santa Fe High class of 1993 were gathered at the corner of Corvo and Delgado with a small, welcoming bonfire. They’ve been on this particular corner on Christmas Eve since 2005. Their spot got so popular that they eventually dubbed it the “Farolito Lounge.”
“It’s kind of a childhood tradition we’ve always done,” Morales said. “Christmas Eve and Fiestas are the two holidays we come together, so anyone that’s in town knows to stop by the Farolito Lounge.”
The lounge isn’t exclusive. Morales waved several passersby to come over and warm up by the fire, and he said throngs of people stop by during the night.
“We get some good waves that come in and warm up,” Morales said. “I think, more and more, a lot of people are making time to do the walk and come to this corner because they know so many people are going to stop by and stuff. Whoever is cold