Stray Hearts Becomes A Model Shelter During COVID-19
Stray Hearts buckles down with innovative methods.
One morning recently, an employee pulled up to the gate of Stray Hearts Animal Shelter. There, in a cardboard box, were two elderly Shih Tzus huddled together with an envelope marked “donation.” In it was $ 200. Why these two senior dogs were abandoned this way will never be known. Then again, no one at Stray Hearts ever asks.
This one- of- kind, no- kill shelter reunites families with lost pets, gives warm beds to frightened strays, accepts litter after litter of newborns and provides a home for surrendered pets. They do it with warmth, humor, a hard- working staff and a dedicated team of volunteers.
Even during COVID- 19, Stray Hearts has managed to find new ways to serve its community of humans, felines and canines. They’ve expanded a food bank to help those in need, and instituted Trap/ Neuter/ Return and Last Litter programs to curb our rampant pet overpopulation. When appointments at local veterinarians became scarce, Stray Hearts held drive- thru vaccination clinics in their parking lot, bringing almost 300 pets up to date on all their shots.
As need has grown, Stray Hearts has grown. They now care for 1,600 animals every year, and can house up to 200 a day. The shelter receives funds from the town and county, but that only covers one- third of its costs. The remainder must be raised each year from the community. It’s a continual struggle, but the Stray Hearts team is a determined group.
Early this year, when health issues forced an unplanned change in management, the staff buckled down. Employees stepped up into new roles, instituting protocols and behavior modification plans that model the best practices in the animal welfare industry today. It worked so well that Stray Hearts reduced the shelter’s average length of stay by 86%!
When the pandemic forced people indoors, and adoptions skyrocketed across the nation, Stray Hearts doubled down. An August “Clear the Shelters” effort resulted in almost 200 placements – an average of more than six pets going home every day.
Stray Hearts built new partnerships and strengthened old ones to transfer more pets to Colorado, where adoptable pets are needed. And last month, they achieved another first when they accepted 10 dogs from southeastern New Mexico who were scheduled for euthanasia. “That’s something we’d like to be able to do more of,” says Executive Director Donna Karr, “as occupancy allows.”
So what’s next? Stray Hearts is determined to finally bring a collaborative solution to pet overpopulation in Taos County. “Everyone knows we need either a free or low- cost spay and neuter clinic,” says Karr. “We’re determined to make it happen.”
At Stray Hearts, innovative solutions abound. Their whimsical ReTails thrift store and cat café in El Prado both raises money and gives the public an off- site setting to meet and adopt cats.
And now Stray Hearts is bringing that creative spirit to its annual fundraising push. In a year when donations have stalled while demand has increased, Stray Hearts is honoring social distancing with a professionally produced short film that tells the stories of people and animals who overcome odds to find love and comfort in relationships with one another.
Stray Hearts has become a model for shelters across the country, and a leader in the world of animal welfare, setting the standard for humane care. As for those two special needs Shih Tzus? They live in Texas now, where they’re wheeled to the park in a stroller. Yet another success for the Stray Hearts team!
To learn more, go to strayhearts. org.