New shelter board member created nonprofit name
Stray Hearts Animal Shelter in Taos has named a new board member.
Kay Kimmel recently joined the board of the nonprofit. She has been a longtime volunteer at Stray Hearts. Officials say she is the person responsible for the name.
Kimmel has a background in accounting and business and is a retired CPA.
Stray Hearts is currently in the midst of hiring a new executive director.
Shelter improvements
Officials at Stray Hearts say that last August, there were 110 dogs housed at the shelter. The shelter only has a capacity for 84 dogs in the rooms and kennels. It meant that 26 dogs were living in outside kennels last summer.
“Thanks to a massive amount of work from staff and volunteers on adoptions and Donna Storch, board member and volunteer transfer coordinator, and her team repairing broken relationships with our transfer partners, as of Nov. 11, we had 74 dogs on-site. Five were transferred the following week, and three have adoptions pending once their [spay/neuter] surgery is completed. Of course, we receive intakes almost daily from animal control or the public, so the net number is remarkable,” officials said.
Stray Hearts said it has also reduced the average length of stay for animals during the past three months — from a 49.5-day average in August to a 24.9-day average in November.
Matching grants
The Fasken Foundation and Paula Fasken recently offered Stray Hearts a $5,000 matching grant. Stray Hearts met the match in late November.
“Thank you, everyone who donated during this challenge match,” officials said. “These donations are critical now, as we are working extra hard to stretch every dollar received.”
Meanwhile, Stray Hearts also received an additional $5,000 anonymous donor match. Every dollar donated through Dec. 31 will be matched up to the $5,000, officials said. The funds from the new match will be used for essential operational items, like veterinary services, spay/neuter surgery, high-quality dog and cat food and maintenance on heaters and furnaces.
