Stray Hearts offers reduced holiday adoption fees

Taos' Stray Hearts Animal Shelter is offering special adoption fees through December. 

The adoption fees are $15 for dogs and $10 for cats. The special is a way to kick-off the “Home for the Holidays, Empty the Shelter” campaign. Adoption fees are normally between $35 to $125. 

Included in the adoption fees are the animal's spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchips, and all food and care during their time at the shelter.

“The homeless animal crisis tragically impacts all of Taos County,” said Diane Padoven, acting executive director. “We focus on adoptions and transfers to partnering shelters, but homeless animals are being brought in daily. Most are without tags, collars, microchips or any other form of ID,” Padoven said in a news release. "Our goal is to dramatically reduce the number of animals in the shelter by New Year’s Day. Our aspirational goal is to empty the shelter. That would be a huge gift to the animals and our community.”

Padoven said uncontrolled breeding of dogs and cats, and selling of puppies and kittens online and in stores, contribute to animal homelessness. Animals adopted from shelters are spayed or neutered, completely vaccinated, micro-chipped and health checked by a veterinarian.

The goal for the "Empty the Shelter” campaign is to place at least 30 dogs and 30 cats into "forever homes" before the end of December. Animals available for adoption are viewable on the Stray Heart's website at strayhearts.org. Contact the shelter for specific information about a particular adoptable dog or cat at (575) 758-2981.

Stray Hearts is located at 1200 St Francis Lane.