Dogs & Community in Santa Fe, NM

For those who know me well, or if you follow me on social media, you're aware that I'm a dog lover. I grew up with family dogs in the home and have always felt a deep kinship with dogs of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. My kids were also raised with the same love and access to a fantastic array of four-legged family members from the moment they were born. I always keep a leash and high-value pup treats in my car and my kids would always help me catch and return lost dogs we’d see in our travels. This evolved into a shared love for dog rescue, volunteering for various dog rescues and shelters, and service to communities of people and dogs that need to find each other. This involved walking dogs at shelters, organizing doggy playgroups to help acclimate the dogs to their new lives and fostering. LOTS of fostering. At our home, we fostered over 300 dogs for amazing organizations like Furkid Rescue, ASAP Rescue, Animal Friends, and Barks of Hope in Puerto Rico.

Now both kids are launched into the world and pursuing their own lives and paths. Among the many changes in my life, one constant is my love of dogs and the importance of supporting community organizations on the frontlines of dog rescue, spay/neuter efforts, and adoptions. I was excited to find and start volunteering for an organization in New Mexico called Española Humane, an open-door shelter in Rio Arriba County, NM. Española Humane serves a community of just over 40,000 residents in Rio Arriba County, where approximately 20% of the population lives below the poverty line, which is significantly higher than the roughly 12.4% national average.

I was warmly welcomed by the shelter dog team there, and began exercising and sitting with shelter dogs on my first day. I’ve also started to participate in their community outreach programs. The first event was volunteering for the Santa Fe Pet Parade, which was an absolute blast! Thousands of people lined the streets to watch a very informal parade (which made it awesome) of pet owners, shelters, rescues, and others march a 1.7-mile loop through downtown Santa Fe.

I look forward to continuing to volunteer at the shelter during my time in Santa Fe and to finding other rescues and shelters to volunteer for in my future travels. Do you have travels coming up? Do you have the financial ability to donate to organizations that actually put your money to good use? Find the animal helpers in your community (and the communities you travel to) and support them! Drop me a line if you need help finding good opportunities to do so!

Friends filmed me at my happiest/goofiest during the parade.