Ready for the fall? Forget the cooler temperatures and odd sightings of Zozobra. Animal-welfare groups are gearing up for a busy season after the doldrums of summer.

That means a lot of special events to empty out crowded kennels and fabulous galas to entice animal-welfare supporters. Summers are typically slow for adoptions at area animal shelters, which unfortunately translates to a backlog of wonderful dogs and cats just waiting for a home.

The Santa Fe Animal Shelter has a busy lineup of off-site adoptions, as well as an ongoing special of $20 for dogs and cats 6 months and older. They all come spayed or neutered and vaccinated. Microchipping and licensing fees are extra.

And if you don't feel like driving out to the shelter, the off-site adoption center, All Fur Friends, 2570 Camino Entrada, offers a "boutique" line of critters. There are also several other off-site adoption events, including the Sept. 10 event at Santa Fe Greenhouse, which always includes adoptable animals as a part of its anniversary celebration.

Several animal-welfare groups will be a part of the North Shore Animal League's cross-country adoption tour Sept. 11 at PetSmart on Zafarano Drive. The "Get Your Licks on Route 66" adoption tour, which has included a Santa Fe stop since its founding three years ago, covers the entire Route 66 stretch from Illinois to California. The tour, which finishes in New York City, aims to raise awareness of the importance of adopting a pet from a shelter.

One adopted dog will be featured in an issue of FIDO Friendly magazine, which partners with the Animal League on the tour.

Several of the same local groups will be represented the following week, Sept. 24, for New Mexico's Week for the Animals, a statewide event that also focuses on adoptions. The local joint adoption event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24 at PetSmart.

Tickets are still available for the Santa Fe Animal Shelter's largest annual fundraiser, the Barkin' Ball, set for Sept. 17 at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. The gala, which features an impressive array of silent-auction items, a buffet dinner, the parade of pets and Nashville recording artist Brad Lee Schroeder, is one of the few where pets are encouraged to attend. Animals and their human companions usually get into the Western theme with big hats, big belts and "cow-dog" attitude.

Tickets are $75 and are available by calling 983-4309, ext. 202.

The Española Valley Humane Society's fall gala is dubbed Sangria Sunset this year. It's set for Sept. 29 at the Terrace at La Fonda and features sangria, music, tapas, auctions and, of course, views of Santa Fe. Tickets are $65 and available from the group's website, www.evalleyshelter.org. The ticket price increases to $75 after Sept. 15.


Some people think we overdo it with our pets. We spoil them, cuddle them, and love them like children. But for many of us, it's because they're our best friends.

When I started this column more than three years ago, it was that animal-human bond that I wanted to celebrate. I covered ballroom dancing with canines, abused and neglected critters, told you how to best dress your pet for the holidays, offered tales of abandoned animals who needed homes, and tips about the health and safety of companion animals.

During my first year on Scoop, as my elder dog, Beta, began her slow descent, I shared with you my grief and heartbreak as she passed. You in turn offered your own stories and photos — and a few meaningful gifts — that helped me carry on.

I had a simple goal in mind with my animal stories: Every act of kindness, no matter what species it's aimed at, eases a burden and makes our brief time here so much more pleasant. I often took author Temple Grandin's words as my guiding principle: "Animals make us human."

As my role at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter shifts from special projects to being a voice for the shelter as public information officer, I'm retiring from writing this column for The New Mexican. It's time for me to focus on Northern New Mexico's largest animal shelter and working on our mission of reducing animal suffering by curbing overpopulation, teaching compassion and supporting healthy relationships between people and animals. It's a lofty goal, but one that each and every one of us at the shelter believes in.

I'll still continue writing about animal-welfare issues, but you'll see them in different forms, perhaps on the Shelter's website, Facebook page, or in Animal Tracks, the Shelter's newsletter. I hope you'll tune it every month as Mary Charlotte Domandi and I talk animal welfare on KSFR's Santa Fe Radio Café. And you never know — I might even squeeze in a few stories here and there in print.

I'm excited about the plans that The New Mexican has for Scoop. You'll continue to see animal-welfare issues covered in a timely and compassionate manner. You might even be asked to submit photos of your own furry friends for this page. News about events and issues will always be welcome.

My guiding principles remain the same as I make this leap further into animal welfare — ease the burdens the animals face. I know in that, at the very least, we'll remain connected. I've had a wonderful time learning and writing about animal-welfare issues, and on behalf of the animals who do indeed make us human, I thank you all for your support.