July 3, 2011

Had you asked us what we thought the week would look like at about this time last Sunday, we would not have had any idea that we would have taken in 143 animals in 6 days, 108 of which were evacuees from the Los Alamos/Las Conchas Fire. We also wouldn’t have known how many truly good-hearted animal lovers there are out there. Before this, we had to take weekly inventory to make sure that we had enough food and litter for the coming week, and right now we do not need to worry about that. Our food sheds are full and our animals are comfortably bedded. Volunteers and shelter supporters have come out in force to thank our staff, and while many of you know Lisa, Gretchen or myself, so many of you now know our kennel and reception staff- Jacci, Patty, Mary, Jenna, Jose, Mikey, Sabrina, Dave, Julie and Omar- and have taken the time to thank them personally for their hard work this week. You also now know Linda, who single-handedly orchestrated the movement of 70 animals into foster care and the transfer of nearly 60 of those to other shelters and rescues- and our Barkin’ Boutique staff who have accepted, organized and transported donations to the shelter all week. We are an animal organization, but we are all also people with families and lives of our own (though often they blur together), so your support this week means more than you could ever know. We are all very tired, but we feel very fortunate to have been here for so many happy reunions and without your generosity and compassion, we would not have been able to keep such a positive outlook. Most of the human evacuees were unable to donate towards the care of their animals that we provided this week, as many of them are facing loss of property and business income. However, your continued support through www.evalleyshelter.org/donate has allowed us to offset some of the estimated $120 in cost of care for each evacuated pet. We continue to thank you for your support. Please follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eHumane , where we will regularly post updates on upcoming shelter events, programs and adoptable pets.

Thank you so much and please continue to lend your love and support to our friends and neighbors as they head back home to Los Alamos,
Nina–

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Nina Chiotasso
Community Outreach
Espanola Valley Humane Society
(505) 470 -1278