Week of 3/13/11 Humane Happenings

Eliana with Cowboy after his rescue from a dumpster

by Eliana Aubin

This past week, an incident happened that made us realize that some folks in Sierra County seem to be unaware or oblivious to the fact that there is a place where these individuals can – no questions asked and totally free of charge to them –drop-off a dog or cat they cannot care for, whether that animal is their own or one that they found wandering on a street, in their neighborhood or in the countryside.

The place is SIERRA ANIMAL SHELTER. It is a modern, clean, privately owned business located on Date Street. The building is adjacent to Hot Springs Animal Clinic, a business that is also privately owned and by the same entity. Through its contracts with the City of T or C, Elephant Butte and the entire county of Sierra, including both Elephant Butte and Caballo state parks, Sierra Animal Shelter is funded by S.C. Taxpayers and it operates as the official city & county animal shelter.

Consequently, anyone with a dog or cat he or she no longer want for whatever reason should bring the unwanted animal to Sierra Animal Shelter. There is absolutely no charge to that individual. Abandoning a dog, a cat or any other companion animal on the side of a road, near the river, in some neighborhood, in the middle of the desert or anywhere in Sierra County, is sentencing that animal to a life of misery until death by exposure, starvation, dehydration, or being eaten, often alive, by other animals. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to abandon an unwanted animal in any other way than to drop him or her off at the local animal shelter: Sierra Animal Shelter on Date Street.

The elderly, handicapped Miniature Pinscher recently found still alive inside the dumpster located at Rotary Park in downtown T or C could have just as easily been dropped off at Sierra Animal Shelter. Instead, his owner sentenced him to die a sure and painful death. It was truly a miracle that the little guy was rescued. The little dog’s owner text messaged us:”Look my mother saw your ad up at bullocks about Cowboy. I’m the owner so please take your ad down”. He added: ”He’s very old and blind and deaf. He has a lot of health problems including severe arthritis and he’s in a lot of pain all the time”. The man’s signature: “Donknow doncare” tells it all.

Any information on Cowboy’s owner? Call 575-894-2639. Contact us at 575-894-2778 or 740-4100. Write us at POB 638 Williamsburg, NM 87942. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com. Meet us at www.Facebook/com/deserthaven.