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Watermelon Mountain Ranch taking part in clear the shelters event
Almost every kennel had an animal in it at the Cottonwood Mall location.
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Animal shelters are packed right now, and many are participating in the Clear the Shelters event this year.
One familiar shelter in Rio Rancho is taking part.
"We work with Northshore Animal League every year. They do Dogust and also Clear the Shelters for the month of August," Watermelon Mountain Ranch Executive Director Sara Heffern said.
She says as the largest no-kill animal shelter, Northshore helps them reduce their shelter numbers every year. However, even with the events to help, the most difficult animals to find homes for are seniors, bonded pairs, long-term animals and special-needs animals. Heffern added that the trend for dog adoptions have decreased while cat adoptions have increased.
"It's just they're staying with us months longer than normal. Highly adoptable dogs are staying with us longer. Cat adoptions have been great, though. Nationwide trend: Cat adoptions are up, but canine adoptions are down," she explained.
She attributed this to the high-maintenance nature of dogs compared to cats.
Watermelon Mountain Ranch currently has several seniors available for adoption. One bonded pair, Salt and Pepper, are 13 years old.
"Their owner passed away, and and it actually took several days for them to find out that the owner passed away. So they were living in the house by themselves," Heffern said as she embraced the two active canines.
Salt and Pepper expose the fundamental problem shelters are facing: money.
Watermelon Mountain Ranch
"We are getting their dentals done here in the next coming weeks and that's part of the Clear the Shelter stuff is if we can reduce adoption fees and be able to get dogs into homes. Those adoption fees are going to help us pay for $900 in dentals for these two. We have a soft spot in general for our seniors, and there's more funds that are needed for the seniors versus puppies," she said.
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However, Heffern says even the puppies are staying longer than normal.
"We'll have 10-week-old, 11-week old, 12-week-old puppies and nothing. It'll take us weeks to get them adopted," she said.
She added she thinks so many people adopted during COVID, and, when it comes to the senior animals, a select group of people are interested.
"It takes a really special person to be able to want to love something in such a short term because they know it could only be three years. It could only be four years. It might not be as long," she said.
What the ranch needs besides people to adopt is funding and fosters.
"The overpopulation problem right now in shelters is heartbreaking — animals being euthanized at a rate that has never been seen before. Clear the Shelters helps us help those municipal shelters that are doing everything in their power to save lives," she said.
She added that people can help in many ways even if it's not through Watermelon Mountain Ranch.
"Come adopt, and even if people don't adopt from us, that's fine. Adopt, foster, reach out, volunteer ... do anything because their lives are at risk and any little thing means the world to them. It's giving them a second chance," she said.
For Clear the Shelters, adoption fees are waived for any pet people intend to adopt from Aug. 10 to Sept. 10.
The national event was started by NBCUniversal Local, which teams up with hundreds of shelters across the country to host Clear The Shelters every year. According to the website, more than 1 million pets have found their forever homes since 2015.
For more information, visit the cleartheshelters.com.
