Contact Governor Bill Richardson at Office of the Governor, 490
Old Santa Fe Trail, Room 400, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Contact Rep. Edward Sandoval, who is the chair of the Taxation and
Revenue Committee at P.O. Box 630, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

In addition, contact your elected officials:
 Rep. Paul Bandy (505) 334-0865
Rep. Ray Begay (505) 368-4192
 Rep. James Strickler (505) 327-3190
Rep. Tom Taylor (505) 325-8941
Sen. Steve Neville (505) 327-5450
Sen. Bill Sharer (505) 325-5055

Let them know you support a new regional animal shelter. Write your
own personalized letter or use the one provided and mail it to your
representative c/o State Capital Building, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Here is the letter in document form that you can mail.  Shelter Letter.doc

This is a brochure in PDF format that we have been distributing in our local area.  SupportFlyer.PDF

Below is the content of the letter we would like you send:

Dear

I am writing to let you know that I strongly support the initiative for a new regional animal shelter to be built in the Farmington area. Farmington’s current shelter, built in the 1970s, is far too small and outdated to handle the many animals that come in daily. The shelter is Aztec is also severely overtaxed. Bloomfield has no shelter and there is no permanent shelter in Shiprock.

There are currently some 125,000 residents in San Juan County, and based on the national average of 2.25 animals per household, there are approximately 100,000 animals in the county. In 2005, the Farmington shelter alone took in 8,600 animals. Of these, 79 percent, or 6,800 were euthanized. Many, many of these were healthy, adoptable dogs and cats, including mothers with newly born litters.

Our community shelters simply cannot handle the deluge of lost, surrendered, and abandoned companion animals that come through the doors each day. Overcrowded conditions hamper good care, impede adoptions, increase the risk of spreading disease, and force euthanization of healthy adoptable companion animals.

San Juan County is growing. More people mean more pets. More pets to be lost, surrendered, and abandoned. More pets in need of a second chance. A new, regional animal shelter is not the single solution to the problems of pet overpopulation that we face. However, it is an integral part of the solution. Ensuring that the pets that come into the city and county’s care receive humane treatment is the right thing to do and a new shelter is necessary for that to happen.

I ask you to support the proposed new shelter, both in principle and in fact. I ask you to support requests for funds to construct and maintain this facility. Community shelter professionals, the Shelter Task Force, and local nonprofit animal welfare organizations can provide you with information. If you have not done so, visit the shelters and see for yourself the obstacles that the staffs face in trying to care for the animals.

I support the new regional shelter initiative and I ask that you do the same. How we, as a community, provide for the lost, abandoned, and surrendered companion animals that come into our care speaks volumes about how we provide for others who “cannot speak for themselves”.

Sincerely,