Santa Fe Animal Shelter hosts virtual kitten and puppy shower Sunday. Courtesy/SFAS
The no-kill Santa Fe Animal Shelter prepares for kitten and puppy season. Courtesy/SFAS
SFAS News:
Did you know the Santa Fe Animal Shelter (SFAS) cares for more than 400 puppies and kittens every year, and a majority of them arrive in the spring?
The no-kill shelter is getting ready for kitten and puppy season, and they need everyone’s help with the resources to save all of the animals in need.
This year the SFAS will hold its annual kitten and puppy shower on the shelter’s website and Facebook page, beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 11. The virtual shower “New Hope for New Lives” will focus on all aspects of the shelter’s New Hope program, which handles all the foster families.
New Hope is a unique program that helps find temporary and long-term homes for homeless animals. It specifically supports newborn kittens and puppies, as 75 percent of all fosters are vulnerable newborns.
“Our New Hope department, or foster program, can mean the difference between life and death for neonatal kittens, puppies and other animals requiring special lifesaving care,” said Murad Kirdar, the public relations officer of the shelter.
The event will feature puppy and kitten programming, foster families’ stories, and more, all while raising funds and collecting supplies for their New Hope department.
“Spring is a hectic time of year for animal shelters. That is when we have a large influx of kittens come through our shelter — last year alone, 639 animals of all ages were saved because of the New Hope foster program,” Kirdar said.
“Kitten Season” refers to April through October, typically when many litters of kittens are born. Cats are prolific breeders and can get pregnant as young as 5-months-old and have multiple litters per year.
These kittens are then brought to the shelter. For this reason, the Santa Fe Animal Shelter is asking for kitten-related donations such as Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR), bottles, syringes, and more to prepare for the inevitable influx in intakes.
“This event is vital to our New Hope foster program, so we took the idea of a baby shower and turned it into a kitten and puppy shower. What could be cuter?” Kirdar said.
The virtual “New Hope for New Lives” event will be held on National Pet Day, a nationwide day to celebrate furry friends.
Donations may be made at SFHumaneSociety.org or through Amazon Wish List at bit.ly/ShowerSFAS.
