Tiny Tim!!

Tiny Tim is one of four in the litter dumped the the Post Office three weeks ago. Now six weeks old but still tiny he is relearning to walk with the help of a wheelchair designed and 3-D printed by our STEM kids. The STEM Program is hosted by The Embudo Valley Library every Saturday morning. (www.embudovalleylibrary.org) When the litter arrived Tim was clearly injured. X-rays at the Arroyo Seco Animal Hospital revealed a broken back, his spine was snapped and will always have a 120° angle right behind his shoulder blades. When he first arrived he could not walk at all. We did not know if he ever would or if he would be paralyzed for life. In the past three weeks he has gained more strength and can almost walk though his right leg is weak. WE will have wheelchair session everyday to try to develop the muscles in the weak leg. Paws crossed that one day he will walk and play like his littermates!

Bonnie + Clyde; How your donations help.

This bonded pair of sweet hound mixes was dumped in Canoncito last week. They were picked up by a wonderful dog loving family who asked us to help find them a good home. Clyde, the smaller one, was thin and we suspected worms. Not generally life threatening, unless they contract Parvo. Puppies with worms have a far greater chance of dying if they get it. Bonnie was bigger and much stronger. Clyde may have been the runt of the litter and he was deeply bonded to Bonnie so we hoped to adopt them out together. The Clyde fell ill. The foster mom called to say he would not come out of the dog house. Wouldn’t eat or drink. We rushed him into the emergency vet for assessment and treatment. We had antibiotics and fluids to give twice a day. In the morning yesterday he was more alert and curled up with Bonnie in the house. By the dinnertime treatment he had taken a very bad turn. When I arrived he appeared to have just died. I rubbed him and starting crying “Noooo!.” Not wanting to upset the foster family I stopped to collect my composure. As I came out of the dog house Clyde picked up his head and groaned. I immediately gave him his injection and called the on-call vet. We rushed him in and started fluids. He would be warm and safe at the vet but we didn’t have great expectations as he was so sick. As I was leaving he was trying to sit up. Then tried to stand but couldn’t keep his balance. I stroked him and told him I loved him and to hang in, I’d see him in the morning. He took his last breath sometime during the night. RIP sweet Clyde you were loved by all who met you.

We are monitoring both Bonnie and a DAPS puppy who is too young to be fully immunized. So far both are healthy but we won’t be in the clear for another week. Your donations help us with treatments for these dogs. Bonnie and Clyde did not deserve the treatment and potential illness to which free roaming, unvaccinated puppies are susceptible. We have resources for unwanted puppies; Two shelters, transport to Colorado if they can’t be adopted locally, and local adoption through social media. There is no excuse for this abuse. Clearly we need to do more to connect with the owners who find themselves in a position where they feel all they can do is dump their unwanted puppies and hope they find their way to DAPS.

If you would like to help us continue our work with a donation, please go to the Donate page.

Fundraiser in Memory of Little Fella

Little Fella joined the DAPS family two years ago when his owner Rene Disbrow, a much loved member of our community, manager at the coop, incredibly talented artist and animal rescuer, passed away unexpectedly. Once he came here it was clear he didn’t feel well. Poor little guy had a mouth full of abscesses! And was suffering from what appeared to be glaucoma. He had 15 teeth removed (little dogs often retain most of their baby teeth so he had almost twice as many as he should have!), and was put on antibiotics. He was soon back to his spunky self. We went to the Ophthalmological specialist and it was determined that the eye pressure was from the massive oral infection and his eye were fine! He had two years of good health and love when he suddenly became ill. He was old, we don’t know how old but we guess around 16. His kidneys were failing and he had massive gallstones. It was time to let him go. We hope he and Rene had a tearful happy reunion on the other side. If you would like to donate in his memory it will help pay his medical bills and those of others in need.

https://www.gofundme.com/in-memory-of-little-fella

Hey Dude!!

On Monday March forth a young man from Taos was driving through Rinconada. He stopped before going into the canyon, possibly to take a call as we loose coverage in the canyon, and his 5 month old puppy “Dude” jumped out of his truck! I happened to see his post on Facebook and knew I had seen the little guy in Embudo on my way back from Espanola. I put out the word to look for him and had calls and posts from other dog loving locals that they had also seen him in Embudo. We have an email list serve called The Town-Crier (thank you Lou! ) which is invaluable for getting information out to the community. Dude was posted. But I heard nothing. For 3 days I went in search in Embudo, left food, fielded calls for sightings but still no one had picked him up. There was a road crew working south of the sightings dropping Jersey Barriers to catch falling rocks along the highway. They had seen the dog too! One worker had just seen the dog go down behind a friend’s house and the dog was limping. An injured puppy didn’t have a great chance of survival so I went searching. No sign of him anywhere. Then a friend in Rinconada called to say a dog that fit the description in the Town-Crier post had been at their farm for a few days. That was near where he jumped out of the truck! My heart soared! The friend asked for a photo to be sure it was him. (That led to a discussion of hyperlinks, one of which had been included in the post. But that is another story.) He looked at the photo while we were still on the phone and said he was pretty sure it was the same puppy. It was now Friday so this little dog had been on his own for four full days! We needed to get him! I asked that food be put out to keep the puppy from starving and to keep him close by. I called his owner to connect with my farm friends and little Dude was reunited on Saturday morning. We stopped on our way home Saturday afternoon so I could meet this tough little pup. Sometimes it truly takes a village!

Low Cost Spay and Neuter is up again! Can you help get it passed?

Once again the low cost spay/neuter bill is active! We need this to pass this time! Currently the NM group is looking for key contacts. If interested please email Jennifer Rabinowitz at animaltalkradio@gmail.com or (505) 629-5371. I will post updates as they become available here, the DAPS FB page, and website.

https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/19%20Regular/bills/house/HB0053.html

You can follow them on FB at https://www.facebook.com/groups/239025683202193/

if not familiar with the bill the link shows the success in Maryland with the same program. Virginia and Maine have also enacted the same bill.

https://mda.maryland.gov/spay_neuter_pro…/pages/default.aspx

Meet Wyatt!

Wyatt is the lone survivor or possibly loan pup of a momma dog we rescued. He will be 8 weeks on Monday 10/8 and ready for a furever home! He is a big sweet boy! Possibly Shepherd or Husky mix, or Heeler or all of them! A true Northern New Mexico Trail Mix! If you have a fenced yard, the means to care for a dog, and are ready for a new furry friend call or email; 505-579-9628 or DoggieStyles@DAPSNM.org

Baby Girl found 100 miles from home.

This is "Baby Girl" with me. She lives in Utah, we are in New Mexico. She was visiting with her owner and was stolen from a yard 30 minutes to the north, from where I live. She was most likely dumped in our area shortly after being stolen. The owner searched for her for 2 weeks and only found her collar. He needed to get back to Utah and left believing he would never see his beautiful Baby Girl again. Unknown to him she had wandered onto the property of a dog loving local and he fell in love with Baby Girl. Lucky for her to find a great place to land. She arrived dehydrated and starving. He fed and watered her and decided to keep her. (This is against County Ordinance but we suspect most people don't understand what they are required to do if they find a lost dog here. We're working on that!) She stayed with him for two weeks then headed on down the road, literally.  Again choosing to hang at the home of dog friendly people-smart girl! But these folks knew to call us. They too loved this sweet girl but have two dogs and couldn't keep her. Jeannie Cornelius, our Executive Director and I headed over to scan her to see if she might have a chip. We would also bring her back to our foster kennel on my property. Sure enough she has a Home Again chip! I immediately called and the owner was beside himself, sure he had lost her forever! He can't get back to New Mexico until the weekend so she'll stay here for a few weeks, but not in the kennel! She is great with other dogs and is inside with "the Littles" as we call them, until her owner arrives. Another wonderful reunion story thanks to microchipping!

UPDATE: The day before Baby Girl was to be reunited we received a text that the owner could not keep her due to a move to care for an ill brother in another state. The apartment complex does not allow dogs and his parents are to elderly to care for this large, young, energetic girl. We immediately placed a post in out local email list serve saying she was available. We would only consider exceptional homes for this exceptional pup. The man who had cared for her when she was first dumped in Dixon called to beg that he keep her! He was head over heels for this beauty! He lacks the required fenced yard but is currently putting one up! In the meantime we loaned him a 10 x 10 kennel so she is safe when he is not at home. She gets a daily walk, has two dog siblings, one of whom is very old but plays like a puppy when she is around, and sleeps inside on her own soft bed. Having her adopted locally gives us the opportunity to check in on her and assist when needed. She is one lucky dog!

A puzzling story

This is a story I have wanted to tell but my writing time is currently being spent on my Book "The Dog Days of Dixon" so here's the short version. Jeannie (DAPS" Ex. Dir.) was opening the weekly mail and found a personal letter that she assumed was a donation from one of our regulars. She didn't recognize the return address but found it was indeed a donation. Jim and Judy  are avid jigsaw puzzlers who pass the time during the cold Chicago winter doing puzzles. Their daughter has lived in New Mexico and they so enjoyed their visits here that they purchased the Springbok Route 66 Series puzzle, of our beloved Gas Station Museum in Embudo, online.  (Springbok has produced a series of puzzles with locations of interest along route 66.)  When they finished the puzzle they noticed a little box, with a sign on it, dead center in the puzzle image. It reads "Donations accepted on behalf of the Dixon Animal Protection Society." Johnnie doesn't charge admission to his astonishing museum but accepts donations and during the holiday presents DAPS with his annual gift. The museum is an amazing collection of antique gas station paraphernalia. And I do mean amazing! Room after room filled to the brim. If you are ever in the area it is a must visit! So, back to Jim and Judy; when they finished the puzzle they, being animal lovers themselves, looked us up when they saw the donation box in the puzzle. How cool is that?! We didn't know this puzzle existed or that Johnnie carried them. He happened upon the puzzle at Hobby Lobby one day not knowing that one of the many photographers who had visited over the years apparently sold a photo to Springbok! That sure took him buy surprise!  And so did our generous donation from Chicago!  Gratitude to Johnnie and Springbok!  

The donation box in its current location.

And a close up of the puzzle. 

The Tail of Two pups.

We have a found Chihuahua Mix from the Peñasco area. If this is your pup or you recognize this sweetie please call DASP 505-579-9628

President Judy Pearson was alerted by Board Member Jennifer G. of a dog in Velarde that appeared to have been hit by a car early this morning. She is a young Shepherd/Rotty mix. We were unable to approach without causing further injury to her broken hip or pelvis so we called Animal Control. Thanks to Ishmael at AC she is at the shelter and should recover fully. The photo is of Judy attempting to approach very cautiously. 

Spring has sprung and so have the cats!

We are current.y trapping cats all over Dixon! We don't know if these babies are just coming out with the warmth of Spring or if some have been dropped here in the last couple of months but we are attempting to trap them and get them into the shelter program.  The Española Humane Society has a barn cat program for feral and semi-feral cats.  We hope to get all of these cats in for spay and neuter before we see the spring kittens arriving.

Time to say Goodbye

Miss Kitty, an old feral cat that has called Jeannie's house home for the last 14+ years is leaving us. Miss Kitty has never let anyone touch her but she was well loved by the canine kids. Mimzy in particular. Mimz would lick Miss Kitty while she purred sweet contentment.  Lately she has allowed us to get close but this is one feral who has remained so, and still, it is hard to say goodbye.  She was a beautiful calico. She has had a presence in the house. But could usually be found hiding behind the fridge. At night she would come one and talk, sometimes very loudly! She often seemed to be calling Bob. Bob is Jeannie's husband. Nights will now be quiet, too quiet. Safe passage Miss Kitty!

New Legislation to Fund Spay/Neuter!

Have a look and sign the APNM petition if you are in favor! We could really use this funding to reduce the number of unwanted pets! Spay and Neuter also help keep pets healthy!

https://apnm.salsalabs.org/spayneuter

HOUSE BILL 64

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Carl Trujillo and Debbie A. Rodella

AN ACT

RELATING TO ANIMALS; IMPOSING AN ADDITIONAL FEE ON PET FOOD FOR DOGS AND CATS TO FUND THE DOG AND CAT SPAY AND NEUTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE ANIMAL SHELTERING ACT; ESTABLISHING A HOUSEHOLD INCOME LEVEL FOR ASSISTANCE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 61-14-7.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2017, Chapter 44, Section 3) is amended to read:

     "61-14-7.1. ANIMAL SHELTERING COMMITTEE--DUTIES.--The sheltering committee shall:

          A. develop a voluntary statewide dog and cat spay and neuter program in conjunction with animal shelters and euthanasia agencies;

          B. develop criteria for individuals, [nonprofit organizations] groups, animal shelters and euthanasia agencies to receive assistance for dog and cat [sterilization] spaying and neutering from the animal care and facility fund; provided that assistance to individuals and groups may only be given to individuals who have, or to groups who shall only provide assistance to service recipients who have, a household income that does not exceed two hundred percent of the current federal poverty level guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services. When developing these criteria, the committee shall ensure that not more than sixty percent of the services go to programs in class A counties; and

          C. recommend to the board the disbursements of money from the animal care and facility fund to qualifying individuals, [nonprofit organizations] groups, animal shelters and euthanasia agencies."

     SECTION 2. Section 77-1B-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2007, Chapter 60, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:

     "77-1B-4. ANIMAL CARE AND FACILITY FUND CREATED-- ADMINISTRATION.--

          A. The "animal care and facility fund" is created in the state treasury. All fees collected pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act shall be deposited in the fund.

          B. The animal care and facility fund shall consist of money collected by the board pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act; income from investment of the fund; and money appropriated to the fund or accruing to it through fees or administrative penalties, cooperative research agreements, income, gifts, grants, donations, bequests, sales of promotional items, handbooks or educational materials or any other source. Money in the fund shall not be transferred to another fund or encumbered or expended except for expenditures authorized pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act.

          C. Money in the fund is appropriated by the legislature to the board to be used to help animal shelters and communities defray the cost of implementing the board's initiatives conducted pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act. The fund shall be administered by the board to carry out the purposes of the Animal Sheltering Act.

          D. The "statewide spay and neuter subaccount" is established in the animal care and facility fund. Money in the subaccount shall only be used to carry out the board's dog and cat [sterilization] spay and neuter assistance program and for the reasonable costs of administering the Animal Sheltering Act, not to exceed seven and one-half percent of the total fees collected pursuant to the provisions of Section 5 of this 2018 act. Money collected pursuant to Section 7-2-30.9 NMSA 1978, [and] Section 66-3-424.3 NMSA 1978 and Section 5 of this 2018 act shall be deposited in the subaccount.

          E. A disbursement from the fund shall be made only upon a warrant drawn by the secretary of finance and administration pursuant to a voucher signed by the executive director of the board or the director's designee with the approval of the majority of the board with consideration of the recommendation of a majority of the animal sheltering committee.

          F. Unexpended and unencumbered balances in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund."

     SECTION 3. Section 77-1B-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2007, Chapter 60, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:

     "77-1B-5. BOARD POWERS AND DUTIES.--The board shall:

          A. adopt infrastructure and operating standards and may enforce those standards with consideration of the recommendations by the animal sheltering committee;

          B. provide for inspections of animal shelters and euthanasia agencies;

          C. provide for oversight, including oversight of licensing requirements, regulations and discipline, of veterinarians employed by local government animal shelters;

          D. adopt methods and procedures acceptable for conducting emergency field euthanasia;

          E. adopt, promulgate and revise rules necessary to carry out the provisions of the Animal Sheltering Act;

          F. have authority to issue licenses and certificates pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act;

          G. establish the types of licenses and certificates that may be issued pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act and establish criteria for issuing the licenses and certificates;

          H. prescribe standards and approve curricula for educational programs that will be used to train and prepare persons for licensure or certification pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act;

          I. implement continuing education requirements for licensees and certificate holders pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act;

          J. conduct administrative hearings upon charges relating to violations of provisions of the Animal Sheltering Act or rules adopted pursuant to that act in accordance with the Uniform Licensing Act;

          K. provide for all examinations and for issuance and renewal of licenses and certificates;

          L. establish fees not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150) for licenses and certificates pursuant to the Animal Sheltering Act;

          M. establish committees as the board deems necessary to effect the provisions of the Animal Sheltering Act;

          N. apply for injunctive relief to enforce the provisions of the Animal Sheltering Act;

          O. conduct national criminal background checks on applicants seeking licensure or certification under the Animal Sheltering Act;

          P. keep a record of all proceedings;

          Q. make an annual report to the legislature, including information on the total number of dogs and cats spayed and neutered and the average costs per surgery paid for from the statewide spay and neuter subaccount of the animal care and facility fund;

          R. provide for the inspection of animal shelters and euthanasia agencies;

          S. develop mechanisms to address complaints of misconduct at animal shelters and euthanasia agencies and noncompliance with the provisions of the Animal Sheltering Act or rules adopted pursuant to that act;

          T. develop mechanisms to address complaints of licensee and certificate holder misconduct and noncompliance;

          U. adopt standards for maintaining records concerning health care and disposition of animals; and

          V. refer to the published national association of shelter veterinarians standards in determining its regulations for animal shelters and euthanasia agencies."

     SECTION 4. Section 76-19A-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2013, Chapter 23, Section 1) is amended to read:

     "76-19A-1. SHORT TITLE.--[This act] Chapter 76, Article 19A NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "New Mexico Commercial Feed Act"."

     SECTION 5. A new section of the New Mexico Commercial Feed Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] SPAY AND NEUTER PROGRAM FEE.--

          A. Except as provided in Subsection B of this section, in addition to the registration fee required pursuant to Section 76-19A-10 NMSA 1978, the department shall collect a fee of one hundred dollars ($100) on each brand name or product name of pet food that is distributed in New Mexico.

          B. The provisions of Subsection A of this section do not apply in cases of:

                (1) prescription diet pet food prescribed by a veterinarian; or

                (2) pet food manufactured by a person who demonstrates to the board, in a manner prescribed by the board, that the person's tax-year annual gross revenue from the distribution of pet food is no more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

          C. The fee collected pursuant to Subsection A of this section shall be deposited with the state treasurer and credited to the statewide spay and neuter subaccount of the animal care and facility fund."

     SECTION 6. DELAYED REPEAL.--Section 5 of this act is repealed effective July 1, 2028.

     SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2018.

Isaac's Story

This is Isaac. He lives in Seattle. His Grandparents have a summer home here and support our cause. Isaac is 15. On his 9th birthday he asked that people not give him any presents. Instead he wanted them to make a donation to DAPS!  Each summer when he comes to visit he gets together with Jeannie and presents her with his birthday donations. A remarkable young man!  Thank you Isaac!

Wow! Busy times!

We had a little dog nearly mauled to death by two big dogs. One of the Jennifers on our board happened to see the big dogs attack! Though she is not very big she has a big voice! She yelled at the dogs to let go and they did! She called me to evaluate his wounds and it was clear he needed immediate attention. Little Perro looks like a mini pitbull. So cute, sweet and funny!  He was dumped a while back, fully vetted and healthy, just a little thin. After he was mauled he spent a night at the vet hospital and came into foster care with drains in a deep bite on his right flank. It didn't slow him down for long! Last week I removed the sutures that were required after the drains were removed. He is still in foster care and doing well.

Kittens, kittens, kittens!!  We had to purchase more traps (donations are more than welcome!) for all of the feral kittens we have to catch! Between Dixon and Velarde we have 4 sites!  We are so grateful for the help from local residents in trapping and feeding all of these babies. One litter is already adopted! The mom, though feral, is very sweet and calm. We believe she was a house cat that ran off. We are looking to find her previous owner before putting her up for adoption.  The other litters are feral and will go to the shelter for socializing, shots and spay/neuter. From there they will either be adopted out as pets or barn cats depending on temperament.

just a note that this photo is not sideways, the kitten is!

Momma Bailey is home!

After the puppies went to Colorado Puppy Rescue Bailey was taken tot he vet for spay. Last week she developed an infection behind the incision. A round of antibiotics and daily cleanings had the infection on the run very quickly. I removed her sutures without incident yesterday so she went home today!! She was so happy to see her mom Alicia and brother Julio (not pictured). Our next task is to get Julio in for neuter. As cute as his puppies were we don't want more in the neighborhood.

All Puppies adopted!

We adopted one here in NM to a wonderful dog home in Angel Fire. The other pups went to Colorado puppy rescue and either adopted out on Saturday, 6 of the 7 were. The final pup, Mescal the shy girl will be in the adoption event today.  We hope she gets a great home that has some patience for her shyness. She will blossom once in a home without all the other pups!

Snakes Alive!!

We have been seeing numerous rattle snakes of late! Both Prairie and Diamond Back. Keep pets safe and away from venomous snakes. If they are bitten give Benedryl 1mg/lb of body weight and get to the vet asap!! Try to identify the type of snake so they can give the correct anti-venom. Taos Vet has anti-venom. 575-758-7310.  Taos Vet and Salazar Vet cover after hours emergencies. Call 575-770-3687 if you need assistance after regular hours.

Rough Summer here

We have seen many hit by cars and it is a bad Parvovirus year. Distemper too. They do seem to come in waves though we haven't seen much of either in years past.  All of our traps are out for feral cats. Seeing lots of those too! The puppies are scheduled for transfer to a puppy rescue in CO! They are now 9 weeks, super sweet and getting big!  First vaccines done thanks to our fabulous local vet Dr. Kim! We have 2 Dr. Kims we work with and both out of Salazar Vet in Taos. Kim H. lives here in Dixon and is a godsend! We continue with educating and promoting spay and neuter to keep the unwanted puppy/kitten populations down but it is an uphill battle! At least the ones we save are healthy and will be in good homes where spay/neuter is required. It is a huge undertaking to feed and raise 8 large breed pups! Any donations are so gratefully accepted. Please go to our donate page and give what you can. The puppies say "Thanks!"

Wonderful article about puppies and your mood!

click on"SOURCE" below the photo to load the article!