Española Humane annual event returns with matching fundraiser

This year’s Fur Fest will kick off on Thursday, Aug. 5, with $100,000 in matching funds thanks to eight generous donors of Española Humane.

The virtual event, which will live-stream at 7 p.m. on www.espanolahumane.org, is a tribute to the foster families who stepped up during covid to help more animals than ever before. The fundraiser, dubbed Fostering Our Future, follows the stories of several homeless pets and their foster families who nurtured their charges through adoption.

“We’ve always relied on foster volunteers to expand our capacity and help during difficult times,” said Bridget Lindquist, the shelter’s director, who will emcee the event. “We felt the love of unprecedented fostering support during the pandemic, and that support has grown even stronger this year. It’s time we acknowledged these heroes for who they truly are – superheroes who hide their capes well.”

During the pandemic, foster families grew from 128 to 202 volunteers, each fostering an average of five pets. Many foster animals are healthy and just need a safe and loving place to wait for their adopter. Newborn kittens and puppies need a few weeks to grow old enough for adoption. Other pets are senior or hospice and require extra time and medical care.

“Our goal is for pets to spend no more than a day or two at the shelter before getting into a foster home,” Lindquist said. “No matter how comfortable or loving the shelter, a kennel can never compare to a home. Dogs and cats are much more relaxed, much happier in a foster home where they receive one-on-one attention.”

It’s much harder to manage hundreds of animals in foster homes rather than under one roof, at the shelter. Española Humane must coordinate medical, behavioral and adoption support for each foster family. Yet the team believes it’s worth the added expense and coordination time because animals are healthier and happier.

That’s why fundraisers such as the Fur Fest are so critical, Lindquist noted.

“For every dollar donated, it will be doubled to help twice as many animals,” she said. The fundraising goal of $100,000 will help support not just the foster program but the shelter’s other lifesaving animal-welfare programs that benefit the pets and people of northern Santa Fe and Rio Arriba counties and neighboring pueblo communities of Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, and Ohkay Owingeh.

The virtual presentation is a true celebration of the shelter’s work in the region. And there’s a guarantee of lots of puppy and kitten footage. “This is a time for us to let everyone know just how appreciative we are of their support – we are grateful for our Española Humane family, which includes all our furry friends.”

Fur Fest corporate sponsors include La Fonda, Century Bank, Nusenda, Abigail Davidson, UltiMED, Merck, Flow Science, Loren Teate/Edward Jones and Enterprise Bank. Other individual supporters and their loving pets are featured on the website and during the presentation.

The need for volunteer foster parents remains strong. For more information about the Fur Fest, fostering, and other ways you can help, visit www.espanolahumane.org.