Supporting Animal Humane New Mexico
Crystal and I have always made giving back to the community that supports Evolution Body Piercing a top priority. Over the years we have been able to support many groups in many ways. School supply drives for local teachers and students in need, clothing and supply drives for Albuquerque shelters, food drives for the Road Runner Food Bank, just to name a few. The growth of Evolution has made it possible for us to donate thousands of dollars to non-profit organizations such as Saranam, an organization dedicated to empowering families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty through housing, education, and support, and The Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, supporting transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming communities through direct services, education, and advocacy. This year when it was time to decide on an organization to financially support while also celebrating 25 amazing years in business, for me, it was obvious. As a volunteer dog walker at the main campus of Animal Humane New Mexico, I’m in a unique position to see what goes on behind the scenes. Literally. And it’s pretty amazing!
Along with other potential outdoor activities throughout the day, all dogs are walked twice daily. Giving them opportunities to walk, run, play, sniff around and get valuable and needed physical contact and attention by a caring human, as well as fresh air and sunshine is critical.
As I begin my typical dog walking shift in the lower kennel I’m not alone. There are other volunteers and many staffers working hard behind the scenes to ensure the health and welfare of the dogs in their care. Some are basically wearing hazmat suits as they clean kennels to prevent the spread of diseases from newly acquired dogs. In a kennel containing a very nervous, insecure, scared dog, you might see a caring volunteer calmly reading to and cuddling its occupant. Others staffers are looking through large binders full of pills, medicines and schedules ensuring all dogs get their required doses at the proper times for many different reasons. Spay, neuter, tail surgeries, eye surgeries, all the way to amputations, when necessary. It’s difficult to explain the joy seeing a 3 legged dog find their forever home after AHNM and its amazing veterinary team has saved their life and given them specialized care for, in many cases, many months.
As I’m walking a dog around the main campus I see amazingly cute small puppies swaddled in clean fluffy blankets being carried by staffers across campus from one building to another. I see specialists patiently working with dogs who may have a wide range of potential behavioral issues. We can only imagine what some of these little souls have endured before arriving on campus. Recently AHNM, working with several other organizations just rescued over 100 Chihuahuas from an awful hoarding situation in southern NM. Over 30 of the dogs came to AHNM main campus. Several have already been adopted, while others will require more care and attention before they are ready to leave.
As I continue walking around campus, I’m always surprised by how many staffers greet and acknowledge individual dogs by name! For a portion of the walk there is a fenced park to allow dogs to run, play, fetch and swim in a small “kiddy pool” in summer months. As I walk past the main adoptions entrance I might see a dog leaving campus on the way to their new home! So satisfying and emotionally fulfilling!
“Big Blue” is the main kennel for the public to come and see adoptable dogs through glass windows. This is where you find the highly motivated and caring adoptions team. This group, comprised of enthusiastic staffers and volunteers, does an amazing job of caring for and showing the public the many adoptable dogs in their care. It is also the where the business of AHNM is conducted. Sometimes when I arrive at a kennel to walk a dog, they are not there. That’s because they are in an office with a staffer or administrator. As I navigate the back office hallways of big blue to find the dog I’m assinged to walk, Dice, I see there are doggy gates on all of them. Every office is set up with dog beds, blankets, toys and usually a dog! The administrators and staffers back here are hard at work in meetings or on phones conducting their business behind the scenes. But they’re not too busy to create a wonderful “being at home” feel for the dogs that are with them. I arrive at the office that has Dice, a 90lb pit-bull. He’s stretched out on his back sleeping on his dog bed. He’s huge, so cute, and so cuddly! He had just undergone treatment for heartworm that was discovered while in their care. AHNM coordinated foster care for him during his successful treatment as he needed attention throughout the day and night. Dice had been surrendered by his owner because his new apartment didn’t allow pit-bulls. AHNM faithfully stood by Dice until he was adopted to his forever home a few weeks ago!
AHNM is a no-kill shelter and they do everything in their power to support and improve the lives of New Mexico’s cats and dogs through sheltering, adoptions, humane education and veterinary services. I was so happy and proud when Crystal and I were able to present them with a check for $5,123.00 raised on Evolution’s 25th Anniversary! If you would like to join me and their amazing team of volunteers, or support AHNM in other ways, visit Animal Humane New Mexico to get involved!
