HERE - the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society

AnimalTracks
spring 2013
Mary Martin, Executive Director
Robert Hernandez, Managing Director
Suzanne Fuqua, Behavior & Training
Director
Monica Gonzalez, Receiving & Licensing
Director
Dr. Jennifer Steketee, Medical Director
Dylan Moore, Adoptions Coordinator
Evelyn Viechec, Development Manager
Dr. J. Tod Obergfell, Spay/Neuter &
Wellness Clinic Veterinarian
Dr. Rick Snook, Veterinarian
Dr. Rebecca Tomasic, Veterinarian
Tom Alexander, Humane Education
Coordinator
AJ Buchanan, Donor Relations
Sue Burnham, Pet Outreach Coordinator
Madison Flanagan, Resale Store Manager,
Look What the Cat Dragged In 2
Sylvie Ward, resale store manager,
Look What the Cat Dragged In
Kelly Moore, New Hope Coordinator
Verna Suina, Bookkeeper
Melissa Perez, Event Coordinator
Ben Swan, Public Information Officer
Board of Directors
Roddey B. Burdine, President
Jan Ballew, Trey Jordan
Vice Presidents
Leta Worthington, Secretary
Laura Parker, Treasurer
Clare Hertel
Bill Johnson
Mary Kehoe
Allene Lapides
Bill Moffett
Carl Trujillo
Newsletter Editor: Ben Swan
Newsletter Design: Janice St. Marie
Printer: Cottonwood Printing
100 Caja del Rio Road
Santa Fe, NM 87507
505-983-4309
www.sfhumanesociety.org
From the Director’s Desk
It Takes Love to Heal
Dear Friends,
It’s been several years since Zavaria passed through our doors, but her story is one
that will always stick with me. The two-year-old “Santa Fe blend” dog came to our
clinic with what appeared to be a superficial wound on her head and a leg injury.
Zavaria’s owner thought maybe his beloved dog had cut herself while digging
under a fence on his La Cienega area property, or, he thought, maybe she had
been struck by a vehicle while loose in the neighborhood. A quick examination
by our veterinarian, however, revealed a much more serious situation: Zavaria had
been hit point-blank in the head with a three-blade hunting arrow and shot in the
back leg with a small-caliber weapon.
Like all animals that come through
our open doors, our clinic staff went to
work, doing what they could with Zavaria’s
shattered back leg and cleaning her head
wound. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to
save her leg, but our clinic staff did save her
life. We met up with Zavaria again recently,
and I’m happy to say that she’s still one of
the sweetest and most loving dogs I’ve met.
The police have never been able to find those
who injured her, but knowing Zavaria is alive
and well-loved is a cherished thought for us.
Those wishes for happy lives for all the
animals in our care are what keep us going,
and we know it’s what you expect from us.
Our veterinary team, led by Dr. Jennifer Steketee, sees hurt, injured or sick
dogs and cats every day of the year. The shelter clinic is a bustling place, and those
who work there recognize the importance of the work they do; they know they
are the only hope for many of their patients.
The clinic staff also knows that we save lives not just by healing the sick
and injured, but by spaying/neutering and vaccinating our region’s homeless
animals. It’s our mission, and one that we hold dear, because we know animal
overpopulation is at the root of animal suffering.
Many of the animals who come through our doors are here for only a brief
moment – some only need the right vaccinations, a bit of grooming and they are
off to their new families. Others, like the ones you will read about in this edition of
Animal Tracks, need much more from us. I am grateful to our compassionate and
highly competent veterinary team because I know that for whatever time animals
are with us, they will be cared for and loved – maybe for the first time in their lives.
Let me thank you on behalf of our clinic, along with all the staff and
volunteers here, for your continued support in making the Santa Fe Animal
Shelter a loving and healing place.
Sincerely,
Mary Martin, Executive Director