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Submitted by Rick DeReyes, Marketing Manager
When Mayor Martin J. Chávez reorganized Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Department last fall, among the mandates he gave it was to think “outside the box” when it came to everyday approaches including the adopting of pets at offsite locations.
On January 26 and 27, 2008, Animal Welfare tried a different approach for its offsite adoptions - a coordinated interdepartmental effort at a large outside event where it had never before done adoptions on a large scale.
Under the direction of Program Coordinator, James Hallinan and KOB-TV Public Affairs Director, Joan Lucas, Animal Welfare augmented its booth at the Eyewitness News Four Health Fair with several things: up to five dogs roaming the floors of the Manual Lujan Jr. Exhibit Complex where they could mingle with fairgoers and exhibitors alike, several cats inside carriers and a mini-store manned by Vickie Fisher from Albuquerque Kennel Kompadres, the charity arm of Animal Welfare. In reserve and rotated out on a regular basis were several more dogs and cats inside the department’s Spay and Neuter Van parked outside.
The result was a total of eight dogs and six cats adopted during the two day fair with about half the adoptions actually coming from the exhibitors themselves.
While the Department of Animal Welfare plans to continue its long standing tradition of holding mini adopt-a-thons in many other locations it now has coordinated way to handle even larger events where more pets can be shipped in from the Eastside and Westside shelters to meet the demand for adoptable pets.
Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department Director Jeanine Patterson, herself a former organizer of health events for Intel around the world, is challenging employees to find new, better ways of bringing more pets to large and well attended venues.
So during the coming year don’t be surprised if you see adoptable pets at places you never expected to see them - from sporting events to theaters to even your own place of employment!
Submitted by James Hallinan, Animal Welfare Department
The Animals at the Albuquerque Animal Care Centers need you! Become an Animal Volunteer and start saving lives and making new friends. The Volunteer program is extremely flexible and fits every personality and time schedule. Volunteers work as much or as little as they like and never have to make a schedule with us. Great opportunities include dog walking, socializing cats, finding happy homes for animals, bathing, grooming, cleaning, community outreach and helping with special events. A volunteer’s interaction with an animal drastically increases that pet’s chance of finding a happy home. Please call 505-379-9396 to sign up for the next Volunteer Orientation or to learn more about the program visit this website. The homeless dogs and cats of Albuquerque are counting on you!!
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