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NEWS
Santa Fe animal shelter receives $100K anonymous donation
Nonprofit has raised almost $850,000 for 2025 campaign as of Tuesday
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The Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society got a big Christmas present.
On Christmas Eve, the nonprofit posted on Facebook that it received $100,000 from an anonymous donor.
"(The person who gave the check) said, 'Hey, I have $100,000 that I want to give you guys.' Then, it got really quiet because we thought it was maybe a joke or something," Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society spokesperson Lex Gowans said in an interview. "It's not every day that someone comes in and gives us $100,000."
Donations to the shelter of up to $100,000 are matched, according to the shelter's website. As of Tuesday afternoon, the shelter had raised $849,300 during their annual fundraiser — about 35% more than the $627,598 it received a year ago, Gowans said. Their goal is $900,000.
The fundraiser, which began in November, ends Wednesday, she said. Proceeds will go toward operating expenses.
"On average, in 2025, it cost a little over $1,800 to care for one animal and we see thousands that come through our door," she said.
As of Friday, 233 animals were at the humane society — 162 dogs and 71 cats — said Dylan Moore, senior director of shelter operations, in an email.
Founded in 1939, the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society offers accessible spay and neuter programs in an attempt to address, in part, the overpopulation of unwanted dogs and cats.
It also has programs such as Community Assistance for Santa Fe’s Animals that help keep people and their pets together so they never have to make their way into the shelter, Gowans said.
The shelter's 100-acre main campus has walking trails and play yards, as well as single and multiuse public parks, according to its website.
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Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.
