BY GINGER YOUNG
FSCA

Friends of Shelter and Companion Animals wants to let everyone know that our Shelter Alumni Calendars for 2025 are now for sale. The calendars sell for $20 at local businesses, and all proceeds will go directly to help the animals through Friends of Shelter and Companion Animals programs.

Pet owners who have adopted a shelter animal or an abandoned or homeless animal have sent in photos and stories about their special companion. The calendars will be for sale at Ridgeview Veterinary Hospital, Pet Pangaea, and at the Los Alamos Co-Op Market. These calendars are attractive spiral-bound 52-week calendars that make great holiday gifts for pet lovers everywhere.

We will kick off our calendar sales at Pet Pangaea on Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30. You can find us there from noon to 4 p.m. We will also be selling the calendars at the Los Alamos Co-Op Market on Saturday Dec. 7 and Saturday Dec. 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And we will be at the special farmer’s market at the White Rock Visitor’s Center on Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friends of Shelter and Companion Animals, a humane organization based in Los Alamos for over 25 years, is working to improve the quality of life for homeless pets and pets and to help pet owners and local rescues. We work closely with local veterinarians, and with other independent rescues and with humane societies. Our program has three major components:

1) a program where we pay for medical expenses for low-income pet owners and

2) a program where we provide access and support for low-cost spay neuter surgeries for low-income pet owners and our pet rescue partners around the state, and

3) an education program to promote responsible pet ownership, including the benefits and importance of spaying/neutering pets.

Friends of Shelter and Companion Animals works year-round to make our two special programs to help pets and pet owners and reduce the number of unwanted pets successful. The Catastrophic Illness/Injury program provides funds for veterinary treatment of severely ill or injured pets whose owners cannot afford extensive treatment. The second program provides vouchers for free spay/neutering of pets, in order to encourage pet owners to make sure that their pets are surgically altered and cannot produce litters of unwanted cats or dogs.

Friends of Shelter and Companion Animals would like to thank our participating veterinary clinics, Ridgeview Veterinary Hospital, Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic, Arroyo Seco Animal Hospital, and the Santa Fe Animal Shelter Spay/Neuter Clinic.