November 5, 2024:
This is our new Donkey, Julia!
A worker brought her to the Sanctuary a week ago. Julia is incredibly sweet, and loves company. Before we brought her here her hooves hadn’t been properly taken care of, and they grew out far past what is comfortable for her. We immediately trimmed them, and will continue to do. Her coat of hair will be examined by veterinarians, so that its health can be improved.
She now meeting the horses and soaking up sunlight! We give her lots of attention as she was socially deprived. Previously she was even without shelter.
We couldn't be happier to have her in our care!
OCTOBER 26, 2024
More lives saved
Fresh out of the oven! This latest little batch arrived on our doorstep, personalities preceding them! Roly poly, only their hearts are bigger than their rounded puppy bellies. They are heeler mixes who will become wonderful, devoted dogs. Contact Natalie to meet them!
SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
11 Bottle Babies Saved
These eleven newborns were brought to the sanctuary this week from Valencia County. Their mother was a feral dog and unfortunately disappeared leaving her babies to fend for themselves. Natalie and her team are bottle feeding them and so far they are all doing well. If you’d like to help support the sanctuary in its efforts please donate here:
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024
Five More Lives Saved
Puppies! These babies were found in a heap somewhere in Valencia County and taken into a shelter.
They were taken from their mother at far too young an age, only about 2.5 weeks- so young that Natalie had to hand-feed them.
The shelter called Natalie immediately because it had no way of hand-feeding them.
Bottom line is they were taken way too early by someone who just wanted to dispose of them. We are grateful for the chance to give them a second lease on life. They are adorable and adoptable and Natalie says they will be wonderful dogs.
AUGUST 2, 2024
New Sanctuary Resident
Everyone please meet our newest resident, Gracie. She is an approximately 8 month old Barbados Black Belly Sheep who cheated death. She was being kept in a cage and fattened up for butchering by people who intended to eat her. They had set her kill day- twice- and for various reasons never got around to it.
Thankfully, a compassionate person learned of this and managed to obtain custody of Gracie. She was rushed to the vet for an injured front leg- expected to recover fully- and then brought to us on Monday. She is living with our llama, Cass- the two formed a strong, instant bond and are now never apart. Where Cass goes, Gracie goes.
She is incredibly peaceful, gentle, and bright. Please, think of Gracie the next time you consider a lamb chop. Every one of those animals wanted to live and didn’t deserve to die. Gracie is a lucky one Welcome home, little lamb.
JULY 16, 2024
Rescued from the Euthanasia List
The Sanctuary received this six-week-old litter of Labrador mixes yesterday evening from a euthanasia list. They were starving. Natalie reports that they were all standing on their hind legs absolutely screaming for food. Now, they will have brimming bowls, clean, fresh water, and a safe home to gain strength and vibrancy before going out into the world and living long, full, happy lives.
The Sanctuary took in 4 one month old rescued puppies on Saturday, March 16th.
These precious puppies were found in the road with their mom, between Texas and New Mexico. The puppies are doing well, the man who rescued the family is keeping the mother. There are three males and one female puppy. They are available for adoption. Please contact us if you are interested.
Bats of New Mexico: a presentation
SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2022 from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
KIDS WELCOME!
New Mexico is home to 29 native species of bats. Join us to learn about the life, history, behavior, biology, and conservation of this amazing group of mammals. Incredible footage taken in New Mexico will highlight the reproduction and beauty of our native bats.
PRESENTERS Justin Stevenson and Holly Smith have spent a decade working with bats and for bat conservation in the Southwest and nationally. They provide the only bat rehabilitation and rescue in the state. As bat biologists, their goal is to bring more education and conservation to North American bats.
FORMAT For approximately one hour, the presenters will provide a talk, amazing videos, audios, and more.
LOCATION THE HEART AND SOUL ANIMAL SANCTUARY in Glorieta. Road 63A, Fire Gate 74, Franciscan Lane. Call 505-757-6817 for directions.
* NO CHARGE FOR ATTENDANCE *
Santa Fe Community Rallies to Help Sanctuary Save Abandoned Dog
December 2021
A community comes together on only a few hours’ notice to save someone in need. A timely reminder of the plotline of the holiday movie staple It’s a Wonderful Life, and it also happened for real at the Heart and Soul Animal Sanctuary this week. An awesome tale about the immediate coalescing of the Santa Fe community, and a true holiday gift for this dog, her rescuer, and her adopting family.
One evening we received a call from a true Good Samaritan named “Zero.” He had just found a young female dog, a Heeler mix, deep in the Bisti Badlands of northern New Mexico. She was freezing cold and emaciated, shivering and starving. He had to act fast.
His own circumstances made caring for the dog (long term) impossible, but he could not just walk away, either. He contacted Natalie Owings at the Sanctuary for help. We jumped into action and got the word out on social media: immediate foster or adopter needed. In less than 12 hours, more than eighty people responded, at least seven of whom were ready and willing to take our rescued girl into their care.
In the meantime, her rescuer purchased over $100 worth of food for the young pup, dressed her in a warm little hoodie, and drove more than four hours to Santa Fe, delivering her directly to her adopting family. Named “Binti,” the rescued dog joins an older Lab brother (also a rescue) as well as a cat sister in a safe and warm environment that shows great promise as her forever home. The Sanctuary is funding her first visit to the vet as well as her initial vaccines and spaying.
The benefits of fostering are well known. A reliable foster network enables the Sanctuary to save more dogs (and cats!) while they await their forever homes. Providing temporary housing for a rescued pup offers households with pets an opportunity to see if everyone gets along. Even if temporary, a foster home (with or without existing pets) provides often critical, immediate socialization for a rescued pet, whether with other dogs, potential cat siblings, or just a loving human. In Binti’s case, her new mom Ruth said that she had been contemplating adopting another rescue dog when she saw our post. She felt that her intervention was not only necessary but “meant to be.” She also credited Zero for his work, saying that he, not she, was the true hero of the story.
If, as they said in It’s a Wonderful Life, “every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings,” the bells surely were ringing this December, because two human angels got their wings, and a young dog got a second chance at a wonderful life herself. Your support for the Heart and Soul Animal Sanctuary enables it to do everything possible on behalf of rescued dogs like Binti.
Twelve Puppies and Two Pregnant Strays Rescued Because Passersby Acted Quickly
December 2021
The last few weeks of 2021 were extremely busy at the Heart and Soul Animal Sanctuary – with puppies! Believe it or not, many of our rescues are initiated by Good Samaritans: passers-by that see an emaciated, pregnant dog, or two puppies in an abandoned house, or a box with a rock on top of it in an unusual spot or out-of-the way location.
These are real stories in which someone saw something, had a gut feeling, and thought to act immediately.
In late November, two tiny, six-week-old dachshund-mix puppies were found in an abandoned house in Amarillo, TX. Their rescuer drove them over four hours to the safety of the Sanctuary. They resided with us for a few weeks before adoption.
The dachshunds were immediately followed by two seven-week-old female Lab mixes found in a northern New Mexico town – in a closed box with a rock on top of it. Local residents noticed the box and investigated. Upon discovering what was inside, they immediately called the Sanctuary. After spending a few weeks with us, the two little sisters were scooped up and adopted quickly – by two sisters! – resulting in a heartwarming victory for all involved. A new family of four!
Unfortunately, these stories are all too common. A year ago, a rancher on a mesa noticed a closed box, also with a rock on top of it. He looked inside and found seven one-month-0ld puppies. He took all of them to the Sanctuary just in time; in two days they would have perished. Just prior to that, a puppy was found on a nearby country road, similarly in a closed box that seemed out of place given the surroundings. The Sanctuary took this adorable puppy in as well.
Faced with a slightly different set of circumstances, a woman in southern New Mexico called the Sanctuary after finding eight tiny Border Collie mix puppies, only two weeks old, after their mother was killed and one sibling sadly had already passed away. She drove them to our care just before Christmas, and we fed them with syringes until we were confident that they were eating enough on their own.
All eight puppies were scooped up by adopters by the end of the first week in January.
To close out 2021, the Sanctuary participated in the safe rescue of two very pregnant dogs, struggling to survive. Before either gave birth, the Good Samaritan that noticed the dogs, along with a driver hired by the Sanctuary, managed to get both dogs to safety in Colorado, where they and their puppies will find forever homes. Both mother dogs gave birth within two days, and many lives were saved!
If you find yourself in a situation like any of the ones described here, please get in touch with Natalie at the Sanctuary immediately. We will do whatever it takes.