San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society

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Our Story

The San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society is the largest animal welfare organization in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Since 2000, with minimal resources, the SLVAWS has rescued and found homes for over 9,000 abandoned, abused, needy, or suffering creatures. The Society's mission is to improve the well-being of animals in the San Luis Valley, the poorest region of Colorado, through rescue efforts, educational programs, and regularly scheduled spay/neuter clinics. The SLVAWS networks with shelters across Colorado and northern New Mexico to rescue animals that would otherwise be euthanized. In 2006, Aileen and Frank Peek mortgaged their home to purchase the current Battle Mountain shelter facility. The shelter buildings still need additional retrofitting to help reduce the huge utility costs and to accommodate more animals. Thanks to generous grants from the Animal Assistance Foundation in Denver, the SLVAWS dogs are housed in state of the art Mason kennels. Due to a shortage of animal adopters in the San Luis Valley, pet adoption fairs are held each Saturday in Colorado Springs to take advantage of the much larger pool of potential adopters. Every Saturday, Aileen and a driver endure a sometimes grueling 22-hour day, as they leave before dawn and return sometimes after midnight if they have a van breakdown. As with all animal welfare organizations, the obstacles are great, but the remote, rural shelter location of the SLVAWS increases the challenges. Some of the greatest challenges include: • Distance to veterinary care • Difficulty hosting fundraisers in a high poverty region • Lack of shelter Internet access makes communication harder • Constant need to educate the local population on spay/neuter and humane treatment of animals • Lack of support from the local community • Lack of reliable labor pool • Few adoptions at the shelter facility • Lack of widespread name recognition The SLVAWS is primarily funded through adoption fees. For each animal the Society places in a loving, permanent home, another animal can be rescued. Donations of time, talent, money and supplies are greatly appreciated. The Society's team is especially grateful for veterinary assistance and donations of veterinary supplies. For more information, please contact the San Luis Valley Animal Welfare Society as follows: Email: [email protected] Phone: 719-587-9663. Colorado Springs pet adoptions are held every Saturday from 10am to 4pm at Petco, 5020 N. Nevada Petco, University Village. Thank you for your interest and support! Please note: This page is maintained by SLVAWS volunteers. Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the SLVAWS founders or board of directors.