Homeless cats outdoors on winter day. Abandoned animals

Garfield County grants $220,000 to C.A.R.E.

PRESS RELEASE
March 4, 2022

Garfield County has granted $220,000 to Colorado Animal Rescue (C.A.R.E) toward its operations in 2022. The nonprofit provides housing and services for stray and surrendered animals and pets in Garfield County.

In 2021, C.A.R.E. took 775 animals into its shelter, including 221 strays and 271 pets that owners had to give up. It also adopted or placed 629 animals and provided 344 spay/neuter surgeries, serving 1,065 animals overall through all services. C.A.R.E also provided the community with 6,360 pounds of free pet food; vaccinated of microchipped 124 pets at clinics; mailed out 508 free pet identification tags; boarded animals during recent wildfire emergencies; and provided free animal behavior consultations for owners, among other offerings.

Wes Boyd, C.A.R.E. executive director, told the Board of County Commissioners that the nonprofit continues its work with feral cats in the area to keep those populations low and practices socially conscious methods of handling the animals that come to C.A.R.E; just five animals were euthanized at the shelter in 2021.

“Thank you for your 22 years of support,” he said. “We feel quite aligned in the county with the board and our work, and we appreciate it very much. … I’m proud to say that during COVID, we didn’t miss a single day of work. We consider ourselves an essential service in Garfield County.

“Every animal is vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and microchipped before they leave the shelter,” Boyd added.

The grant, which comes from the county’s nonprofit discretionary fund, was previously budgeted for and approved unanimously, 3-0.

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