It’s no secret that Durango is dog friendly; our furry companions accompany hikes, swim in our rivers and lakes, and take strolls along the Animas River Trail. We are lucky to have amazing local organizations focused on finding forever homes for animals who wind up in their care as well as stores filled with food, toys, and treats!
Parker’s Animal Rescue
Even prior to 2012 when Lisa Parker fell in love with Granite - a 65 pound pitbull mix at a gas station in Arizona, her passion for dogs needed to be shared! In 2014, Lisa opened Lisa Parker’s Puppies. Now called Parker’s Animal Rescue (PAR), this local non-profit strives to rescue, foster, and find permanent homes for dogs and cats in Durango and the Four Corners area. The education on spay/neutering and training are the guiding principles to her business, foster homes, volunteers, and create successful transitions from a foster home to a forever home.
The PAR adoption process starts by filling out a detailed application so they can assure a successful and long-lasting relationship. Once you’ve found a dog that feels like a good match, you’ll schedule a call with a PAR representative and then schedule a meet and greet with the sweet furball. If everything goes well, you can purchase the required items and come ready for the adoption within the following 24 hours! The PAR adoption fee includes spay/neuter, vaccines, chip, dewormer, and two group classes.
If you’re not in the market for a new best friend, but still want to help out the organization, providing a foster home for puppies, food, pet supplies, volunteering, and monetary donations are always appreciated. With over 300 success stories available to brighten your day on their website, the PAR program truly works in finding deserving dogs forever homes. They even host a Friday Puppy Party each week from 2 - 4 at their Durango headquarters.
La Plata County Humane Society
Durango is proud to have the La Plata County Humane Society as our area’s shelter for dogs, cats, and other small animals. This independent, non-profit organization has been servicing the animal and people community since 1971. Their mission aims to provide shelter, sustenance, and safety for animals as well as educating the community on humane animal treatment and preventing pet overpopulation. They achieve these goals by housing and readying about 3,000 animals for adoption every year and providing many services to pet owners like spay/neutering, vaccines, pet licensing, training classes, end-of-life, and lost and found.
Employees, volunteers, and fosters spend their days taking care of these dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and livestock. The shelter holds fun events to fundraise, and the thrift store next door directly supports the organization. Donations for the thrift store, financial contributions, and pet supplies are greatly appreciated and truly enables them to continue their work.
Caring for Your Animals
Prior to adopting or while searching for a new home, make sure you are familiar with the neighborhood or HOA rules on having pets. While some areas allow for horses, cows, and many other animals, other subdivisions may not allow any.
Durango has many locally owned and operated pet supply stores that provide everything from food and toys to dog washes and day cares. With many local hiking trails to explore on horseback and a large, off leash dog park in town, there is plenty to do with your furry friends!
With our own Parker’s Animas Rescue and Human Society adoptees in the Durango Team family, we are avid supporters and believe in the work this organization is accomplishing. Whether or not you are interested in becoming a PAR volunteer, foster family, or just love little puppies, please let us know if we can answer any questions about the local pet community.
