Meg Hilling
January 25, 2018 06:59 PM
FARMINGTON, N.M. – San Juan County will have to pay more this year for animals in the county’s shelters.
For years, the animal shelters in Farmington and Aztec have been working to care for the strays in San Juan County. In a deal worked out with the county, the shelter takes in animals brought in from unincorporated areas. For doing so, the county covers the care fees for those animals in the shelter.
What the county pays is based on the total operational costs for the shelter, divided by the number of animals brought in during the previous year. Based on that, the county is putting up an additional 6 percent this year, or about $766,000 in total as compared to last years $720,000.
That has the county looking to the Navajo Nation for help.
“They represent roughly 40 percent of the animals being billed to us by the City of Farmington Animal Shelter,” San Juan County Chief Operating Officer Mike Stark said. “Currently, the Navajo Nation is not contributing to the animal shelter fees.”
The county is now sending a letter to the Navajo Nation, asking officials there to chip in on the bill. While the county and the nation work that out, there are things the public can do to help.
“So really, it is spay and neutering, adopting, volunteering if you have time, donating if you have extra money,” Stacie Voss with the Farmington Regional Animal Shelter said. “But all those things, contribute and help to what we can do here at the animal shelter.”
