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Local rescuers urge county to move quickly after shelter closure; 4 Corners Animal League offers alternative
Summary
Speakers representing 4 Corners Animal League urged Taos County commissioners to act quickly after learning the county shelter will temporarily close and described a proposal that would include new management, a new board and transfer partnerships to care for animals.
Penny Herrera Wardlow told the Taos County Board of Commissioners she was speaking "because of our animals," describing 4 Corners Animal League as "a stable, financially responsible, local nonprofit" with 26 years of work in the county and a history of transfers and spay/neuter programs.
Wardlow said the League has transferred "over 7,000 puppies and dogs" to placement partners and noted that the county shelter is temporarily closing, urging commissioners that "time is of the essence." She said the League is preparing proposals for a newly structured entity with a new name, board, management and funding sources and offered to submit documentation for the record.
Barbara Agnello and other community members backed Wardlow, describing concrete transfer options for adoptable cats and a potential partnership with a Denver-based "cat cafe" model that could take about 30 cats a month. Shelly Radagon and others described existing proposals and urged commissioners to consider the League's track record and reputation.
The chair reminded speakers about the three-minute public-comment limit and invited written documentation for further review. No formal county action on shelter operations was taken during the meeting; commissioners and staff did not announce immediate next steps at the public meeting.
Ending: The county offered the public an opportunity to submit proposals and documentation for staff review; speakers said they intended to provide materials for follow-up.
