MARFA –– On Sunday June 30, One Tail at a Time (OTAT)-West Texas convened its first annual Sit for Shelter Pets on the lawn of the Presidio County Courthouse. About 35 people (many with their pets) attended this event, while similar events were being held contemporaneously at One Tail at a Time–Chicago and One Tail at a Time–Portland.
The hour-long event was developed to acknowledge the 415,000+ adoptable pets who were euthanized in U.S. shelters last year. Texas leads the country in shelter pet deaths.
The solemnity of the event was balanced by recognizing the lifesaving impact of OTAT-West Texas, its shelter partners and other rescue groups. Since 2019, OTAT-West Texas has rescued nearly 1,500 pets from shelters and shelterless communities in West Texas, and is on track to rescue 500+ pets in 2024.
OTAT-West Texas is expanding its work to new shelters and with expanded programs. In May they began a rescue partnership with the Monahans City Shelter, whose life-saving rate was only 37% in 2023. They will reduce the number of pets in need by helping locally owned pets access spay-neuter services, increasing its direct adoptions in order to become less transport-dependent, and offering more community resources to keep pets in their homes.
The event concluded with five minutes of silence to reflect on all the pets who came into shelters but never left, and the potential for animal advocates to dramatically reduce those numbers.
The event featured posters of adoptable pets and current shelter dogs who are looking for foster homes so that OTAT-West Texas can welcome them into their program.
OTAT-West Texas Director Heather H. Hall said, “While this event confronts a really hard truth about animal welfare both in Texas and nationally, we also know that local adopters, fosters, volunteers, drivers, donors and cheerleaders can make a huge difference for the homeless and unwanted pets in our corner of the state. We encourage more people to join us in our wonderful and rewarding work any way they can.”
OTAT-West Texas is an all-breed, foster based rescue that supports shelters and shelterless communities across nine counties in West Texas, from Sierra Blanca to Sanderson. Formed in Terlingua, it is now based in Marfa.
You can learn more about adopting, fostering or donating to OTAT-West Texas online at: www.otatwtx.org.