MARFA — Pet Marfa, a project of One Tail at a Time-West Texas, will open its doors this weekend. The storefront space at 111 S. Dean will function as an adoption center and pet supply store. Marfa is the operational center of One Tail at a Time-West Texas, which is a nonprofit, all breed, foster-based, dog and cat rescue working with seven shelters (Alpine, Marfa, McCamey, Pecos, Presidio, Van Horn and Terrell County) and dozens of shelterless communities across West Texas. Marfa is also a community with limited retail options for pet supplies –– both practical and indulgent.
While filling the need to provide local pet owners with an in-town retail option for pet supplies, the primary purpose of Pet Marfa is to advance the lifesaving capacity of One Tail at a Time-West Texas. Most West Texas shelters are insufficiently staffed to provide regular hours for public visitation, have no/limited online presence, and many are located in industrial areas that are hard to find or have restricted access.
“Dogs need to be seen to be saved, and by offering digital visibility to the 100+ pets we are advocating for on any given day will be a huge boon for adoptable pets who are otherwise invisible,” said Heather Hall, director of OTAT-West Texas. “We plan to regularly have an adoptable pet at the shop. Adoptable dogs and cats are their own best advocates; we just need to make it possible for them to meet their people! We are so excited to talk about the great pets in our program and the shelters where we work.”
Pet Marfa will provide practical and inspired pet supplies for dogs and cats, including an increasing number of locally made goods that highlight the unique grandeur and adventurous spirit of Marfa and the Big Bend region. OTAT-West Texas merchandise (T-shirts, hats, bags, drinkware, and stickers to start) is also available. On the programming front, Pet Marfa will host adoption events, dog training resources, pet-friendly community events, and support for pet retention and spay-neuter efforts. Community feedback for Pet Marfa inventory and programs is explicitly solicited and appreciated.
“This is a community space for people to get involved with pet rescue by adopting, fostering or volunteering, for local pet guardians to learn about new products or buy supplies they regularly need, for people to connect around shared values of animal welfare, and for local makers to find an accessible retail partner. People save pets, and we are excited for Pet Marfa to make that possible in new ways,” said Elizabeth Davis, Pet Marfa project manager.
“While OTAT-West Texas has been rescuing pets from our shelter for years, we are excited for Pet Marfa to be a resource for pet owners in our community and to shorten pets’ length of stay in our shelter –– getting all of our stray or unwanted dogs and cats into great homes is also the mission of Animal Control and the Marfa Police Department,” said Marfa Police Chief Gilbert Carrillo.
Pet Marfa’s programs and all sales support the mission of One at a Time-West Texas, which is to transform area shelters into places of hope by directly supporting their programs and increasing municipal investment in animal services, and to be a resource for the many pets in need in communities with no shelter at all. In 2025, OTAT-West Texas will support more than 400 pets in its programs and advocate for live outcomes for more than 1,000 dogs and cats in its service area. Pet Marfa’s summer hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday.