Supporting Planned Pethood: Volunteers working to improve the lives of companion animals in Montezuma and Dolores Counties, Colorado.

September Recap - Whew!...We were busy!!

Bergen Low-Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic

Bergen Spay & Neuter Alliance came to Cortez September 10-13. The Cortez Animal Shelter hosted this wildly successful event.

287 dogs and cats were helped:

• 75 dogs: 38 female, 37 male
• 212 cats: 95 female, 117 male
• 67 feral cats: 30 female, 37 male
• 145 owned cats: 65 female, 80 male

And For Pets' Sake helped! FPS underwrote $1270 of the cost for owned pets through our Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund grant and $30 per cat for the ferals ($2010 total) from our general funds. A big Thank You to Dr. Emily Hayes, Dr. Susan Meany and their incredible veterinary team and to all the community volunteers who helped make this clinic possible.

2026 Fall Yard Sale - One of Our BEST Ever!

The 2026 FPS Fall Yard Sale took a long time coming and went by in a very busy flash. A very busy SUCCESSFUL flash - we took in over $19,000 to help fund our many assistance programs. 

We had dozens of volunteers, some who worked a couple of hours, some who worked several hours every day - and we needed every one of them. Thank you so much - we wouldn't have a yard sale without you! And thank you to the many people who donated items to the sale. The quality was certainly up this year. 

I want to say a special thank you to Pam Smith, the yard sale co-manager, who flew back from North Carolina for one more sale. And to Suzanne Butterfield who succeeded at turning a mountain of donated clothing into an organized sales area. 

This will be my last year running the yard sale - it's time to let someone else have a go at it. Maybe new ideas will bring in even more sales. Thanks to all - volunteers, donors, buyers, and the Montezuma County Fairgrounds for making this one of our best yard sales ever. 

Marian Rohman, Yard Sale Manager

AND A BIG THANK YOU TO MARIAN FOR ALL HER HARD WORK ORGANIZING AND RUNNING THE YARD SALE!! (Editor)

Just a few samples of the tons of items donated to the 2026 Yard Sale

2026 For Pets’ Sake Officers Elected

At the September board meeting officers for 2026 were elected. Returning are Lynn Dyer, President, Debbie Davis, Vice President, Rachel Caciagli, Secretary, and Liz Markum, Treasurer. Thank you to those officers who continue to be willing to serve For Pets’ Sake. It takes a lot of time and dedication to keep For Pets’ Sake operational. Many thanks to all board members and members for continuing to support the work of For Pets’ Sake.



Why Foster Homes Are Sooo Important

Foster homes are kind of like unicorns—rare, magical, and sometimes hard to believe they really exist.

Like every rescue organization, we've watched our list of foster homes get smaller over the years. I appreciate every single person who has ever opened their home to one of our dogs, even if it was only once. Every foster home saves lives. When you contact us because you want us to trap a dog, or you saw a litter dumped, often the only way we can help is if the finder is able to hang on to them at least for a week until we can make some other kind of arrangement. Literally saving lives.

But today, I want to give a special thank you to two women who have quietly become the backbone of our foster program: Mollie Gosnell and Trudi Webster. Mollie is my "whatever you need" foster. Medical dogs? Dog-reactive dogs? Long-term dogs? She never hesitates. Her quiet home has been a perfect place for dogs that need a little extra help healing, both physically and emotionally.

Right now she's fostering Callie, one of the saddest cases we've ever taken in. We believe Callie spent years being bred repeatedly and may have been used as a bait dog. She arrived covered in scars, missing all four of her canine teeth, terrified of other dogs, and struggling to breathe because of severe brachycephalic airway syndrome.

Watching Callie transform has been incredible. With the help of trainer Nichole Sorrow and an amazing foster like Mollie, she's gone from a dog who couldn't safely be around other dogs to one who can continue learning that the world isn't out to hurt her. She adores people, loves cats and kittens, and every day she gets a little closer to the life she always deserved.

Then there's Trudi. If I call and ask if she can take "just one more," her answer is almost always, "Let's give them a try." Puppies with no house manners? Terrified adults? Dogs that arrive filthy, scared, or completely overwhelmed? She takes them all in stride.

Her two adopted FPS dogs, Koda and Jack, deserve some recognition too. They patiently teach every new foster about the dog door, where to potty, how to play, and - most importantly - that people can be trusted and life can be fun.

Dogs don't just stay at Mollie's and Trudi's homes.

• They heal there.
• They learn.
• They gain confidence.
• They leave as better dogs than when they arrived.

That is exactly what fostering is supposed to do.

To Mollie, Trudi, and every single foster who has ever said "yes" - thank you. You are the reason we can continue saving lives. And if you've ever wondered whether fostering is something you could do, please reach out to a rescue or shelter near you. Every rescue is desperate for foster homes, and you don't have to be perfect - you just have to be willing.

I truly believe I've gotten more out of fostering than the dogs ever have.



Thank you for making second chances possible.

Debbie Davis, Foster Dog Program Coordinator

How the LOR Grant Is Helping Our Foster Homes

Thanks to a generous LOR foundation grant, FPS has already purchased two dog runs with removable pitched roofs and sides, two insulated, heated dog houses, freestanding portable dog pens, heated water bowls, raised beds for warm weather, tarps and bungees.

This equipment enabled us to outfit a couple of new foster homes, as well as provide items needed to improve existing foster home setups. The goal is to provide temporary, all weather, secure shelters for foster dogs while they are integrating into the existing family and pack, especially in foster homes that don't have the space or set up to isolate new dogs.

Sometimes, throwing new animals together without proper patience and introduction, can result in territorial behavior. A slower, more controlled introduction is always a much smarter approach.

We, the foster homes, and the pups, are very grateful to LOR for all that they have generously provided to For Pets' Sake and other nonprofits in our area.

Upcoming Events

More Events for Your Calendar



Turkey Trot - Thanksgiving Day - November 26, 2026

Holiday Bake Sale - Saturday - December 19, 2026

Other Ways to Donate

Board Meetings are open to the public and occur on the second Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. The next board meeting is on October 12th. Call 970-565-7387 for more information.

Find Us Online