3 Steps to Pet Preparedness

While it’s not fun to imagine, now is an important time to create a plan for your pet in case you get sick. We strongly encourage you to be prepared and walk through the following steps to ensure your pets will be well cared for in the event of an emergency:

1. Know the facts: According to the CDC, there is no evidence that people can get COVID-19 from pets. The best place for your animal is inside the home they know and love. If you aren’t feeling well but are still able to provide care for your pet, please keep them at home with you where they’re most comfortable.

2. Connect with those who can help. If you do become too ill to physically care for your pet or you need to be hospitalized, who can take over for you? Is there anyone else in your home who could help? Maybe a neighbor, friend, coworker, or family member who could take them in? Even a groomer, daycare, or boarding facility may be able to help in your time of need with advance notice. But the most important thing you can do today is come up with two potential pet plans and talk directly with those people so they’re prepared in case they’re called to action.

3. Prepare a pet supply kit. It may not seem necessary today, but we promise it will be hugely helpful if you find yourself in an emergency situation without the ability to track down the proper supplies. If possible, your kit should include: ▪️ Name and contact information for the person who can care for your pets. ▪️ Name and contact information for your back-up in case your go-to is no longer able to help. ▪️ Food, treats, a leash, a couple of toys, bags of litter, and any other supplies necessary to care for your pet for at least two weeks. ▪️ Collar with ID tags (don’t forget to make sure their microchip info is up to date). ▪️ A crate or carrier to transport your pet. ▪️ Copy of vaccination records. ▪️ Medications and prescriptions, along with instructions. ▪️ Daily care instructions. ▪️ Your vet's contact information. ▪️ Pack all supplies, records, and instructions into a backpack, suitcase, or other type of tote that is labeled "Emergency Pet Supply Kit" and keep the kit where it can be easily found.

With your whole family on board and a plan in place, you’ll feel a bit better about your pet’s safety knowing they’re in good hands no matter what challenges may arise.

COVID-19 Hours of Operation

The well-being of our community, volunteers, staff, and pets are top priorities of Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association. In light of the concerns regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,we are altering our operations. It is our hope to help protect our community and also take measures to keep our staff healthy, so that our staff can continue to provide care to shelter pets who have no where else to turn to. We are minimizing foot traffic into our facility and requiring an appointment for many services. If you are coming to our facility for any reason other than picking up your lost pet, we ask you to please make an appointment. Please keep in mind that often times we have same day appointment availability, we just ask you call us first.

• Animal Medical Emergency: If you have an animal medical emergency, please contact one of our local veterinarian offices: Trinidad Animal Clinic 719-846-3212 or Fisher's Peak Vet Clinic 719-846-3211.

• Meet & Greet and Adoptions: By Appointment. See our adoptable pets online at noahsarktrinidad.org and select the adopt button. Please call us at 719-680-2385 to schedule a meet & greet or adoption time. We might even be able to schedule a weekend or early evening appointment.

• Owner Surrenders: By Appointment. If possible, we strongly urge you to keep pets in your homes at this time. If you must surrender your pet to us, top priority is given to urgent circumstances within our Las Animas County Service area. Please do not abandon your pets on the street. Call us at 719-680-2385 to schedule an appointment. Please also call us if you would like help with other alternatives in re-home services that you can do from home and also if you just need help with some support to keep your pet in your home.

• Found Stray Animals: By Appointment. If the found stray pet needs to come into our shelter because you cannot help it or because it needs urgent medical help, please call us ASAP at 719-680-2385 to schedule an intake time. If you found a stray pet and its urgent the pet comes into our shelter and we are closed, please call the Trinidad Police Department at 719-846-4441 and an officer can meet you at our shelter after hours. If you find a stray pet and it is safe to be in your household, call us at 719-680-2385 to complete a found report and we will work to reunite that pet with his owner. You can also post the pet on our Facebook group: Lost & Found in Trinidad Colorado. You can also call radio station KCRT at 719-846-3355 to have them list the pet as found on the local radio station. Please note that do to the halt of non-essential surgeries, we cannot take in any feral/wild cats right now unless they are in urgent medical need.

• Lost Pets and Owner Reclaims: Walk-In and By Appointment. If you are looking for your missing pet, please call us at 719-680-2385 right away to complete a missing pet report. We will notify you if we have a matching pet, or if we have any found pet reports matching your description; you will be able to reclaim your pet if it's at our shelter, either by walk-in or by appointment. You can also post your missing pet on our Facebook group: Lost & Found in Trinidad Colorado. You can also call radio station KCRT at 719-846-3355 to have them list your pet as missing on the local radio station.

• Rabies Vouchers & Pet Licenses: By Phone/Mail. If you need a pre-paid rabies voucher for your pet, please call us at 719-680-2385. You will be able to pay for the voucher by phone with a credit card and we will mail the voucher to you. If you need a City of Trinidad or Town of Aguilar pet license, please call us at 719-680-2385. You will need to have your pet’s rabies certificate on hand when you call. You will then be able to pay by credit card over the phone and we will mail your pet license to you.

• Pet Food Pantry: We will continue our pet food pantry program through Fisher's Peak Soup Kitchen as long our supplies allow for.

• Suspended: the following are suspended, cancelled, or closed: public vaccine & microchip clinics, community TNR programs, educational programs, events & fundraisers, volunteer & useful public service programs, out of state transfer-in programs.

• Noah's Ark Thrift Store: Our Noah's Ark Thrift Store will be closed to the public for shopping. Our thrift store is NOT accepting donations of items at this time.

• Fur Ball: The April 18th Noah's Ark Fur Ball has also been postponed for a later date, yet to be determined.  All previously purchased tickets and sponsorship will still be valid for the event at the later date.  Please follow NAAWA on Facebook for updates concerning the Fur Ball's new date.

Our work does not stop fully in light of COVID-19, we will continue to remain dedicated to helping homeless pets, as we are their only hope. We are seeing a slight decrease in adoptions, but with pets still entering our facility every day, we have to continue finding pets homes or we won't be able to safely manage our animal population. If you are in a position to add a new new family member to your household, please consider adopting or joining our foster care program. If you can't adopt or foster, but still want to help out, your generous donation is more important than ever before. With our thrift store being closed due to the pandemic, we will need every dollar to continue caring for our homeless pets during this crisis. Donations can be made online through our Facebook page's donate button or through the donate button on our website at www.noahsarktrinidad.org. Snail mail donations also work - we are accepting check and money order donations through the mail at Noah's Ark, PO Box 478, Trinidad, CO 81082.

If you shop online through Smile.Amazon, please select Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association as your charity of choice and Amazon will make a contribution to our nonprofit. If you would like to purchase supplies for our shelter to use, we can use the following high demand items: paper towels, pig ear chew treats, nitrile gloves, disinfecting bleach, cat litter, KMR kitten formula, Esbilac puppy formula, fuzzy catnip mice and postage stamps (first-class and/or postcard). Supplies can be sent/delivered to Noah's Ark at 224 N. Chestnut St, Trinidad, CO 81082.. NAAWA is monitoring the situation closely and is following the guidance from top health and animal sheltering organizations.

We greatly appreciate all you do in helping us to fulfill our mission - we couldn't do without you - please take care of yourself, your pets, and do your part to minimize the COVID-19 virus. Thank you!

Fur Ball Postponed

To minimize public health risks, Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association is following the recommendations of The Colorado Department of Health and Environment and is POSTPONING the April 18th Noah's Ark Fur Ball Fundraiser until further notice. 

The Fur Ball is not cancelled, it is only postponed to be held at a later date, yet to be determined. All previously purchased tickets and sponsorships will still be valid for the event's new date and time. The Noah's Ark Fur Ball will be our premier, vital, and main fundraising event of 2020; tickets and sponsorships will continue to remain on sale during this time. 

We hope all our community and all our community's pets remain safe, cozy, and comfortable with their families during this time. We would like to remind pet owners that according to the CDC, there is no evidence at this time that the COVID-19 virus is zoonotic, which means there is no evidence at this time that it infects pet animals.  Please keep your pets at home with you; there is no reason to surrender or abandon your pets out of fear of COVID-19.  Please also help keep pets safe by ensuring they have proper ID on their collar, the ID should have your up to date contact information on it; so in case they get lost, your pet can be returned to you as soon as possible.  

Noah's Ark will continue to provide care for homeless, displaced pets in our care during the COVID-19 outbreak as best as possible. If you would like to continue supporting NAAWA, you may donate online at noahsarktrinidad.org or by mailing a check to PO Box 478, Trinidad, CO 81082.  

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About the Noah's Ark Fur Ball:

The Fur Ball Gala will be the event of the year!   The Fur Ball will be Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association’s signature fundraising event (replacing the former Peacock Ball, which was a local favorite).   Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association (NAAWA) is celebrating over 20 years of rescues, educating the community, and making families complete with successful adoptions.  Additionally, NAAWA are raising funds to complete interior construction of the new animal shelter. This formal gala caters to the most passionate supporters and raises vital funds to continue NAAWA's mission.  The Fur Ball will take place at the beautiful A.R. Mitchell Museum located at 150 E. Main St, Trinidad, CO at a date to be determined after the COVID-19 outbreak safely subsides.   Each ticket to the exclusive affair offers attendees a wonderful evening of dining by Ringo’s Catering in Aguilar, dancing with live music by Jorica, a silent auction, a live dessert auction, a cash bar, raffles, the puppy parade, and much more!  This will be an 18 years & up event.  Tickets are $50 each.  Tickets are available online through Eventbrite and at The Noah’s Ark Thrift Store located at 147 E. Main St, Trinidad.  Tickets and sponsorships are also available for purchase by phone at 719-846-8578.  Give NAAWA a call if you would like to sponsor The Noah's Ark Fur Ball with a corporate table which seats 8 and includes sponsorship advertising and lots of other goodies.   The community's support of Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association ensures that they are able to respond to the growing demand of animal welfare needs within our community and helps to build a new animal shelter.     The Fur Ball will be NAAWA's biggest fundraiser of the year – Noah's Ark is hopeful you will help make it the most successful ever!  See you at the 2020 Noah's Ark Fur Ball!