The Santa Cruz Humane Society, a Nogales-based nonprofit that operates a no-kill shelter for cats and dogs, announced last week that it will be closing in early Fall due to rising operational costs and dwindling financial support.
In a letter addressed to “all our friends of the Santa Cruz Humane Society,” board president Sue Rogers wrote that the organization will remain operational “until every animal in our current care is adopted or released to other rescues.” The Nogales International reported that the facility is currently home to 38 dogs and 18 cats. The Humane Society has established a GoFundMe to help with expenses while it winds down its operations.
The organization’s Facebook page said that annual expenses for the shelter – including supplies, food and medications, utilities and payroll — are approximately $384,000. It relies almost entirely on donations for revenue.
The shelter, located at 232 E. Patagonia Highway, serves all of Santa Cruz County, offering pets for adoption and low-cost spay and neuter surgeries and vaccinations.
Rogers’s letter said that Dr. Roberto Rojas will continue to provide services for as long as the shelter is operational.
Santa Cruz County Animal Control also operates a shelter for dogs and cats at 1368 N Hohokam Drive, but it has a smaller capacity than the Humane Society and is currently full.