For Pets’ Sake Humane Society will hold its annual yard sale on Sept. 20 to 23, clearing the path for the organization to continue offering the many services to the community and simultaneously ensure the well-being and safety of animals.

Marian Rohmann, who has served on the board of directors since 1998, said the fundraiser is essential to help the volunteer-run organization carry out its mission.

Pam Smith, For Pets’ Sake’s Vice President, said the annual yard sale is one of its bigger fundraisers and helps secure the organization’s programs by the time autumn approaches, which includes purchasing low-cost food and the Feral Cat Project, in which they trap, neuter and release cats.

Smith expects that several hundred people will show up for the event. What it’s looked like in previous years is that people arrive on Wednesdays to get the best things, Thursday is a little slower, Friday picks up and on Saturday the organization discounts things.

“The yard sale is a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun,” Smith said. “You never know what you’re gonna get. Last year, we had kayaks and bicycles. Because we’re in the Beef Barn at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds, you have lots to choose from. We try to keep our prices really low.”

Rohmann mentioned that one year someone from Texas wanted to see when the sale was scheduled because that would be the time he would visit his cousin in Montezuma County.

The nonprofit, which was established in 1984 and incorporated in 1987, is a little bit different from most humane societies. It is made up of volunteers who work out of their homes on a shoestring budget to keep the programs going.

“The problem is that we don’t have enough veterinarians,” Smith said. “Quite often we have to send people to Durango for Riverside (Animal Hospital), but the best place is in Moab (Mill Creek Animal Hospital). They’re easier to book, they have a few more vets than we have, and they’re not as expensive. The vets take us on short notice.”

Other programs include low-cost vaccination clinics, emergency vet care and paying half the cost for spays and neuters – with the help of the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund that it has received every year since 2004.

Pam Smith said feral colonies exist across Montezuma and Dolores counties. The Feral Cat Program Statistics on its website state that there have been 706 total colonies.

“We were in the hundreds (of cats) from one location that we spayed and neutered,” she said.

This year, kitten season in late spring brought larger litters of six or seven kittens. Normally it’s three to four.

“Because we had a really heavy winter I think it pushed kitten season back a bit. This year we still have kittens,” Smith said. “If you have a feral kitten, you have to catch them between six, seven, eight weeks old because when they’re so young, they tame down really fast.”

Since 2009, For Pets’ Sake has spayed more than 5,000 cats.

“Twelve years ago we got a call from a woman who found an injured cat. Her legs were really swollen, lacerated and infected. It looked like the cat was hogtied and the woman took care of her,” Rohmann said. “This woman (recently) went to a retirement home and can’t take care of her. This cat is going to a senior cat retirement home at a sanctuary in Utah. She went from an unfortunate cat to very lucky.”

Although the organization doesn’t do many adoptions, especially with canines, they still foster a lot. It also partners with other rescue organizations along the I-70 corridor. Any animal it rescues and can’t rehome goes strictly to a No Kill shelter, such as the Colorado Animal Rescue in Glenwood Springs.

Rohmann said Debbie Davis, who runs the dog program, works with people who have dogs that need to be re-homed. She collaborates with rescues throughout Colorado, Utah and the Four Corners area to get the animals sheltered who lost their homes.

“We have a lot of difficulty finding dog fosters. Right now, there’s a lot of puppies again. She will coordinate getting animals who are losing their homes,” Rohmann said. “With the cats, we mostly take in kittens from feral cat colonies. They’re both active programs but they’re active in different ways.”

The organization desperately needs dog fosters because there’s a lack of them for multiple reasons: they need to be let out, exercised, a lot of people live in apartments or there’s not enough space for dogs.

In its 39th year, the organization is in dire need of funds, donations and volunteers. They would like to see more younger volunteers because the current ones have gotten older, like Pam who is one of the younger volunteers at 68. Its website also has a “You Can Help” tab.

“We’re especially in need of volunteers who want to help on our board because we’re an active board,” Rohmann said. “We save so many animals’ lives and see so many heart wrenching situations, some of which we can’t help with but it’s always good to know that you’re helping.”

From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Sept. 20 – 23 at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds Beef Barn, the fundraiser will sell all donations that people can drop off on Tuesday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The organization will accept most donations, except televisions, chemicals, tires, printers, computers, other techtronics and paint. Early donations and pickup of large items can be organized by calling (970) 565-7387 and leaving a message. It also seeks more volunteers for the event as well as for the organization.