The Santa Fe animal shelter is among three nonprofits that will benefit from the Santa Fe Brewing Co.’s sixth annual Oktoberfiesta.

The two-day event is set from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday,Oct. 22, at The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Co.,

35 Fire Place off N.M. 14. The fiesta features live music, food trucks and contests. The shelter’s adoption van will have adoptable dogs available from noon to 3 p.m. both days. Admission to the event is $10; a portion of the proceeds benefit the three nonprofits selected by the brewery’s customers.

In addition to the Santa Fe animal shelter, other nonprofits include Big Brothers Big Sisters Mountain Region and Community Against Violence Taos.

For more information, visit www.santafebrewing.com.

A philanthropy group that supports nonprofits and causes in Santa Fe has contributed more than $3,000 to the Santa Fe animal shelter’s foster program.

Katie Rountree of 100 Women Who Care in Santa Fe recently handed the shelter’s director, Jennifer Steketee, a combined donation of $3,460 for its New Hope program, which handles foster, hospice and transfer animals.

“We are so appreciative of the support from 100 Women Who Care in Santa Fe,” Steketee said during a check-passing ceremony. “The funds will go a long way to support the most vulnerable of our animals. Many of the animals that New Hope helps are the very young or very old and all need special care, diets and especially, love.”

The group selected the shelter’s program as a recipient of the members’ donations at its August quarterly meeting. Other recipients included the Santa Fe Waldorf School and the Prom Closet.

The group’s mission is to help the community by having at least 100 women contribute $100 four times a year. Group members nominate several groups and those names are dropped into a hat; three names are chosen and then those groups make a 5-minute presentation. Afterwards, the members vote and whichever group gets the most votes is the first place winner, and that group receives funds from members who are present; the second-place winner receives checks from members who are not present and the third-place winner receives $900 from three business sponsors.

So far, the group has raised more than $160,000 for area charities and organizations. For more information, visit the website at 100womenwhocaresantafe.com.

Several training courses for dogs and their owners are being offered this summer by the Santa Fe animal shelter.

The shelter’s Rock Solid Recall Class for adult dogs has been rescheduled. The first class starts at noon, Saturday, June 3, at the Roddey Burdine Rehabilitation Center at the back of the shelter, 100 Caja del Rio Road. The hour-long classes run for five weeks and cover learning techniques to help strengthen recall (coming when called) in the dogs.

A basic clicker-training course offers dog owners a chance to work with their dogs on basic commands and strengthen the bond with their best friend.

The six-week course will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at the Roddey Burdine Rehabilitation Center at the back of the shelter, 100 Caja del Rio Road. The hour-long classes cover basic training, such as sit, stay, down, leave it, along with leash work. Owners will come away with a sense of how dogs learn, how to teach them and how to troubleshoot troublesome behaviors or issues that are happening at home.

Class size is limited to eight dogs; the first class of both courses is held without dogs.

The cost of the course is $200; shelter or rescued dogs who have been adopted within one year are eligible for a 50 percent discount.

For more information, email training@sfhumanesociety.org or call 505-983-4309, ext. 1153.

Whole Foods and the Santa Fe Animal Shelter are teaming up to help homeless animals. Through July 2, when you use your own bag for purchases at Whole Foods, the shelter will get a 10-cent credit – it adds up! Watch for special adoption events, giveaways and other promotions. Thanks, Whole Foods Market, for helping Santa Fe’s hometown shelter.

Lester, a once-shy and shutdown dog whose transformational story inspired a moving video from his adopter, won the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society a grant for $100,000.

The shelter was awarded two Petco Foundation Holiday Wishes grants at a Wednesday ceremony at the Santa Fe Petco on Cerrillos Road. Actor Ali MacGraw, as well as the shelter’s Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Steketee, board president Roddey Burdine, board members and Susanne Kogut, the Petco Foundation’s executive director, were part of the check presentation.

Kogut said the two shelter adoption stories were selected from more than 5,000 stories submitted by animal adopters throughout the country. The stories, which highlighted how the adopted pets have changed and enriched the adopters’ lives, were chosen from 54 organizations from the pool of winning submissions.
The Petco Foundation plans to award some $750,000 grants to the animal welfare organizations that helped save those animals in the stories.

The Santa Fe animal shelter was nominated by Jamie Meridith and Jude Heimel, whose stories reflect the shelter’s efforts at saving animals through its behavior and transfer programs. Jamie’s dog, Lester, arrived at the shelter with a chain wrapped tightly around his neck. Two days passed before he began to warm up to the shelter’s staff and eventually to Jamie. Their story helped the shelter win the grand prize of $100,000.Jamie, a videographer, told the story in a moving video. Watch the video at https://youtu.be/Svq3nGaiQmQ .

Jude, who has significant hearing loss, met her dog, Lacey, at the shelter after Lacey had been transferred from an overcrowded partner shelter. The 20-pound spaniel mix had been slated for euthanasia but was rescued through the Santa Fe animal shelter’s transfer program. With Jude’s help and 600 hours of training, Lacey has transformed Jude’s life by serving as her service dog. Jude’s story earned the shelter a $5,000 grant.

To read all of the Holiday Wishes stories and vote for a people’s choice winner, visit www.petco.com/holidaywishes. People can still vote for their favorite stories and help rescue groups win additional funding of up to $25,000.