Margot is 25 pounds of beagle brilliance. She’s a true “nose-forward” dog who lives for a good sniff and would likely excel in scent work or nose games. When she’s not busy exploring the world one smell at a time, she’s happiest being close to her people and occupying laps, handing out kisses, and soaking up all the love. She may take a minute to clock the room, then promptly prances like she owns it. Dog-friendly, cat tolerant (will attempt unsolicited face-washing), part-time meerkat, full-time cuddle conspirator. Meet the newest class in the Paws in the Pen program at the Penitentiary of New Mexico — three brilliant girls almost halfway through their eight-week, 24/7 glow-up with their inmate trainers. By graduation, they’ll be potty and crate trained, fluent in their cues and headed home with training support for their adopters, gear, and six months of heartworm prevention. In short: polished, prepared, and poised to run the world.
Two months old and already operating at maximum floof capacity, Maris is an Aussie-mix with the kind of coat that deserves its own weather system. But she’s more than just a walking Aussie mix marshmallow. On a bitterly cold night, long after the shelter closed, seven puppies were abandoned in a metal crate on the road outside the shelter — fully exposed as temperatures dropped into the low 20s. Too young to regulate their own body heat, they survived only by huddling together … and by sheer luck the transfer team drivers returned from a Colorado transport close to 11 p.m. and found them just in time. After weeks of foster care, healing and love, these same puppies have become one of the most anticipated litters to arrive at the Puppy Patch. And now their story can start where it always should have: home. Apply on the Española Animal Shelter website to schedule your Puppy Patch appointment for Maris or her siblings!