The founder of the Taos Mesa Animal Sanctuary left the state yesterday. The rumor that she was leaving the Taos area was circulating the past few days and, yesterday, a truck and a uhaul were observed at the site and she left with most of the dogs in the afternoon. Someone is staying in the house and there are still a couple of dogs onsite. It has been noticeably quieter since then. The dogs at the sanctuary not only created a lot of noise barking on their own, they triggered other dogs in the neighborhood. In the early morning, there was a regular round of barking dogs that isn’t happening this morning as I write this.
A lot of what I’ve heard about this is unconfirmed rumor but it is confirmed that most of the dogs have been removed from the site and that the house is no longer occupied by the TMAS founder. I have no idea if there are future plans for TMAS elsewhere. According to what was reported to me, the county is going to inspect the site this week and check for a permit. If that permit is not presented to the inspector, TMAS will be shut down immediately. There have been a couple of court filings in the related quiet title suit and one from Golden River’s attorney reiterates that the quiet title suit is being withdrawn for the present. They are still trying to prevent a court judgment that would prevent it from ever being revived in the future. The whole process has generated a lot of legal fees for the neighbors who opposed the quiet title suit and it’s time to think about fundraising. If anyone wants to contribute to this, contributions can be made directly to the law firm, https://neelleylaw.com/. You can use the “Pay” link and put “Golden River” as the reference.
15 responses to “Taos Mesa Animal Sanctuary Closed?”
Thanks for continued reporting on this issue. I am a neighbor and although noticeably fewer dogs barked this morning and last night, there was still a couple hours of barking both late last night and this morning. We know dogs bark. And folks who live with dogs usually quiet them down in a matter of minutes. But this is still not the case with these dogs. I am sure that the neighborhood dogs who live free with their humans have been traumatized by all the dogs kept illegally with god knows what sort of care over this past year. Even though more quiet seems present, this is not over. We need the county to show up and do their job, remove the remaining animals, round up any strays that may have gotten out (I had a cat at my door last night mewing for food. This has never happened in my area in all the years I’ve lived here. It made me feel alarmed that animals had been abandoned but I don’t know if that’s the case.). So although some have more peace and quiet today than yesterday, I have not had that relief yet. Sound travels in funny ways here and we have all had days where some of us here more incessant barking and disturbance than others. The last note for now is that I have not heard one coyote howl all summer. NOT ONE! These precious relatives always had a place here and over this past summer, they too, in their trauma, removed themselves from coming anywhere near us. They used to sing me to sleep many nights. I am so sad about this and hope they return once true calm and a real resolution is achieved. Meanwhile I ask all our neighbors to remain vigilant on the continued illegal set up in the center of our neighborhood, keep calling and sending emails to our officials.
Darlene Vigil is our District 3 Taos County Commissioner: darlene.vigil@taoscountynm.gov.
Rita Cardenas is our deputy animal control at the Taos County Sheriff’s office: rita.cardenas@taoscounty.org
Have a nervous sort of relief. There is still the issue of a house in the middle of the road. Also she waited 20 years to file 2nd claim. Is she just waiting for all of us to die? This claiming of land without owning the land around it cannot be possible. A real Manby type scheme.
Thanks David. And yes- none of us could really afford this lawsuit so any help with it would be greatly appreciated.
She published in her newsletter that the shelter would be moving, using several vans. She said she found a farm, sold most of her belongings, and put a deposit down. She felt obligated to move due to continuing threats and untruths regarding her operations.
The threats and untruths came mostly from her and were against her elderly neighbors. She never sought the consent of the surrounding community in any way for her operations and they had a huge impact on that community. I’ve covered the issues in earlier posts.
I don’t know the whole story, just what was told to me, and I was told when she first moved there, there was no one around her. If that’s the case, then you neighbors made a conscious decision to move in the vicinity of a sanctuary. And then start complaining about the noise. She did help rehome dogs, so that should be considered a plus for the dog population. Again, I wasn’t here when she acquired her property, I didn’t know her, and I still really don’t know her. But at least she tried to help the unwanted animal population. But I guess you guys that moved in later and thought it was a good idea to move next to an animal sanctuary feel pretty proud that you ran her off. Good job Taos.
I moved here in 1988. She didn’t arrive until 2003. There was a well established community here in 2004 when she started to squat on the large parcel of abandoned Great Southwestern property and filed her first quiet title suit on it. The same people who had issues with it then are the same ones who intervened in her second attempt at grabbing the land in a quiet title suit under the alias of Golden River LLC. Her early history here was of buying and flipping lots for profit. She at one time owned about 8 individual lots and sold them all and decided to build on property she didn’t own. She has to take responsibility for her own decisions in this. The sanctuary didn’t start until last year. It was incorporated in 2022. She is good at salesmanship and does have a certain charisma but like a lot of good sales people, she plays fast and loose with the facts. We’re a community of 1/4 acre lots. She was surrounded by neighbors both now and in 2004. Most of the people who she’s accused of harassment are elderly and middle aged and were here long before she arrived.
Thanks David. Your brief review of the history of Solares activities in this neighborhood the past twenty years was spot on and hopefully better informs people who believe that all of us disturbed by the barking dogs moved in AFTER she was there!
After nearly two weeks of contacting the Sheriffs Department I received a call from Richard Sanchez from Animal Control. He was curt and informed me that the sanctuary has been closed as of last weekend and that there were no longer animals there. I informed him that there still were dogs there and he told me that I was wrong….
We still need to follow through on this issue and try to prevent something like this from happening again.
Thank for your efforts!
Let’s be clear A S was first a real estate agent and hustler, a nuisance to our community from the start…renting camp sites (see hip camp platform) to unsuspecting folks who didn’t realize they were paying to camp and squat on state delinquent property which we call green land and that home to wild animals who co exist with the humans. Having random people show up with no outhouse facilities creates public health issues and destroys natural habitats. I am a generational owner of my land living right next door to her and she was a not a nice to my senior neighbors, threatening them driving at unsafe speeds towards s them. This community has traditional been welcoming to folks squatting when they are respectful to the surrounding community. But when a squatter decides to block off a road and feels entitled to use the adverse possession process fraudulently, and try to grab 60 acres so she can sell it, well let’s just say we get a little frosty. And we are tighter community than she imagined. Before she came and after. We fought back in 2004 and we fought again. None of us are rich, but we care about this land and want to protect the animals habitat s and the people who live here. A lot of folks don’t know the whole story, and buy the victim story she spins… The animal sanctuary was not done safely and now we may abandoned animals that we will have to intervene take care of. This animal sanctuary was founded soon before she tried her illegitimate land grab again!. She was simply trying to legitimize and Window dress her true intentions as animal advocacy in a haze of offend porn when any one questioned her. These animals deserve better. We had a man Eddy out here years ago who owned land and ran a kennel with his wife nearby. He was truly an animal advocate and helped many neighbors in this community. He found homes for the puppies someone dumped in my backyard, offered free vaccines, d
og food you name it. Meanwhile, these animals were housed in school buses with no oversight and never seemed to be walked. These animals deserve better and there many folks in town that serve these animals with our a hidden agenda to exploit the land and our animal friends
Tres Orejas, Cerros de los Taoses (aka Two Peaks) and Tres Piedras have been inhabited by families since the early 70s insofar as the parcels are concerned that were purchased at auction TMAS founder purchased none of its parcels but rather illegally squatted on them.
I was one of the early ‘trapesers arounders ‘ in the late 70s, moved around the world with my family and returned after my kids grew up and left home. It’s amazing in this day and age that folks read what TMAS founder claimed as no one being around here. If the internet says it, it must need true., right? How Embarrassing, dear commenters!
The courthouse holds the paper and electronic history of all the inhabitants here. It’s neglectful that readers swallowed AS tales without investigating or verifying them, you alleged animal lovers. You must acquaint yourselves with Taos Cty and NM state animal shelter ordinances. Once you educate and inform yourselves (as we have done) your concern and alarm at TMAS blatant disregard for the law would shock you-hopefully on behalf of those same animals you claim to care about and who believe TMAS cared about.
Wring on both counts. There was neglect not care here.
We took proper care of these creatures, who rely on us to advocate for them, by raising awareness at the state and county level of what exactly was happening out here. It is good for the animals TMAS is shut. We can only hope and pray she doesn’t repeat the same abuses in Texas.
I’m delighted with this outcome. The party involved is indeed slick and can sell many people on her ideas. She is pretty transparent if one actually pays attention to the shuck and jive. Pleasant journeys elsewhere for her!
I’ve observed some clear unbalanced behaviors emitting from the location of the dog sanctuary,2023.
It went on for hours. At some point, someone showed up trying to contain the person.
It was profoundly unnerving and loud.
At the 3.5 hour mark, and had not someone showed up..I was moments away from calling 911.
There are a number of dogs still there as of today.
Also, where are the cats..that were being house in a school bus?
Lastly, this is no place for a rescue to be happening in the first place.
This is a neighborhood.
I doubt those who support this individual, would accept in their neighborhood of homes, a very large population of dogs.. and all of the resulting issues associated with having that many barking, loud animals. As well the cars and trucks coming and going.
This rescue should have be located either more remote, or in an industrial area of town.
The road, deeply muddy and difficult to traverse in the winter and monsoon, is not suited for emergency removal and consistent delivery of live creatures, to the level it was happening.
Now that some of the dogs are gone..it’s very clear, at least for me, that the level and amount of barking dogs was very stressful, unrest full and scary.
As much as I am very interested in all of this and do you have my personal point of view, this is beside the point. This is the first chance I’ve had to express my disappointment in the fact that two names were added to the list including my own, that was sent to the commissioner and the county and the sheriff and whoever else. Without my permission! I’m not trying to start any trouble but Karen contacted me and asked if I wanted to look over all the information about the dog sanctuary and I said please send me this information I gave her my email and I never heard anything since. I’m not sure who made the letter with the list of names, but I’m assuming permission is required to put names on that list. So I’m wondering who made that letter and the list and why didn’t you contact me? I’ve also lived here a long time and like to stay neutral, and have my own opportunity to look at these matters. Anyways point is I was asked to sign a petition which I never did and my name was used without my permission. Any thoughts anyone. Like who made the list, and why didn’t you contact me? Again I’m not trying to start any trouble I’m just trying to get to the bottom of this!
From the animal welfare perspective:
A 501c3 non profit must have three active board members to function. Two TMAS board members resigned close together, a couple months ago. Another small rescue tried to partner with TMAS, and that did not last very long. There was refusal to allow the books/financials of the organization, to be viewed – 501c3’s are REQUIRED to provide this info to the public upon request.
Animals were inappropriately housed – cats in a school bus on the Mesa? With no AC/Heat? Cats tend to be somewhat heat intolerant.
How do you properly do the required daily sanitizing and disinfecting of living quarters without running water?
We do have a horrible overpopulation issue with dogs (and cats) in Taos County. Why was TMAS bringing in dogs from other areas of the state, and using valuable resources that should have been used for our own dog problems? This took money for Vetting and doing the necessary stuff that is supposed to be done when transferring animals to other facilities.
I run a popular pet group on facebook, and any time anyone tried to share information or shine a light on the situation, I received messages from the TMAS founder to remove posts and comments, and ban users from my site. This is blatant censorship of community members who have every right – including constitutional – to express their concerns over an operation that is, at best, shady.
The real animal welfare advocates saw and knew that there were some serious issues, and that the animals would ultimately be the ones to suffer. She put them all at risk by bringing them into this situation.
I hear that Arianna was given land in Tres Piedras via the non- profit for the animals. She was wanting to have a small cabin on the property removed is how I know.