SAN LUIS VALLEY – As part of a Valley-wide effort to reduce feral feline populations in communities, local veterinarian Jodi Duff has brought together a team of people dedicated to preserving and improving the life of stray cats on the western end of the Valley, The West Valley Humane Alliance is dedicated to making sure local feral cat colonies have the best chance they can.

Duff opened her South Fork Veterinarian Clinic in 2022 after identifying the need for veterinarian services in the area. Within the first year of owning the clinic, it became abundantly clear that the western end of the Valley was in dire need of an animal rescue group and with that thought in mind, Duff started the South Fork Pet Rescue.

“We have such wonderful and dedicated groups here in the Valley but like other organizations, they are overwhelmed. I saw a gap for animal rescue between Pagosa Springs and Del Norte that needed to be filled. It was stretching other animal rescues in the Valley really thin and I wanted to help out,” said Duff.

At first, Duff and her clinic absorbed the costs of the rescues, rehoming, and spay/neuter services she was offering but it wasn’t long before the community stepped in, stepped up and began to donate to the cause. “We had an overwhelming response to the recue efforts. It was amazing to see, and we were able to set up an account dedicated to paying the cost of these recue efforts, but it just wasn’t enough.”

It was at this point that Duff began to gather her team of animal lovers with years of rescue experience and as a group, they pursued a 501c3 status. “It was our end of year gift and we couldn’t be more excited for the year to come. We are planning more spay/neuter clinics and focus on details like our website, fundraising and to use this momentum to move the organization forward in order to help on a broader scale,” said fellow board member and technical expert Traci Ratliff.

In early 2025, the West Valley Humane Alliance helped rescue, vaccinate, spay/neuter and rehome 48 cats and 12 dogs. In November and December of 2025, the group spayed and neutered 70 cats from colonies in Del Norte and Monte Vista. Their impact on the feral cat population was swift and welcome to those who have been working to help these felines for sometime.

“It costs money and time to care for these felines. Groups like SLV Spay and Neuter Alliance, Cats Alive and others have worked the entire Valley until now and we are happy to be able to step in and help,” said Duff and Ratliff.

As 2026 gets underway the Alliance is seeking help from the community. “People can volunteer time, donate resources. We have an Amazon Wish List for things like blankets, cleaning products and food. They can also report any new or existing colonies so that we can step in and help where we can,” said Duff.

“And most importantly, spay and neuter your pets. If you are feeding stray cats, please let us come in and help. We understand the connection people have with their animals; even stray animals and we are here to help. There is fear for the animal, the safety and well-being and how these things may change the animal and that’s why we’re here. We are here to help educate and answer these questions,” said Ratliff.

West Valley Humane Alliance is working to have a website up and running within the first months of 2026 and is planning their next spay/neuter clinic for March 7 with more details to come.

Board members are as follows, Chair Lisa Karst, Vice Chair Jodi Duff, Treasurer Traci Ratliff, and Member Emily Bogardus.

Donation checks can be made out to West Valley Humane Alliance and mailed to PO Box 523, South Fork, Co 81154 or in person at the South Fork Veterinary Clinic located at 138 Ponderosa Dr., South Fork, CO 81154.

For more information or questions, email at WestValleyHA@gmail.com.