About

Our Mission

Our purpose is to provide homeless, abandoned, in-need dogs of Taos County with safe temporary housing, veterinary care including disease and parasite prevention, fresh clean water, appropriate food, and welfare focused behavior assistance.

What We Do

Taos Hound Underground was created out of necessity for the dogs of Taos and Taos County who have been forgotten, left behind, or forced to survive without help. We are a grassroots rescue and rehabilitation effort built entirely around the belief that survival should never depend on luck.

Many of the dogs we take in have lived on their own for weeks, months, or even years. They arrive hungry, scared, injured, or simply exhausted. Some have never experienced safety. Some no longer trust people. What they all have in common is a need for time, understanding, and care that meets them where they are.

We specialize in helping dogs who are not easy to help. That means paying close attention to each dog’s body language, history, and temperament. It means providing housing that feels secure and stable. It means offering food, medical care, hydration, and clean spaces, but also quiet companionship and room to decompress.

We are not a shelter with rows of kennels. We are not a transport stop. We are a bridge between survival and home.

Our team includes skilled volunteers and our Founder, Jen Havens, a Professional Dog Trainer with years of experience in canine behavior. Every dog’s stay here is tailored to their emotional and physical needs. For some, that means medical treatment and behavioral support. For others, it means simply having someone nearby who knows how to sit quietly and listen.

We also work closely with veterinarians in Taos to provide consistent, high-quality medical care for dogs at THU and for community members who need help caring for their own. Since January 2024, we have contributed over twelve thousand dollars in veterinary assistance to local families and dogs.

Our daily work includes everything from cleaning and feeding to training, healing, and advocating. We also rely on ongoing support from the local community to gather the supplies needed for dogs to stay warm, safe, and well. That includes food, medicine, trail cameras, tarps, solar batteries, and other tools that help us track and safely recover dogs who are still surviving outdoors.

At its heart, Taos Hound Underground is about more than rescue. It is about giving dogs the time and care they need to reclaim their stories and reminding our community that no one deserves to be forgotten.

We cannot do this work alone.

If you want to make a difference for the dogs of Taos, there are many ways to help. Whether you give your time, your voice, or your resources, your support keeps the work going and the dogs safe.

To learn how to donate, volunteer, or support a dog in care, visit our Help the Hounds page. Every gift matters, and every hand helps.

---

Second Chances in Photos

These photos capture the results of care, patience, and community support. From abandoned and afraid to safe and seen, each dog here is part of a growing story of survival and second chances. We may not have every story in words, but their faces speak volumes about what’s possible when compassion leads the way.

Our Board of Directors