Causes: Animals, Education
Every day, tens of thousands of shelter animals across the country sit alone in their kennels, watching as potential families walk away, other residents go home, and staff leave at the end of the workday. For the past two years, the Humane Society of El Paso (HSEP) Board of Directors President/CEO of YourFitPrint, Anton Conlon, has spent 24 hours in a kennel at HSEP to raise awareness for shelter animals during El Paso Giving Day. The experience has allowed Conlon to relate to how shelter residents feel and live while they await their adoption day.
As he prepares for his final months as Board of Directors President, Conlon will step back into the kennel one last time, to advocate for the thousands of homeless animals in the El Paso Community this El Paso Giving Day.
Starting at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, Conlon will once again live life like a shelter resident – sleeping in a kennel, being taken out on a leash at all times, and more. Conlon will remain in the kennel until HSEP raises over $50,000 or the 24 hours are up.
“This is my third time stepping into the kennel, and every year I learn something new. Sitting in a small concrete area for a day is difficult. You have limited interaction, you’re frustrated, and you’re bored - at the end of both 24-hour stints, I was more than ready to get out,” Conlon said. “After my 24 hours, I went home, but the dogs who were my neighbors continued to sit in the kennel. It wasn’t a day for them; it was days, weeks, and months. I wanted to end my time as the Board of Directors President by firsthand reminding myself and others what these shelter animals go through. It shines a light on adoption, kennel stress, and gives these animals a voice. For myself personally, it’s a reminder of what my two dogs, both from HSEP, experienced before adoption day.”
As a leader within the organization, Anton’s decision to step into the kennel and live life as a shelter animal has helped him continue to be a strong advocate for adoption and shelter animals in the El Paso community.
“By spending a day as a shelter resident, Anton will experience everything our animals do in their day-to-day life. He will be fed at feeding times, go on walks with handlers, and enjoy enrichment activities,” Robert Shamy, HSEP Executive Director, said. “While it seems simple on paper, it’s no easy experience as Anton knows first-hand. His dedication and efforts to advocate for the animals who call HSEP their temporary home by spending a day in their paws shines a light on the realities of a shelter.”
Follow along on Thursday, October 16, 2025, as Anton spends 24 hours in the kennel or until HSEP raises over $50,000 for this year’s El Paso Giving Day! The community is encouraged to stop in and speak with Anton to learn more about his experience and why he wanted to step back into the kennel for El Paso Giving Day.
A special thank you to the Melinda and Meyer Marcus Family Foundation, Andrea Dorsey Kirs Legacy Foundation, the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, and Mas y Menos for supporting the Humane Society of El Paso’s El Paso Giving Day campaign and providing matching funds.
Together, we can raise funds and awareness for homeless animals in the El Paso community.
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