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Bayard, NM Animal Control Officer Shirley Weigel receives a lot of stray dogs during the summer months. The City of Bayard, located in the foothills of the Gila and Mogollon Mountains in the southwestern portion of the State of New Mexico, attracts many tourists to the area seeking recreation, and many families come with their dogs. It is not uncommon, says Officer Weigel, for these very well cared for dogs to become separated from their human families in a new environment. Many of these lost dogs are microchipped, which would, presumably, make it an easy matter to reunite them with their owners. The problem is that the City of Bayard didn’t have a microchip scanner used to read the dog owners’ contact information. As the shelter has a small holding capacity, many of these healthy, loved dogs end up euthanized when their families cannot be located. Officer Weigel had been taking it upon herself to drive 30 miles round trip to Silver City to borrow a scanner from the High Desert Animal Humane Society, and in doing so made several happy reunions. But the increased need for a microchip scanner at the Bayard Shelter grew near as the warm season approached.
Officer Weigel approached Animal Protection of New Mexico (APNM) for help. APNM contacted Pet Travel Inc., a company out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, seeking a donation of a microchip scanner. Though the company was unable to donate one, they offered a Datamars Imax+ scanner at wholesale value. Sherry Mangold, APNM’s Senior Animal Cruelty Case Manager, quickly contacted APNM members in the southern part of the state. Within a couple of weeks, supporters donated about $400, enough to purchase the scanner. This small but heroic story of cooperation is just one example of the kind of caring for animals that needs to happen throughout the Land of Enchantment.
Shirley Weigel has been an Animal Control Officer (ACO) for the City of Bayard for two years. Prior to that she served as an ACO for the City of Las Cruces for fifteen years, and for Doña Ana County for ten years. She has dedicated her life to the welfare of New Mexico’s animals.
Pet Travel, Inc. is a small Florida-based company that specializes in assisting people with the documents, equipment and resources needed to travel with their companion animals. They also sell microchips and microchip scanners.
Sherry Mangold of APNM provides an invaluable resource to New Mexicans through her work. She takes calls on the APNM Animal Cruelty Hotline and the Attorney General’s Animal Cruelty Task Force Hotline. She also travels the state to provide educational presentations to schools and community centers about caring for companion animals.
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