Animal control/law enforcement projects. APNM provided expert technical assistance and comprehensive educational materials to animal control and other government agencies throughout New Mexico. APNM supported the Department of Public Safety by providing a comprehensive curriculum, so the department can begin to create standards for training animal control officers in New Mexico. APNM:
- underwrote 27 tuition and 21 travel stipends for animal control officers, county sheriffs and state police to attend a nationally accredited course in animal cruelty investigations;
- organized and paid for training delivered to magistrate judges and district attorneys on the link between animal abuse and family violence, as well as the importance of taking seriously crimes against animals;
- compiled, printed and distributed over 200 sets of the 2004 update to New Mexico Animal Law, APNM’s book of New Mexico’s statutes, ordinances and regulations.
Albuquerque Animal Policy Improvements.
- APNM staff served as the chair of the Mayor’s Animal Welfare Board, promoting more humane policies, an increased budget and increases in staffing levels at Albuquerque Animal Care Center; worked with the Mayor’s office and city council on drastic improvements to the animal control ordinance to be considered in 2005; and ensured that animal issues received priority attention by the mayor’s office and city council.
CARE-VAWA Project
- APNM, in conjunction with All Faiths Receiving Home, administered a renewed $5,000 federal grant for housing assistance for animals of domestic violence victims (granted under the federal Violence Against Women Act-VAWA). This included creation and distribution of a training video and pocket-sized field reference cards, and administration of the federal grant that reimburses animal shelters that incur costs of caring for animals of domestic violence victims.
Humane Euthanasia
- APNM’s Humane Euthanasia Project (HEP) paid for all the equipment and training costs associated with the transition to humane euthanasia in the Carlsbad shelter, which serves all of Eddy county. APNM also secured the agreement of the city of Roswell to accept the HEP proposal for its shelter to transition to humane euthanasia in 2005.
Dissection Lending Library
- APNM established the first and only dissection lending library in New Mexico,offering sample educational software to educators seeking to investigate alternatives to dissection in their classrooms.
Kind News
- APNM sponsored subscriptions for the award-winning Kind News newspaper for 161 elementary school classrooms in both rural and urban communities in New Mexico, helping to reinforce in young people kindness and respect for animals and the environment.
Milagro Awards
- APNM celebrated its 25th anniversary and recognized champions for animals at its 2004 Milagro Awards for a record crowd of about 200 people at Santa Fe’s Eldorado Hotel.
Primates campaign
- In conjunction with California-based In Defense of Animals, APNM provided local support leading up to the filing of historic cruelty charges against the notorious Charles River Laboratories, after their alleged acts and omissions led to the deaths of two chimpanzees in their care on Holloman Air Force base. APNM also helped Save the Chimps ensure behavioral enrichment and adequate social housing for chimpanzees at this Alamogordo sanctuary.
Wildlife Advocacy Programs
- APNM served as the chair for the Tijeras Canyon Safe Passage Coalition, which is working with the New Mexico Department of Transportation to reduce collisions between vehicles and animals. APNM also developed a strategy for eliminating the Alamogordo rattlesnake round-up, worked with the Environment Department to develop plans to reduce destructive beaver eradication programs, and developed plans with New Mexico Game and Fish to create an updated cougar management plan.
