• Report Animal Cruelty
  • 877-548-6263

Animal Protection New Mexico

40 years of positive change.

Menu
  • What We Do
    • Challenging Animal Cruelty
      • Animal Cruelty Helpline
      • Recognizing and Reporting Animal Cruelty
      • Cruelty Case Rewards
      • Animal Hoarding
      • Veterinary / Kennel Complaints
      • Animal Laws
      • Law Enforcement Training
    • Building Foundations to Keep Animals Safe
      • Disaster Resources
      • 2018 NM Shelter Survey
      • Spay/Neuter Resources
      • Spay/Neuter Assistance Program
      • Companion Animal Rescue Effort (CARE)
      • APNM’s Straw Fund
      • Train. Don’t Chain.®
      • Humane Communities
      • Shelter Savvy
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • New Mexico Animal Resources Guide
    • Protecting Horses, Donkeys and Mules
      • Equine Protection Fund: Emergency Feed Assistance and Other Help
      • Equine Care Guide
      • Say No to Horse Slaughter
      • Horse Shelter Rescue Fund & Tax Checkoff
    • Teaching Compassion for Animals
      • The Animal Connection
      • Special Community Presentations
      • Dissection Choice
    • Promoting Coexistence with Wildlife
      • Roxy’s Law prohibits traps, snares, and poisons on New Mexico public lands
      • Cougar Smart New Mexico
      • Stop Cougar Trapping
      • Beavers Belong!
      • Living with Prairie Dogs
      • What to do with orphaned, sick or injured wildlife
      • USDA Wildlife Services
    • Changing Laws to Change Lives
      • Animal Protection Voters
    • Honoring Champions for Animals
      • 2015 Milagro Award Winners
      • Past Milagro Award Winners
    • Protecting Animals in Science
      • Dogs Used in Research
      • Securing Sanctuary for Chimpanzees
      • Dissection Choice
    • Promoting Plant-Based Eating
      • Why Plant-Based Eating?
      • New Mexico Vegan Dining Guide
      • Plant-Based Eating Blog
      • Plant-Based Recipes
      • Plant-Based Eating Fact Sheets
    • Close
  • Publications
      • Making Tracks 2022 Issue 2Making Tracks Magazine
      • Animal Protection New Mexico 2021 Annual ReportAnnual Report
      • Enchantment Club NewsletterEnchantment Club Newsletter
      • New Mexico Animal Resources GuideNew Mexico Animal Resources Guide
      • NM Vegan Dining GuideNew Mexico Vegan Dining Guide
    • Close
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
You are here: Home / What We Do / Building Foundations to Keep Animals Safe / Shelter Savvy / 2018 New Mexico Animal Shelter Survey

Animal Protection New Mexico’s 2018 New Mexico Animal Shelter Survey is the result of more than a year of inquiry and research designed to provide comprehensive, updated data reflecting the current state of animal sheltering in New Mexico. Animal Protection New Mexico conducted its first statewide survey in 2008 (covering 2007 data), its second, more comprehensive survey in 2012 (covering 2011 data), and this third survey in 2018 and 2019 (covering 2017 data).

OVERVIEW

Collecting and sharing data and statistics from New Mexico’s public and private animal shelters are absolute necessities in order to:

  • Track trends for dogs and cats in key categories, such as intake (stray, owner-surrendered, transferred-in), live exits (adopted, returned-to-owners, transferred-out), and euthanasia;
  • Evaluate the efficacy of local programs for dogs and cats;
  • Provide useful comparisons of facility size and staffing within similar geographic populations;
  • Identify challenges within shelters and communities;
  • Spotlight the continuing urgent need for more affordable and accessible spay/neuter funding.

THE GOOD, BETTER, AND BEST NEWS

The top three takeaways compared with our last statewide survey indicate steady progress, thanks to ceaseless dedication and hard work on the frontlines of animal care and control in New Mexico:

  • The number of shelter intakes decreased by 27.4%.
  • The number of live exits (animals adopted, returned-to-owners, or transferred-out) increased by 16.5%.
  • The number of animals euthanized decreased by 68%.

2011 and 2017 Statewide Comparative Data

The actual numbers outlined in the comparative charts below, however, demonstrate that New Mexico needs more focused community resources, including statewide support for affordable and accessible spay/neuter services in order to:

  • Establish a robust safety net across the state for the still vast number of animals entering New Mexico’s shelters; and
  • Reduce the senseless, preventable cycle of unwanted litters and subsequent euthanasia of cats and dogs across New Mexico.

Hover over chart columns below for details

Chart by Visualizer
2018 Survey Results
by County

Bernalillo County
Catron County
Chaves County
Cibola County
Colfax County
Curry County
De Baca County*
Doña Ana County
Eddy County
Grant County
Guadalupe County
Harding County*
Hidalgo County
Lea County
Lincoln County
Los Alamos County
Luna County
McKinley County
Mora County*
Otero County
Quay County
Rio Arriba County
Roosevelt County
San Juan County
San Miguel County
Sandoval County
Santa Fe County
Sierra County
Socorro County
Taos County
Torrance County
Union County
Valencia County

*no animal shelter

2017 Statewide Totals

IntakeLive ExitEuthanasiaEuthanasia as
a % of Intake
Human
Population
Euthanasia Per
1,000 People
Totals Reported91,72068,72316,22618%2,088,0707.78
Estimated Not Reported8,7944,1024,492
Estimated Grand Totals100,51472,82520,71821%2,088,0709.92

Notes: 40 facilities reported intakes; 36 of 40 facilities reported euthanasia.

2011 Statewide Totals

IntakeLive ExitEuthanasiaEuthanasia as
a % of Intake
Human
Population
Euthanasia Per
1,000 People
Totals Reported132,05862,50060,54546%2,082,22429.08
Estimated Not Reported6,441n/a4,163
Estimated Grand Totals138,49962,50064,70848%2,082,22431.08

Notes: 44 facilities reported intakes; 37 of 44 facilities reported euthanasia.

THE URGENT CASE FOR MORE SPAY/NEUTER

The following statistics are of grave concern because they reveal a reality that threatens to keep New Mexico in the tragic cycle of admitting over 100,000 dogs and cats to its shelters annually.

Consider the numbers of unsterilized male and female dogs and cats reported below that likely already produced offspring before they entered the shelters:

  • 58% of all shelters reporting (23 out of 40) track whether their intakes are unsterilized.
  • Of their total 27,441 stray/abandoned/lost dogs and cats, 88% were unsterilized.
  • Of their total 10,154 owner-surrendered dogs and cats, 82% were unsterilized.

While New Mexico’s shelter intake and euthanasia rates have declined since 2011, the problem of dog and cat overpopulation is still extreme in New Mexico. Consider the following upswing in shelter animal transfers: 35 of 40 New Mexico animal shelters (88%) reported transferring over 23,400 animals (16,674 dogs and 6,770 cats) to other shelters and rescue organizations, almost exclusively out of state, in an effort to increase the animals’ chances of being adopted into good, loving homes. This is more than double the approximately 10,000 animals reported as transferred out in 2011. Animals transferred out of state accounted for more than 1/3 of 2017’s total reported live exits (68,723). But ultimately, transporting our state’s excess animals to other states is not a long-term, sustainable approach to dog and cat overpopulation. New Mexico must be able to provide its own strong safety net for animals.

The highest numbers of animals being transferred out of shelters originated in 12 New Mexico counties: Bernalillo, Chaves, Cibola, Curry, Doña Ana, Eddy, Lea, McKinley, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, and Valencia.

New Mexico Survey Data by County – Quick View

Hover over counties for information

NEW MEXICO’S HIGHEST INTAKES AT-A-GLANCE

The 10 shelters reporting the highest total intake numbers:

Animal ShelterAnimal Intake
City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department13,560
Animal Service Center of the Mesilla Valley (Las Cruces)11,231
Farmington Regional Animal Shelter6,875
Valencia County Animal Shelter (Los Lunas)5,719
McKinley County Humane Society of New Mexico (Gallup)4,773
City of Hobbs Animal Adoption Center4,690
Grants Animal Care Center4,390
Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter (Carlsbad)4,014
Española Humane2,995
Aztec Animal Shelter2,880

Geographic Areas Ranked According to Above Shelter Intake per 1000 People
While actual intake numbers are higher in New Mexico’s larger communities, the following ranking reveals how cat and dog overpopulation is much more concentrated in some other, less populated places.

Animal ShelterAnimal Intake/1000 People
1. Grants/Cibola County163.48
2. Carlsbad/Eddy County89.05
3. Española/Rio Arriba County 76.48
4. Los Lunas/Valencia County75.21
5. Hobbs/Lea County68.21
6. Gallup/McKinley County65.78
7. Farmington/San Juan County61.51
8. Las Cruces/Doña Ana County52.11
9. Aztec/San Juan County35.35
10. Albuquerque/Bernalillo County24.28

The 5 shelters reporting the highest dog intakes:

Animal ShelterDog Intake
City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department8,799
Animal Service Center of the Mesilla Valley (Las Cruces)7,439
Valencia County Animal Shelter (Los Lunas)3,960
Farmington Regional Animal Shelter3,673
McKinley County Humane Society of New Mexico (Gallup)3,243

The 5 shelters reporting the highest cat intakes:

Animal ShelterCat Intake
City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department4,761
Animal Service Center of the Mesilla Valley (Las Cruces)3,792
Farmington Regional Animal Shelter3,202
Grants Animal Care Center1,931
Valencia County Animal Shelter (Los Lunas)1,759

COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE

We know that the more homeless animals there are, the higher the cost to communities to provide animal care and control services sufficient not only to protect animals, but also to protect the public from related risks such as bite injuries and fatalities, disease transmission, traffic accidents, and property damage. Associated costs for basics such as personnel, facilities, equipment, training, sheltering, and euthanasia increase proportionally. The grand total of over $51 million spending is up 34% from 2011.

Our survey clearly demonstrates a wide diversity of facilities, budgets, personnel, and animal intake across New Mexico. It is imperative that the public, state and local lawmakers, and shelters themselves have access to the survey, so everyone can see the enormity of the challenges still facing our public and private animal shelters. Only through transparency and collaboration can we hope to overcome the costly and tragic problem of companion animal overpopulation in our communities.

Animal Protection New Mexico made every effort to ensure that the information provided is accurate. We appreciate and support the efforts of all the respondents. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments.

Donate

Your support drives our ability to accomplish great things! As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization we depend on the donations from you and others who strive for the humane treatment of all living things.

Contact Us

We would love to hear from you. Reach out to us and let us know how we can help you. We love to hear new ideas about how we can help New Mexico’s animals and be better advocates for them. Please reach out to us.

Sign Up for E-Alerts

Join the APNM mailing list and be the first to know about the threats and triumphs affecting all of the animals around our state, and what you can do to show them your support.

What We Do

  • Challenging Animal Cruelty
  • Building Foundations to Keep Animals Safe
  • Protecting Horses, Donkeys and Mules
  • Teaching Compassion for Animals
  • Promoting Coexistence with Wildlife
  • Changing Laws to Change Lives
  • Honoring Champions for Animals
  • Securing Sanctuary for Chimpanzees
  • Promoting Plant-Based Eating

Get Involved

  • Get Involved
  • Our Events
  • Shop
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Sign Up for eAlerts
  • Contact Us

Newsroom

  • Newsroom
  • E-Alerts
  • APNM in the Media
  • Press Releases
  • Sign Up for E-Alerts

About Us

  • About Us: Mission & History
  • Meet Our New Logo
  • Animal Protection Voters
  • Annual Report
  • Fiscal Accountability
  • Board of Directors
  • Board Approved Position Statements
  • APNM Foundation
  • Visit Our Store

SOCIAL

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Twitter

Copyright © Animal Protection New Mexico. All Rights Reserved.

Website by EnvisionIT Solutions

Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use

  • HOME
  • Report Animal Cruelty
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • What We Do
  • Our Publications
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Search APNM