Rise In Surrendered Animals Creates Shelter Crowding

At the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley, there dogs and cats up for adoption, but their life span there isn’t very long because there just isn’t enough room for all the animals.

On most days dogs and cats are brought in by Animal Control officers.

They join more than 500 animals housed in rows of cages.

At a Las Cruces City Council work session, animal lovers brought up issues the shelter needs to improve on.

“What deeply saddens and traumatizes me is the prolonged warehousing of animals allowed to languish in their cages 24/7 without exercise or fresh air because the staff is not utilized for those purposes,” explained animal lover Jane Gilbert.

Shelter officials say they need volunteers to walk the dogs, they also need foster homes or the animals will end up in trash bags in the back of a truck on its way to the dump.

“There’s just no room right now. There are more coming in than we can find homes for,” said animal caregiver Ed Warner.

More owners are surrendering animals throughout Dona Ana County and the only way to make room is to kill those already there.

“Everyday it is depressing,” Warner explained. “The number of animals we have to take out that have to be euthanized.”

“We’ve killed a very large number of dogs. The truck was full going to the dump today,” said shelter director Dr. Beth Vesco-Mock.

She explained the only way to bring the numbers down is through spaying and neutering, as well as teaching owners to be responsible.

“We are making progress. Euthanization numbers are lower than they were 3 years ago but it’s still an unacceptable number to us who love animals,” she said.

To donate time or money to the shelter or to foster a pet, call 575-382-0018.