Albuquerque Animal Welfare

04/04/2025

Lucky Paws on the move will be at Pet Supplies Plus, 6200 Coors Blvd NW, this Sunday with adorable adoptable dogs! Join us!

04/03/2025

Lucky Paws on the move will be at an adoption event at Whole Foods Market on Carlisle this Saturday from 11 AM to 4 PM!

04/03/2025

Cuteness alert! You’ve heard us speak of spring kitten season. Well the bottle baby kittens are starting to trickle in! These sweet littles are too young for adoption. We sent them to a foster home to be nurtured while they grow big and strong enough to be adopted into their forever homes. We are very grateful for our nursery volunteers and our in-home fosters who care for these kittens to get them ready for you to adopt! Remember, you can volunteer with us, we have so many varied opportunities!

04/02/2025

Thanks for spreading the word about kitten season, KRQE News 13 !

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s kitten season in Albuquerque and the city says its shelters are overwhelmed, with hundreds of orphaned kittens arriving at the shelter each week. Now, the city…

04/02/2025

Check out this fun fundraiser for AWD going on this weekend at Mrs. Sprinkles Ice Cream Parlor. Will you win the game of Clue?

04/02/2025

Ms. Tippy Toes is a 1.5-year-old female pup with a charming name and an even more charming personality! She came to the shelter as a stray, but she’s ready to dance her way into a loving home.

This sweet girl gets along well with well-matched dogs and would love a furry friend to share playtime with. Whether she's trotting around the yard, enjoying a walk, or soaking up attention from her favorite humans, Ms. Tippy Toes is always up for some fun.

Ms Tippy Toes went on a slumber party weekend recently with one of our volunteers. Susanna said Ms Tippy Toes rode nicely in the car, seems to be housetrained (which is such a big bonus), loved going for walks and runs, reacted appropriately to other dogs while out on walks, and loved to lounge around in the back yard. Susanna said Ms Tippy Toes is a total sweetheart and that they loved having her.

If you're looking for a playful and affectionate companion, come meet Ms. Tippy Toes at our Westside shelter today—she just might tiptoe right into your heart!
All adoption fees are waived!

04/01/2025

It's kitten season!

04/01/2025

Kitten Season has arrived!

What To Do If You Come Across Kittens

Animal Welfare Department Explains How You Can Help

Here in Albuquerque, hundreds of orphaned kittens continue to arrive every week, making this time of year an overwhelming one for shelters. If you find a kitten or a litter of kittens, Animal Welfare Department (AWD) is asking for your help and providing resources and information on what to do.

If you find young kittens without their mom, it does not necessarily mean they have been abandoned. The mother could be out looking for food or finding a more suitable home for her kittens. If you find one or two kittens, their mother may be in the process of moving the family and is on her way back for the others.

Wait and observe from a distance for an hour or two. If possible, observe the site for several hours to be sure the kittens are truly abandoned. A great way to determine if momma cat is coming back without you seeing her is to take some regular all-purpose flour and sprinkle it around the area where the kittens are (avoiding putting any directly on the kittens). Usually, you will see kitty paw prints in the flour — that is momma coming and going!

If you determine the kittens are in danger or truly abandoned, you can help save kitten lives and keep your local shelters from reaching capacity by becoming a foster parent. For more information about being a foster parent, please email [email protected]. In the foster program, AWD provides pet food and supplies when taking care of our shelter pets. For additional assistance on caring for kittens, email at [email protected]

“As a pet-friendly city, we are encouraging all residents to be informed about how to help during kitten season,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “With an influx of kittens needing homes, it’s a great time of year to step up and foster or take in a shelter pet as part of your family.”

“This is the time of year when AWD shelters are overrun with cuddly puppies and purring kittens, some of which are in need of 24/7 care,” said Director of Animal Welfare Department Carolyn Ortega. “AWD is asking the community’s help to make sure these kittens and puppies live happy, healthy lives by joining our fostering program.”

Those who cannot foster, should call 311 to make an appointment to bring the kittens to the shelter. If the kittens are weak, or have not eaten in 3 hours, the situation is an emergency. Please go to the Eastside shelter admissions entrance and someone will assist you.

Tips for Judging a Kitten’s Age

· Under one week: Eyes shut, ears flat to head, skin looks pinkish. Part of umbilical cord may still be attached.

· 1 week-10 days: Eyes beginning to open, ears still flat. A kitten this age is smaller than your hand.

· 3 weeks: Eyes are fully open, ears are erect, and teeth are visible. Kittens this age are just starting to walk and will be very wobbly.

· 4-5 weeks: Eyes have changed from blue to another color and/or kittens have begun to pounce and leap. Kittens this age will begin to eat gruel or canned food.

· 7 weeks: Kittens of this age are ready to be away from their mother cat. These kittens will start to eat crunchy kibble/food and are very active and playful. Kittens this age run, jump, and are very mobile.

Albuquerque Animal Welfare reminds you to always spay or neuter your pets. The City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department’s mission is to protect and serve the pets and people of Albuquerque by providing Caregiving, Awareness, Resources, Enforcement and Service excellence.

04/01/2025

Our very tall dog, Timber, went home with some very tall people yesterday. Timber spent a good amount of time at the shelter, was a staff fave, and we’re so happy he finally got adopted! Happy life to Timber and his new family!
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04/01/2025

Royal A1913945
You'd be an April Fool not to get in here and adopt Royal.
Royal is a mellow and calm dog with a real aura of nobility. He accepts treats and enjoys neck scratches and warms up quickly as he gets to know you. He walks on a leash with a regal manner and has met dogs calmly at the fence. He might be a good cadidate to meet your calm and friendly dog. Royal is waiting patiently for a family ready to shower him with loving kindness. He is ready to explore the kingdom with you by his side.
Royal is a 6-year-old male German shepherd. He will go home neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, with a free personalized engraved name tag, and coupons for a free dog training class and a free initial vet visit.

03/31/2025

Our second snake within five days!

03/31/2025

We wish a very happy life to Sammy and his new family! If you saw our recent post you know Sammy was our shelter’s longest term resident who had been waiting 234 days for someone to step up and adopt this good boy! Sammy was adopted by this sweet family at our adoption event at PetSmart over the weekend! Thanks for saving the life of a shelter pet! Hooray for happy endings!

03/31/2025

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque is getting creative when it comes to using vacant property lots they own. This weekend, they unveiled their brand-new “pop-up dog park”…

03/30/2025

We had a great time out at both of our events today. The new downtown dog park at 100 Silver (Silver and 1st) is sweet! Go check it out!
And we always enjoy holding adoption events at PetSmart on Coors and Montano!

03/30/2025

We're doing double duty for double the fun today! Come out and see us at either, or both of our events today!

03/29/2025

Lucky Paws on the Move is set up at BJ’s Brewhouse on Coors for the afternoon! Come out and meet our adorable adoptable pets! All adoption fees are waived! We’ve got puppies, adult dogs, a PUG, and a CHIHUAHUA! See our stories for some of the pets who are there.