Las Vegas Animal Care Center

03/02/2024

We consistently hear many people say they believe $200-$300 dollars for a spay or neuter is an outrageous price.
We understand that this is not affordable for many people but that's actually a great price!

If you think about these surgeries for humans, the cost is well over $2,000! The difference is, most humans have insurance that covers this.

Now, let's also think about the costs that will accrue when your dog has puppies -
Mom will need to eat lots more than normal in order to support her body through pregnancy and through the neonatal period while she nurses those newborns. Then, once those puppies hit 3-4 weeks of age, they need food, too. And the amount of food they need increases as they grow. Realistically, puppies should stay with mom until AT LEAST 8 weeks of age, but ideally 12-13 weeks of age in order for them to learn polite play, bite inhibition, etc, so think about the amount of food needed to care for them until they can be adopted into homes of their own.
Puppies also require a series of vaccinations, dewormer, and more.
The cost of all of these things is FAR more than $300.
Now imagine having to put this amount of money into numerous litters, because you couldn't afford to get mom spayed. On top of that, having too many litters can cause some pretty severe health issues for mom, so there's another hefty vet bill. Now that's an outrageous amount of money!
& what if you can't find homes for all of those puppies? Well, say hello to another dog who is going to add to those costs!

There is also pet insurance - many insurance providers will cover the costs of spay and neuter surgeries. There are low cost clinics. There are many vet clinics who accept payment plans or payments through companies like Care Credit. Save a little money on the side, ask friends/family/Animal welfare groups for help with remaining costs if you truly cannot afford the full amount.

Think about it long term. What's going to cost you more, a spay/neuter surgery, or multiple litters of puppies to care for?

This is 100% doable if you really want it done. We believe in you, so get out there and get your pets spayed/neutered! ❤️

03/01/2024

In the last couple of weeks we have not been very active on our social media but we have good reason for that! We have been VERY busy and just trying to keep our heads above water with so many different things going on.

Our manager was out of state attending two courses with the Canine - Human Relationship Institute
1. The Lost Dog Recovery Course which will help us in many areas, like assisting people in finding their lost animals, assisting ACOs with locating the packs of dogs who seem to be incredibly evasive, and for identifying other aspects of how domesticated dogs vs feral dogs operate when they group up.
2. The Puppy Development Course which will help us serve the little guys as best we can while understanding how their bodies and minds develop from the time mom becomes pregnant all the way until the puppies are fully grown up at 2-3 years old. This will help ensure we are giving the very best care to our most vulnerable population.

On top of this, staff are gearing up to partake in an active shooter training through the City of Las Vegas and one staff member will be attending a Pet First Aid training this weekend.

We have so many things going on, we can't even begin to explain it all! But we promise, we are working hard to continuously improve operations to better serve our community.

Needless to say, we still have SO MANY dogs who need help finding homes, so please reach out to us if you would like to adopt, foster, or are part of a rescue who is interested in pulling animals from our shelter. The intake of new dogs and cats never stops! We know every animal deserves a chance and we need your help to make sure they have the best chance possible!

02/13/2024

NOTICE:

We will be closing for the afternoon of February 14 starting at 1:00 pm.

Our staff has will be partaking in some team building activities.

In case of emergency, shoot us a message and we will keep our eyes open for any incoming inquiries!

02/10/2024

Thank you to Albuquerque Journal for the awesome article they wrote about the trouble shelters in New Mexico face. It's a never ending battle, but we do our best with what we have. ❤️

Three members of the state House of Representatives have proposed a bill to create an Animal Welfare Trust Fund for the state.

02/08/2024

Here is our amazon wishlist for everyone asking how/what they can donate to animal in our care.

You are all amazing. Thank you! ❤

02/08/2024

How many dogs can we get in a week, in such horrible condition?! This is appalling.

The dogs we see often come from deplorable conditions, but this last week has been extra frustrating. This puppy should weigh at least 16 lbs but only weighs 9.8 lbs.

THIS IS UNREAL. 😡

We definitely need help feeding these guys. If you can spare a little money to purchase and donate some raw ground beef, coconut oil, and microwaveable brown rice, it is SO needed right now. With 5 dogs in this condition, we will be going through those items like crazy.

& if you are struggling to feed your pets, look for help. Please do not let it get this bad. This is unacceptable and quite frankly, its disgusting that any human being could watch this happen to an animal.

02/07/2024

When you recieve multiple neglected dogs who are severely emaciated, a bland diet is necessary for reintroducing food. Our go to is raw hamburger meat, brown rice, and a little coconut oil. 🍲

Cases like this also mean monitoring them very closely to ensure they don't die on us, so they will be in crates for the next week or so, in order to receive the extra care and attention they need. ❤️

We have FOUR different dogs needing this type of special care. All four of them are heading up to our vet tomorrow to get check ups, blood work, and to check for any other medical issues.
This is not cheap and it's time consuming for staff to make sure each dog is getting what they need.

There is one thing we know for sure - Harvey, Hershey, Valentine, and Murray will never have to endure such horrors again. ❤️

If you would like to donate to the care of shelter animals like these ones, we can always use items like potty pads, wet dog food, and bland diet ingredients like rice and meat.

02/04/2024

We have a dog who needs help finding her family.

We will be closed until Tuesday, so we will not get to the phones until then but will keep an eye open for our FB messages in case someone is looking to reclaim her.

02/02/2024

Second update: Bear had gone missing from his home and his family was worried sick about him. They came to pick up his little body & we were able to provide them with a clay pawprint. RIP sweet Bear, you were so loved! ❤️❤️❤️

Update: This sweet boy was in such bad shape he had to be euthanized. 💔 If this is your pet, his body is at the shelter waiting to be claimed.

We have a dog who desperately needs help finding his family.

He was hit by a car and is on his way to the vet, now but he is in bad shape.

If this is your pet, please contact us ASAP by message or at 505-426-3289.

01/31/2024

🚨 MORA COUNTY 🚨

How amazing is this!?

01/29/2024

This is still a GO even with the weather. Location is 318 Moreno. CHANGE OF LOCATION DUE TO EVACUATION OF THE CONFERENCE ROOM due to poor air quality. NOW AT THE LAS VEGAS Police Department Training Room. Reminder - FREE training for San Miguel County dog rescuers at the shelter on February 10 from 11-4. If you cant be there the entire time, come when you can. There are SOOO many dogs in our county that fall into this category. Julie Hart, FSMCA president and fearful feral dog specialist, is providing this training for free. We need to train a fearful and feral dog rehab army!! Please rsvp at [email protected]

01/27/2024

Want a new animal shelter for Las Vegas and San Miguel County? Let your voices be heard by writing a letter or using all or part of the letter copied below. Send the letters to Senator Campos at [email protected] or 418 Raynolds Avenue, Las Vegas NM 87701 AND Representative Castellano at [email protected] or P.O. Box 114, Serrafina NM 87569. We should also send letters to Governor Lujan Grisham at 490 Old Santa Fe Trail Room 400
Santa Fe, NM 87501. Below is a copy of the letter FSMCA is sending

Dear _________

RE: project ID 42175

I am writing to ask you to vote yes to approve the funding for a new shelter in Las Vegas, New Mexico that serves the city and San Miguel County . At the root of our concern is the lack ofbasic necessities at the Las Vegas Animal Care Center that poses a safety risk to staff, the animals, and does not meet New Mexico Administrative Code Title 16 Chapter 24 Part 7,“Sheltering Providers Minimum Standards – Animal Shelters.” The state of this shelter is a reprehensible situation and has reached an emergency level.
It is a disservice to the community to not have a shelter that meets minimum code and canmeet the needs of San Miguel County. A new shelter would allow more animals to be helped and lower the number of free-roaming packs of dogs and feral cats in the community. The free-roaming animals present a safety risk and a quality of life detriment to the community ofSan Miguel County. The government needs to lead by example and let their citizens know that animal welfare is important by providing a shelter that meets standards set by the Veterinary Board and common best practices in the field. Animal welfare is directly linked to human welfare and abuse.

The shelter, in the current state of dis-repair,antiquated design, and small size presents thebelow issues:
● Injury to staff and Friends of San Miguel County Animals● Lack of adequate heat and air conditioning in the kennel area
● Added stress to animals in the enclosures compounded by the ability to fence-fight with other dogs next to them.
● Lack of staff and exercise areas prevents adequate exercise for animals (state coderequires 15 minutes a day).● Porous surfaces harbor infectious diseases (such as parvo) which could infect the entire shelter population.
● Broken kennels and doors present safety and injury risks to animals and staff
● The size of the shelter is too small to harbor all animals needing services
● Lack of morale and retention of staff due to the lack of safe working conditions
● Fire code violations
● The state of the shelter discourages adopters from visiting the shelter.
● The current shelter cannot meet the needs of the community.
Many constituents would be very pleased to see improvement of the Las Vegas and San Miguel area ’s management of the shelter and improvement of the animals’ lives that have to stay there. Many residents are rightfully concerned about the shelter conditions. Animals are dear to many peoples’ hearts. I implore you to approve funding for a new shelter for Las Vegas and San Miguel County.
Sincerely

01/25/2024

We promised from the beginning to be transparent with our community, so here it is...

In the last week we received a mom and her 6 puppies, two litters of 3 pups, 4 puppies who came in alone, and two large dogs.

That's 19 dogs in 7 days and it does not include puppies who are on our waitlist for puppy rescue and quite a few more cases that our local law enforcement agencies are working on.

We are tired. Every rescue, sanctuary, and shelter we speak with is drowning, too - not just in New Mexico, but across the country. We have shelters who have maintained a no-kill rate for over a decade, telling us they do not think that will be a possibility any longer because they are overwhelmed by dogs coming in faster than they can get them out into homes. We ourselves have managed to maintain a no-kill rate up until this year but we are struggling to keep up and we have to try to keep our community safe from the roaming packs of dogs and aggressive dogs.

We are grateful to groups like Animal Advocates of Northern NM, who have also taken many animals in off the streets because without them, our intake numbers would be even higher.

Last week, we had to euthanize three wonderful dogs for minor behavioral issue to make space. Our hearts are broken.

Does this upset you? Because it is devastating to us. No one should ever have to make these decisions. We are crying as we write this. The next time you hear someone saying we don't care, let them know that we care SO much, and its breaking us.

Right now, we are begging for fosters and adopters so the dogs in the shelter might have a chance at life after the shelter, rather than having to leave in a body bag.

Below are photos of the amazing dogs who lost their lives last week because this community is facing such a severe animal welfare crisis and we needed more space for more dogs.

Rest in paradise to these sweet little souls. You all deserved so much better. ❤️💜

01/25/2024

A full shelter means lots of beautiful faces looking for a place to call home. ❤️

We have so many dogs with amazing personalities, living on borrowed time.

If you have room in your heart to save the life of an animal in need, please reach out to us about fostering or adopting.

❤️❤️

01/24/2024

We have 2 dogs who need help finding their families. They did not come in together.

Please reach out if you know where either of these little ones belong. ❤️

01/19/2024

Lets talk about fostering!

What does a foster do?
The whole point of fostering a pet is to give them a soft place to land while they await their future family. Fosters are able to gather info on what a dog or cat is like in a home and can use their observations to help their foster pet find the perfect home for their needs. Fosters help the shelter "market" the pet for adoption and help spread the word about the awesome pet looking for a home.

How do I know what type of pet to foster?
We know not every dog or cat is a good fit for every family, so we do our best to help you find someone who will fit into your family easily. If you have dogs of your own, you can bring them in to meet the potential fosters and make sure everyone gets along well before taking your new foster home.

What supplies do I need to foster?
NONE! The shelter will provide anything you may need for your foster pet - food, bowls, kennels, blankets, toys, etc.
We also take on all (if any) medical expenses.

We have many types of fosters:
- Fearful dog/cat fosters who help animals trust people and become more confident
-Medical fosters who help animals through recovery from different medical issues and injuries
-Neonatal fosters who bottle feed baby kitties and puppies who have lost their moms too early.
-Happy fosters who take in a happy and ready to be adopted pet and help find them homes!

Are you interested in helping save the lives of animals in need?
Shoot us a message or call us at 505-426-3289 ❤

01/18/2024

We have a dog who needs help finding her family.

If this is your dog or you know where she belongs, please call us at 505-426-3289 or shoot us a message.

01/10/2024

Meet Violet ❤

Violet has been with the Animal Care Center for around a year and today we are celebrating her release.

Violet was nearly being starved to death alongside multiple other dogs. When officers found Violet, she was stuck in an enclosure with another dog who had already died of starvation.

Violet came in weak, emaciated, and completely defeated. We did not think she would make it, but we gave it our all.
She could not keep her body heat up because she was nothing but bones. Her body had begun feeding off of itself, and she had very little muscle mass. A few days after she came in, she stopped eating completely. We were ready to try anything and found that raw ground beef was the one thing we could get into her, so we started a tedious protocol to get nutrients into her.

Here we are, almost one year later, and Violet is ALIVE. She was FINALLY freed from her hold for court and free from the horrors she endured with her past owners.

During her stay, Julie Hart with Friends of San Miguel County Animals reached out to a close friend in the Washington area who has quite the background in pitbulls. They decided to do an Embark DNA test on her to find out she is 100% American Pitbull Terrier!
They also managed to find her an amazing family on the east coast but they had to wait until she was released so someone could adopt her.

Today, Violet left us and started the almost 2,000 mile journey to her new family, where we know she will be loved and cared for like she should have been from the start.

Violet is an amazing dog, who despite the horrible life she had, is the sweetest soul.❤

To say we are happy is an understatement. As she drove away, we had tears in our eyes but our hearts were full of joy knowing she has a great life ahead of her.

We love you Violet. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to save you. ❤

01/05/2024

Thank you Jim Terr for putting together a great article about the animal crisis in SAN MIGUEL COUNTY. Several people active in animal welfare contributed to this article and its good to read varying opinions, that have much in common. Some of my favorite quotes are below, but check out the article at http://www.hermitspeakhowler.com/

"I think we need to have fosters in place with a contract under the city for long term cases whose owners have been accused of animal abuse. It can take up to a year before court would start. In the meantime they have to stay at the shelter and take up space."

"When there are no consequences, it not only enables the offender to continue as they had been, it makes the job of the animal control officer pointless. They are already facing an uphill battle,"

"We are trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon, and despite our best efforts and pleas for help, there is no relief"

"I receive calls from people complaining about dog packs roaming the streets and approaching people in a threatening manner. If dogs were kept in their yards or enclosed area, the dogs would not be forming packs that threaten the safety and well being of people, their properties, or pets. We need stronger enforcement of ordinances and we need pet owners to take responsibility for their pets."

"I admire the people who work there (shelter). I admire the volunteers who are willing to give of their time to help when they can. But, we really do desperately need a new facility that will provide adequate space, kennels, heating, cooling, industrial washers and dryers, storage area for food and supplies, refrigerators, freezers, etc"

"Right now so many people in our community are stepping up to help, rescuing, feeding, fostering because all of these dogs can't wait for help that isn't coming and neither can we"

01/05/2024

This dog is not from shelter but still needs a home!

Reach out to Laura w/ Animal Advocates of Northern NM for more info.

❤️

Everyone meet Charlie boy 🐾✨

01/04/2024

With it being a new year, we just wanted to reflect on how many wonderful homes we found for ACC animals in 2023.

A little recap of 2023's data:

We took in a total of 635 animals (501 dogs and 134 cats) while having to limit intakes to high priority calls and emergencies only.

We completed 110 adoptions (82 dogs and 28 cats)

We transferred out 441 animals to other rescues/shelter (345 dogs and 96 cats)

We helped reunite 61 animals with their families (60 dogs and 1 cat)

We won't leave out the sad stuff either...
We euthanized 19 animals, 16 dogs and 3 cats for behavior issues and severe medical issues. (We remember every single one and love them all.)

The photos below are just a few updates we have received of ACC Alumni and our hearts are soaring! ❤

Looking for your new best friend? Call us!

01/03/2024

ANOTHER thank you post for donations! How lucky are we?! ❤️

Prairie Hill Café and Byron T's Saloon, Charlie's S**c and Span, & The Skillet: Rolling Kitchen and Catering for putting up the Giving Trees for animal care items during the holidays, organized by Animal Advocates of Northern NM

We cannot thank everyone enough for the supplies. Our shelter residents are so grateful for all the goodies. ❤️