Las Vegas Animal Care Center

Las Vegas Animal Care Center The Las Vegas Animal Care Center is the animal shelter located in Las Vegas, NM. We serve the area of San Miguel County.

Services offered: Pet food pantry, adoption services, low cost spay/neuter and microchips, and more!

🚨 We Need Your Help 🚨Our shelter is OVER CAPACITY —again. Over the last week, we transferred out several dogs to various...
09/16/2025

🚨 We Need Your Help 🚨

Our shelter is OVER CAPACITY —again. Over the last week, we transferred out several dogs to various rescues, and today we are right back to being full.

📅 Since September 1st, we’ve taken in approximately 35 animals.

Right now, 26 dogs remain on court holds. These cases are tied up in the legal system, and until they are resolved, the animals must stay in our care. (We know many of you wonder why these cases take so long — please know that our staff has done everything we can to move the process forward. Unfortunately, these decisions rest with the legal system, and there is no set timeline for when they will be resolved.)

With only 31 kennels, our space is stretched beyond its limits.
That makes this week critical to move some of our residents into homes.

👉 If you’ve been thinking about adopting, fostering, or even just sharing this post—now is the time. Every adoption makes room for another life in need.

Together, we can give these animals the second chance they deserve. Please, help us spread the word. 🐾

🖤 Have a Plan for Your Pets — They Depend on You 🖤At our shelter, we see it more often than we wish we did: beloved pets...
09/15/2025

🖤 Have a Plan for Your Pets — They Depend on You 🖤

At our shelter, we see it more often than we wish we did: beloved pets arriving heartbroken and confused because their person is suddenly gone — passed away, hospitalized, or no longer able to care for them.

Sometimes a family member steps in. Sometimes a friend can help. But too often, there’s no plan in place… and the pet ends up here.

They don’t understand.
Their person was here — and then they weren’t.
Their home smelled like safety, and now it smells like lots of other animals and fear of others who came before them.
They don’t know what they did wrong.
They grieve. They shut down. They stop eating.

We love them. We comfort them. We try to help them heal. But the transition is deeply traumatic, especially for senior pets who’ve only known one home their entire life.

Please — take a moment to make a plan for your pets.
Talk to a trusted friend or family member.
Include your animals in your will.
Write down your pet’s routine, medical needs, and favorite things — and make sure someone knows where to find it.
Even a short note in your wallet saying, “I have pets at home — please contact ___” can make all the difference in an emergency.

It’s not a fun conversation but it’s a loving one. Your pets rely on you completely and planning ahead is one final act of love — a promise that even if you can’t be there, they’ll still be safe.

Always remember, they may be a small part of your world, but to them, you are their world!

These two sweet felines are desperate for a home, after their entire lives have been turned upside-down. We would like to see them stay together. If you have room in your heart for 2 fuzzy friends, please reach out! ❤

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what really happens in animal shelters — about who we are, what we do, and why w...
09/14/2025

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what really happens in animal shelters — about who we are, what we do, and why we do it.

Some believe shelters don’t try hard enough.

That shelters don't care.
That shelters turn animals away too easily.
That shelters are not doing enough.

The truth is: most shelters are doing everything they possibly can — and more — with limited space, limited staff, and limited resources.

If you saw the behind the scenes, you'd see the people who care deeply.

You’d see staff skipping lunch to care for sick or injured animals.

You’d see staff coming in on days off to clean kennels.

You'd see staff covered in blood, rushing to get veterinary care for an injured animal.

You'd see tear stained faces when we couldn't save one.

You'd see us laughing at the most bizarre things, because it helps make things a little less heavy.

You’d see us fighting for every life we can, even when the odds are against us.

You would see us trying to juggle a million things and finding ways to grow and better our programs.

Right now, our shelter is full.
Every kennel. Every crate. Every corner.
And animals keep coming in — strays, dog bites, emergencies. We are doing everything we can to care for them all.

But shelters can’t do it alone.

Here’s how you can make a difference:
🐾 Adopt — even one adoption opens up space for another life
🐾 Foster — short-term fosters save lives
🐾 Donate — every dollar or supply helps
🐾 Volunteer — your time means the world
🐾 Share — spread the word about adoptable pets
🐾 Lead with kindness — it fuels everything we do

This shelter is part of our community, and the animals here are counting on all of us. With your help, we can keep showing up for them — day after day.

Let’s be in this together. 💙

This past weekend, we sent a flight full of animals north to other rescues, where they will have a better chance at bein...
09/12/2025

This past weekend, we sent a flight full of animals north to other rescues, where they will have a better chance at being adopted. 🐾

We have to give a huge shout out to Best Friends Animal Society who coordinated with Dog is My Co-Pilot, shelters across New Mexico, and other receiving shelters to make this transfer happen. So many hours of work were poured into this from every entity involved. Its always such an honor to work with such compassionate, dedicated people. ❤

Approximately 74 animals from New Mexico were flown out early on Saturday morning and 17 of those happy tails were from our shelter, 15 cats and 2 dogs. 🐶🐱

It truly takes a village but when multiple villages come together for one big project, the results are amazing! 💖🎉

We are so happy that we have such amazing partners who work tirelessly with us to move animals to safety! 🥰

We have two dogs who need help finding their families. If you know where either of these dogs belong, please contact us ...
09/11/2025

We have two dogs who need help finding their families.

If you know where either of these dogs belong, please contact us as soon as possible!

505-426-3289

Two terrible incidents in one day. ♥️We only knew them for a few moments—but they left a lasting mark on our hearts.Inci...
09/10/2025

Two terrible incidents in one day. ♥️

We only knew them for a few moments—but they left a lasting mark on our hearts.

Incident 1: Tinker ❤

She came to our shelter from the city animal control officer after being hit by a car. A young pup, not even a year old, wearing a pink collar but with no tags, no microchip—no way to trace who she belonged to. Our shelter is full, bursting at the seams, but we knew a dog this wonderful needed a chance.

At first, we hoped it was just a broken leg. We prayed we could fix it. But the x-rays told a different story. Her pelvis was completely crushed. The damage was too severe.

Her vet determined that euthanasia was the kindest and most compassionate option. Letting her go peacefully was the only gift we could give her.

Incident 2: Rover ❤

Rover came from the Pecos area. He had wandered into someone's yard and was covered in wounds and smelled terribly. The reporting party contacted animal control who then made his way out to check things out.

Rover had multiple open wounds, dirty, rotting, and full of maggots. The maggots were everywhere, filling up the wounds and had made their way into his body.

The kindest option for this sweet boy was euthanasia. The maggots had done far too much damage to repair and had already made their way to his chest cavity.

And still—through unimaginable pain—both wagged their tails. Both leaned into our touch. They were gentle, trusting, and full of love. In the short time we had them, they showed us the kind of souls they were: pure, kind, and forgiving. They didn’t deserve this.
We are heartbroken. These dogs should have been protected. They should have been cherished and should have had a long happy life, running and playing with people who loved them.

To the sweet girl in the pink collar, and the gentle giant pittie—we are so sorry. You were deeply loved, even if only for a few minutes. You will not be forgotten.

❤Thank you to our friends at Brainerd Animal Health Center and Las Vegas - San Miguel Veterinary Hospital for assisting us with these babies' care. The compassion provided by both teams is such a blessing to our shelter animals. ♥️

09/09/2025

Low cost spay and neuter for cats only!
Volunteers needed! Please call 575-512-5893 if you can help.

You Asked How to Help—Here’s One Way 🐾💛We are incredibly fortunate to have a strong budget that supports the daily needs...
09/08/2025

You Asked How to Help—Here’s One Way 🐾💛

We are incredibly fortunate to have a strong budget that supports the daily needs of our animals—but over and over again, our amazing community asks how they can do more. You want to give, to support, to show love in whatever way you can. And while not everyone can adopt, foster, or volunteer, many of you have told us: “I just want to help however I can.”

So we’ve put together an Amazon Wishlist full of items we use and love—everything from enrichment toys to supplies that make our animals’ stays a little more comfortable. These are things we will use, and every donation means one more tail wag, one more purr, one more creature who feels safe and cared for.

This isn’t about a lack of funding, which we know can be a question when we share our wishlist—it’s about an outpouring of compassion from people like you. And we’re so grateful for it. 💕

Thank you for being part of our village. Whether you give your time, your home, your heart, or something from this list—you are making a difference.

We have a dog who needs help finding his family!If you know where this sweet little senior belongs, please contact us as...
09/06/2025

We have a dog who needs help finding his family!

If you know where this sweet little senior belongs, please contact us asap. We would love to reunite him with his people.

09/06/2025

Saving one dog won't change the world but it will change THEIR world forever.

Today, on International Charity Day, we pause to honor the heart, hustle, and compassion of the animal welfare organizat...
09/05/2025

Today, on International Charity Day, we pause to honor the heart, hustle, and compassion of the animal welfare organizations right here in our community.

Each of these groups works tirelessly to help animals in need — often with limited resources and endless determination. 💪🐶🐱🐰

We are proud to know our community has these incredible teams of people with a mission of kindness and care:

🔹 Friends of San Miguel County Animals – Consistently showing up to support us in various areas, from last minute purchases that procurement leaves us little time for, to volunteer work, assisting with events, and always advocating for our shelter, our animals, and our community.

🔹 Animal Welfare Coalition of Northeastern New Mexico - Doing a wonderful job as providing spay/neuter resources for our community, providing pet food to families in need, and more.

🔹 Animal Advocates of Northern New Mexico – Always advocating for animals, whether its in our small town or the surrounding areas. Helping strays, helping rehome animals, and using their voices to speak up for animals who cannot speak for themselves.

🔹 and then there is us - the City of Las Vegas Animal Care Center – Your local animal shelter.

If you're looking for a way to give back today, consider:
✅ Donating to one of these groups
✅ Volunteering your time or skills
✅ Fostering an animal
✅ Sharing their mission with your network

Every act of kindness counts—and each of these groups help create a stronger safety net for the animals who need us most. 🧡

To every staff member, volunteer, and supporter making this work possible: we see you, we thank you, and we celebrate you today and every day.

(P.S. Dakota asked us to remind everyone that she is still looking for a home and is waiting for someone to come scoop her up!)

Address

1680 N. Grand Avenue
Las Vegas, NM
87701

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+15054263289

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Las Vegas Animal Care Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Las Vegas Animal Care Center:

Shortcuts

Share

Category