GRANTS, N.M. – Grants Animal Care Center is almost always at capacity. Last week they transported twenty animals to other cities, and within four hours they were back at capacity due to owners surrendering pets. That is why they work so tirelessly to educate the public about spaying and neutering pets. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 6.3 million pets enter the shelter system every year – spread evenly between dogs and cats. Approximately 900,000 shelter animals are euthanized each year. These numbers are estimates based on data obtained from shelters and rescues across the country, and the numbers vary from state to state.
According to Animal Control Officer, Juan Lopez, “It’s the law. If you do not have a kennel license to breed, you’re breaking the law.” All companion animals must be spayed (for females) or neutered (for males) in this state unless you have obtained a license to breed your dog or cat. The Grants Animal Care Center will no longer adopt out an animal that has not been fixed. This is a relatively new policy that shelter Director Dale Kuehnert, felt the need to establish.
For pet owners who are reluctant to get their pet fixed, studies show that spayed and neutered pets have longer life spans. According to the American Humane Society, intact female dogs and cats have higher rates of a sometimes-fatal uterine infection called pyometra as well as other cancers of the reproductive system. Neutering males reduces the chance of testicular cancer and can lessen aggression as well as the desire to mark territory with urine.
Senate Bill 57 – The Affordable Spay/Neuter Bill – was passed by the New Mexico State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on March 6, 2020 and went into effect January 2021. This new law is a statewide spay/neuter funding mechanism requiring large pet food manufacturers to pay a modest fee in addition to the fees they already pay the state for the ability to sell their products to New Mexicans. This additional $100 manufacturer level fee (this is not passed onto the consumer or retailer) is estimated to generate $1.3 million every year for low cost spay/neuter services. This is especially needed in rural and low-income communities. According to the New Mexico nonprofit Animal Protection Voters, the counties most in need of support in New Mexico are: Cibola, Eddy, Rio Arriba, Valencia, Lea, McKinley, San Juan, and Dona Ana.
Possibly the strongest reason that supports spaying and neutering pets is population control. In the United States, almost a million animals are euthanized every year. Many of these animals are old, sick, and unwanted, but some are young and healthy with nowhere to go. With so many unwanted pets, spaying and neutering seems like the easiest way to prevent so many unwanted and euthanized pets.
Animal Control Officer Juan Lopez described a cat hoarding situation with over thirty cats indoors. “We got a call from the landlord. We’re going to address this next week. Hopefully.” Grants is a city of approximately 9,000 residents. Working together, this emergency can be fixed. The Grants Animal Care Center is located at 722 Sakelares Blvd. The phone number is 505-285-4012.