CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. — The City of Grants has dismissed its Animal Shelter director and is pausing all live-animal intakes through Thursday, Oct. 31, 2025, while staff complete deep cleaning, facility repairs, and compliance work, according to an Oct. 20 media release signed by City Manager Andrew Valencia.
The city said it will begin a formal search for a new director to oversee animal-welfare operations and facility management. During the transition, the shelter will continue to accept deceased animals for humane disposal, review previously scheduled animal transfers case-by-case, and respond to public-safety emergencies involving dangerous or seriously injured animals through dispatch. Juan Lopez has been named Interim Shelter Supervisor and can be reached at (505) 285-4012 for coordination and urgent cases.
Current Animal Count and Transports
As of Sunday–Monday, the population numbers continued to fall: As of the afternoon of Oct. 20, Grants Police Chief Maxine Monte told the Citizen the shelter “currently holds 52 dogs (no cats)” at the facility.
Monte added that Dog Is My Co-Pilot “went out today with 31 animals that were from the facility and foster,” part of the ongoing transport push.
Those figures follow last week’s update (Oct. 14) reporting a drop from 117 animals to 60 without euthanasia, aided by transfers coordinated with Best Friends Animal Society and partner rescues.
Personnel Status and City Confirmation
Chief Maxine Monte initially referred all questions about the Animal Care Center director to Human Resources, citing personnel confidentiality. Within hours, the city released an Oct. 20 media statement confirming that the director has been dismissed and that a formal search is underway for new leadership.
Prior to publication, the Citizen sought clarification from HR, City Manager Andrew Valencia, and Mayor Erik Garcia.
According to city officials, Interim Shelter Supervisor Juan Lopez will manage day-to-day operations during the transition and coordinate transports, sanitation, and compliance work.
The mayor said the city will prioritize candidates with shelter-management experience, transport/SOP familiarity, and a track record of partner coordination (e.g., Best Friends, Dog Is My Co-Pilot). Recruitment details— application window, interview timeline, and public posting—were not immediately available.
Mayor: “Not a Kill Shelter”
In a 1 p.m. interview on Oct. 20, Mayor Erik Garcia emphasized that Grants is not a kill shelter and said recent air and ground transports—some using the Grants-Milan Airport—are part of a push to create “success stories” with reputable partners, a demand which pushed the city’s reevaluation of the shelter.
“The assumption is that animals are getting transferred out to be euthanized— that’s not the case,” Garcia said. “People want animals, and they want to know they’re healthy and properly documented.”
Garcia credited Chief Monte’s team for rapid progress and said the city is writing or tightening standard operating procedures (SOPs) for transports and care.
He noted that Grants Police Department “just got awarded a $250,000 grant”—funding he said the city aims to use to upgrade HVAC systems— and added that Grants should plan on finding “a quarter to a half million dollars” annually to improve the shelter.
Mayor Garcia said the city hopes to be “back up and running” in early November, with a target population near 32 animals. He called the director position “a great job” that requires both compassion and accountability, estimating an entry-level salary around $60,000.
Why the Temporary Closure?
City officials say the intake pause through Oct. 31 is intended to create a safer, more compliant, and sustainable operation before routine intake resumes. The work plan includes:
• Deep cleaning & sanitation:
Intensive top-to-bottom cleaning of kennels, drains, laundry areas, food prep spaces, and storage; disinfection cycles aligned with industry guidance; and revised cleaning logs to track frequency, chemicals used, and sign-offs. Staff are also auditing isolation/quarantine protocols to reduce cross-exposure risk.
• Facility repairs & organization:
Repairs to kennels, doors, gates, ventilation components, and water fixtures; re-labeling and reorganizing food, medications, and supplies to meet chain-of-custody and first-in/first-out standards; and updating signage for staff and volunteers. The mayor said HVAC upgrades are a near-term investment target, aided by recent grant funding.
• Compliance & welfare improvements:
Tightening SOPs around intake examinations, vaccinations, parasite control, and record-keeping so animals are transport-ready with complete and verifiable documentation. The city says it is also aligning transport practices with partner requirements to avoid delays or returns, and strengthening bite-incident and aggressive-dog response procedures.
• Leadership transition:
With the director dismissed and a search underway, the city is assigning interim responsibilities, clarifying reporting lines, and documenting role-based duties (shelter ops, transports, medical coordination, volunteer interface). Officials say the aim is to reduce single-point dependencies and ensure continuity when staff change or volume spikes.