Let’s Talk New Mexico, 12/12/24, 8am: ‘Tis the season for giving and animal shelters and rescues are asking for a hand, or a paw. More than 12,000 dogs and cats were euthanized in New Mexico shelters last year, according to the Best Friends’ Pet Lifesaving Dashboard. The cost of care and inflation are often cited as top reasons people surrender pets and fewer people are adopting pets this year than last.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Colorado, where there is a more robust animal wellness infrastructure and higher rates of sterilization, there is talk of new restrictions on importing pets. That could be disastrous for New Mexico’s shelters, since Colorado receives about 12,000 animals each year from other states, including ours.
On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, we'll discuss the support animal shelters and rescues need, and how we can better manage pet populations. Email letstalk@kunm.org, leave a voice message by clicking the link below, or call in live Thursday morning at 8.
Guests:
- Mattie Allen, Director of Communications, Española Humane
- Erin Atkinson, Executive Director, Street Cat Hub
- Jack Hagerman, Deputy Director, City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare
- Chantal Wadsworth, Co-founder, RezRoads Rescue
Reading and resources:
"State spay and neuter funding remains in legal limbo," KOB-TV
"Proposed Colorado rabies rule could wreak havoc on New Mexico shelters," Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexico Spay/Neuter Resources Directory - Animal Protection New Mexico
