The purpose of the Las Cruces City and Doña Ana County Animal Regulations is broad: to protect animals from neglect, abandonment and abuse; promote responsible animal ownership; to reduce problems with animal nuisance; to reduce the number of farm animals and wildlife being killed by pets; minimize the number of healthy or treatable animals that are euthanized; and to protect the public from disease or injury caused by pets.
The entire animal regulations can be found on the websites of the city and the district. Although they are largely the same, the city updated several regulations in August. The ordinances agree on the basic duties of animal husbandry: species-appropriate care, sterilization, microchip, rabies vaccination and physical control over your animal (yes, cats too)
For urban animals, the microchip has replaced licensing, but both are required in the county. Microchips can be implanted at the ASCMV (by appointment only) or by your veterinarian, and both the ASCMV and the local animal nonprofit ACTion program regularly host public microchip clinics.
Two common violations of the regulation are complaints about barking dogs and free-range animals. A barking dog tries to get attention: lonely, bored, fearful, overwrought, hungry, or thirsty. If your dog barks a lot, what can you change around him to meet his unmet needs? Perhaps adopting another dog will bring some peace of mind to your pooch. Is there fresh water and food within reach? Does your dog spend most of their time in a high traffic area that causes constant excitement and stress? Conversely, is your dog alone most of the time? Imagine how your dog is living to find out what you can do to make their world better (and the world of your neighbors too).
You may be surprised that owned cats as well as owned dogs are not allowed to roam free, as every owned animal must be “under humane physical restraint at all times”. A domestic cat is safe from wildlife, people, poisons, and automobiles, not to mention wildlife is safe from domestic cats. There are plenty of resources online about how to move your cat indoors and keep a kitten happy. For dogs, enclosure rules are simply how long a tether must be (at least 12 feet), how heavy a tether can be (no more than 1/8 the dog’s body weight), and that the dog must have drinking water within reach at all times to have.
Unfortunately, people sometimes find themselves in a situation in which they can no longer take care of their animals. City and county ordinances say that the owner is responsible for ensuring that the animal can go anywhere. If you have to drop off your pet, the rescues and ASCMV will help, but it is your responsibility to do your pet fair. It’s never okay to dump an animal or leave an animal in a cage at the door of a shelter. In the sense of the ordinances, “giving up” includes leaving an animal behind in the ASCMV or at another place of accommodation without proper written approval and is also a form of “cruelty” in the sense of the ordinances.
After all, it is common to see a dog riding in the open back of a truck. What is not common is to see it in such a way that the dog does not jump out – which city and county ordinances require. (Dogs have hanged themselves by jumping out of a truck if the tether is too long.) The loading area must also have a non-slip surface.
The city and county animal ordinances provide guidelines for safety, care, and common sense. It is up to you to provide the love.
Elaine Stachera Simon writes for the Mesilla Valley Animal Services Center. Follow on Facebook (facebook.com/ASCMV), visit ascmv.org, or call 575-382-0018.
More:The Las Cruces animal shelter has evolved over time. That is new.
Comments are closed.