New life for local shelters

More pets across southern New Mexico could soon receive lifesaving care thanks to state funding aimed at expanding veterinary services and improving aging shelter facilities. 

The Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley will receive $125,000 to expand its surgical suite, while the City of Bayard will use a $290,600 grant to renovate its municipal animal shelter. The awards are part of a $2 million statewide Animal Shelter Infrastructure Grant Program administered by the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration. 

At the Animal Services Center, the project will relocate the current surgical suite into a larger space inside the facility, creating two surgical stations and a dedicated room for dental procedures — a service the organization has never been able to provide. 

Executive Director Stephanie Lewis said the additional space will allow the center to perform more spay and neuter surgeries, helping address one of the biggest drivers of overcrowded shelters. 

“The biggest source of animal intakes that we get are stray animals,” Lewis said. “The best way to do that is through spaying and neutering in the community.” 

Demand already exceeds the center’s current capacity. 

Last month alone, the Animal Services Center completed 435 surgeries involving shelter animals, adopted pets, community cats through trap-neuter-return programs and privately owned animals. Lewis said the expanded suite could increase that total by another 300 to 400 procedures each month. 

The Animal Services Center is the only open-admission shelter in Doña Ana County and accepted more than 9,400 animals last year — the second-highest intake among shelters in New Mexico. 

Lewis said the expansion comes at a time when veterinary appointments remain difficult to secure, giving more families an opportunity to access affordable care for their pets. 

“I hope this allows people to be able to help their animals in the way that they want to,” she said. “I hope it helps increase our visibility and the good that we do for our community.” 

The new space will also make it possible to host high-volume spay and neuter events while adding dental procedures for animals receiving care at the facility. 

In Bayard, the city plans to renovate outdoor kennels, install heating and air conditioning, improve drainage, and add storage space at its animal shelter. 

City Clerk-Treasurer Martha Ann Salas said the building has gone years without major improvements, and an earlier grant helped begin enclosing kennels but wasn’t enough to complete the work. 

Construction is not expected to begin immediately as the city works through the procurement process. 

Salas said the improvements will create a safer, more comfortable environment for animals while giving residents confidence that their pets will be well cared for if they ever arrive at the shelter. 

“Pets are family,” Salas said. “People want to know their animals are being cared for.”