Walking between rows of kennels at Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter, it’s hard to believe more than a quarter of the animals that come through these doors are put down.
While euthanasia rates for Carlsbad’s animal shelters have dropped 57 percent in the last 16 years, 26 percent of cats and dogs taken in in 2016 were euthanized.
“Contrary to some public opinion, I don’t believe that any of us are satisfied with those numbers,” said shelter manager Angela Cary. “Although they do represent a significant accomplishment, animals should not have to die because shelters and rescues are overwhelmed.”
The problem spreads far beyond the city limits: 65,000 unwanted animals are killed every year in New Mexico.
A bill that passed in the New Mexico House of Representatives 50-17 on Monday aimed to establish funding to combat the problem by providing more access to free and low cost sterilization for domestic animals.
House Bill 123 seeks to impose a greater fee on dog and cat food companies who sell their products in New Mexico, increasing the fee from $2 per pet food label annually to $102.
Other states already impose similar fees on dog and cat food companies: Massachusetts and Maine, for example, charge $100 annually for each product.
More money than ever
If enacted, around $700,000 would be generated each year, according to a news release from Animal Protection Voters of New Mexico.
“We’ve never had an ability to distribute money like we will now,” said Lisa Jennings, executive director of APVNM.
The passage of the bill would provide a financial boon to current free and low-cost sterilization efforts.
State money for those services is raised through purchases of a “Spay/Neuter” license plate, which Jennings said raises just $10,000 to $15,000 a year, and through voluntary tax check-offs.
In Eddy County alone, nearly $250,000 was spent last year to pay for spaying and neutering procedures as part of the low cost sterilization program.
“As you can see, the cost of this program is staggering,” said Lorraine Allen-Munoz, board president of Noah’s Ark Animal Refuge, Inc. “We’re ecstatic that the state is considering additional funding.”
The proof the program works is in the numbers, Allen-Munoz said. During a period of reduced funding in 2006, the group decreased the number of spay/neuter certificates being distributed, and the impound and euthanasia rate at the shelter began creeping up again.
Since the program was created in 2001, Allen-Munoz said 20,000 certificates were provided to low income pet owners, and $2.7 million were raised.
The program will be administered under the already-formed state Animal Sheltering Board, with no additional general fund dollars. An amendment to HB 123 states that no more than 7.5 percent of the funds may be used for administrative costs.
HB 123 also sets income requirements for those who may access low cost services for their pets.
That was part of why Reps. Cathrynn Brown (R-55) and Jim Townsend (R-54) were two of 17 who voted against the bill on Monday.
“I voted against HB 123 because it turned the spay and neuter program into a low-income program,” Brown wrote in an email. “This represents a significant and unnecessary change. In fact, the income litmus test might actually result in fewer dogs and cats being spayed or neutered. Furthermore, some families might avoid taking in another dog or cat that needs a home because the family cannot afford the full cost of a vet bill.”
Brown said she also felt it would be a breach of privacy to request income information from those seeking the service.
Maddy Hayden may be reached at 575-628-5512, mahayden@currentargus.com and @Maddy_J_Hayden on Twitter.
