Santa Fe, NM — November 5, 2025 —Today, Animal Protection New Mexico, and its legislative arm Animal Protection Voters, announced and celebrated the distribution of long-awaited state funding for spay/neuter providers, animal shelters, and other community animal services in New Mexico. The funds, made possible by the passage of two different pieces of legislation that Animal Protection Voters championed, were awarded to fifty-three different entities across the state this month.
Earlier this year, the Legislature and Governor approved House Bill 113, which created a new Animal Welfare Program Fund, and appropriated $5 million dollars to that fund. This fund is managed by the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), with the mission to support animal shelters, animal control and law enforcement agencies, and community service providers.
HB 113 received wide bi-partisan support and was sponsored by Representative Tara L. Lujan (D-Santa Fe), Representative Reena Szczepanski (D-Santa Fe), Representative Joseph Sanchez (D-Alcalde), Representative Cynthia Borrego (D-Albuquerque), Representative Michelle Paulene Abeyta (D-Tóhajiileehé), Representative Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences), and Representative Anita Gonzales (D-Las Vegas) in the House. Senator Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) sponsored the bill in the Senate.
In late October, DFA awarded $3 million in grants from the Animal Welfare Program Fund, which was signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in April 2025, to twenty-five local governments for animal shelter facility improvements, such as roof repairs and the purchase of HVAC systems.
Crystal Trujillo, Director of Animal Control for the City of Santa Rosa said, “The funding we are receiving will allow us to repair our leaky roof and concrete the outdoor portion of our dog kennels. This means we can create a safer, cleaner, and more comfortable environment for the animals in our care and extend the life of our facility to better serve our community.”
In 2020, the New Mexico Legislature and Governor Lujan Grisham approved Senate Bill 57—known as New Mexico’s Affordable Spay/Neuter Law. Under this law, the state collects a spay/neuter program fee on each cat and dog food/treat label registered for sale in New Mexico from large pet food companies. SB 57 was sponsored by Senator Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe), Senator Jacob Candelaria (D-Albuquerque), Representative Joanne J. Ferrary (D-Doña Ana) and Representative Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D-Albuquerque). To date, the spay/neuter program has amassed over $5 million dollars in spay/neuter funding.
However, until this year, SB 57-derived funds had not been allocated, in part due to concerns around a pending lawsuit brought by the corporate pet industry against the law. While the litigation has dragged on for years, in 2024 Animal Protection Voters was permitted by the judge to join the lawsuit as intervenors to help defend SB 57. The State has now moved forward despite the litigation, and this month the NM Board of Veterinary Medicine disbursed approximately $1 million in funds from the collected fees, despite the lawsuit, to twenty-eight spay/neuter programs.
“We have been looking forward to supporting our New Mexico communities that have been fighting the overpopulation of pets through spay and neuter clinics. This funding will help them provide the surgeries needed to curb this problem”, said Representative Joanne J. Ferrary (D-Doña Ana), House Sponsor of SB 57. “I’m ecstatic!”
“We are thrilled that state funding, which has been enthusiastically supported by New Mexico voters and advocates, has finally been disbursed to spay/neuter programs and to animal shelters for desperately needed renovations and repairs. This is truly cause for celebration,” said Stacy Sutton Kerby, Chief Government Affairs Officer for Animal Protection Voters.
Judy Wolf, Chief Program & Policy Officer of Humane Communities for Animal Protection New Mexico said, “We applaud the New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Finance and Administration, respectively, for their careful review of grant applications and awards made to communities where the funds can have the greatest impact. Special thanks as well to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who signed both bills into law, and to the sponsors who championed these game-changing bills.”
President of the Chama Humane Society, Jean Garlie, stated, “Thanks to SB 57, we are the grateful recipient of a grant to support our spay/neuter program. Our service area covers a wide expanse of northern New Mexico, an area with sparse resources and veterinary services. This grant will provide spay/neuter support to an underserved population who, without this financial help, would not be able to afford to pay for the travel and expense of controlling the overpopulation of unwanted puppies and kittens.”
Elizabeth Seely with the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley added, “This funding from the State of New Mexico will make a tremendous difference for families in our community. By helping cover spay and neuter costs for pets being reclaimed by their owners, we’re removing a major financial barrier and supporting responsible pet ownership. This support allows us to help pet owners who want to do the right thing but simply can’t afford it, while reducing shelter intake and improving animal welfare across our region”.
Reflecting on the double-dose of good news, Stacy Sutton Kerby of Animal Protection Voters added, “While we celebrate this moment, we’re not for a second going to stop fighting to keep New Mexico’s Affordable Spay/Neuter Law in place.” The law, which currently includes a repeal date of July 1, 2026, will expire unless the Legislature removes (or extends) the repeal date in the coming 2026 legislative session. “We’ve been tenacious in defending SB 57 in court, and we will fight equally hard at the Roundhouse”.
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Media contact:
Judy Wolf, Chief Program and Policy Officer – Humane Communities
Animal Protection New Mexico
Animal Protection Voters
judy@apnm.org
505-280-9062
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