APV is thrilled to announce Senator Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) and Representative Cristina Parajón (D-Albuquerque) have teamed up to file Senate Bill 38 to save New Mexico’s Affordable Spay/Neuter Law. More legislators from both sides of the aisle are expected to sign on as cosponsors soon due to wide bi-partisan support for keeping the Law in place.
Why does the Law need to be saved?
Some background is helpful here: the Affordable Spay/Neuter Law (SB 57), passed by the New Mexico Legislature in 2020, created a sustainable, statewide funding source for low-cost and free spay/neuter surgeries for dogs and cats in New Mexico by collecting annual fees from large pet food manufacturers that sell dog and cat food products in our state.
Thus far, the Law has collected over $5 million for grants to affordable spay/neuter providers. And in October 2025, the first $1 million in grant funding went to twenty-eight of those providers. The next round of grant funding is expected to be disbursed in mid-2026.
So, if the Affordable Spay/Neuter Law works, why is legislation needed to save it? Because back in 2020, when the Law was first being considered, some skeptical lawmakers negotiated an automatic repeal date (July 1, 2026) for the Law in case it showed any negative impacts on the pet food industry. If that repeal date is not removed from the statute by the Legislature before February 19th and then approved by the Governor’s signature, the Affordable Spay/Neuter Law will go away. Senate Bill 38 removes the repeal date.
The data shows the Law works!
Data from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (which has been collecting the fees since 2021) proves the Affordable Spay/Neuter Law has shown no negative impacts on the number of pet food manufacturers or the variety of pet food products sold in New Mexico. The Law works as intended, and now is the time to pass Senate Bill 38 and make the Affordable Spay/Neuter Law permanent.
What comes next?
Now that Senate Bill 38 has been filed, what comes next? Be sure to check out the APV website—and your in-box—regularly so you’ll know how you can help save the most effective mechanism yet created by the Legislature to reduce companion animal overpopulation. Save the Law to Save Their Lives!
