**Signed by the Governor**

HB 219 will authorize the administrative move of the Animal Sheltering Board from the Regulation and Licensing Department to become a Committee of the New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine.

The newly created “Animal Sheltering Committee” will retain its duties to support and disburse funds for low-cost spay/neuter in communities in need, while the Board of Veterinary Medicine will assume authority over licensing, inspections, and enforcement of humane euthanasia in animal shelters and, when resources allow, operational and infrastructure standards in animal shelters.

This transfer structure was developed by members of the Board of Veterinary Medicine, the Animal Sheltering Board, and other veterinary and animal shelter advocates.

Why support HB 219?

To use resources more effectively.

Economies of scale can be realized through the board transfer, and the Board of Veterinary Medicine has the capacity and expertise to facilitate the implementation of the Animal Sheltering Board’s mission.

To maintain crucial animal sheltering and spay/neuter program assistance.

The move will ensure that the Animal Sheltering Board (Committee) can continue to assist municipalities, counties and residents across the state by offering strong leadership in humane animal sheltering, and implementing proven solutions to the costly problem of dog and cat overpopulation. The Animal Sheltering Committee will make recommendations to the NMBOVM regarding expenditures of Animal Care & Facility Fund monies.

To consolidate oversight and licensing of all humane euthanasia providers, instructors and agencies.

The Board of Veterinary Medicine already manages the licensure and oversight of veterinarians and veterinary technicians, is well equipped with the resources and expertise necessary to provide the same oversight of euthanasia technicians, euthanasia instructors, and euthanasia agencies.

To match best resources with the authority to enforce standards in animal shelters and euthanasia agencies.

With the Board of Veterinary Medicine’s current inspection infrastructure—which the Animal Sheltering Board does not currently have—the Board is able to extend its inspectors’ work to include inspection of euthanasia facilities, equipment and procedures in animal shelters to ensure humane treatment of animals.

The Board will also have authority to adopt Board-recommended standards for infrastructure and operations in animal shelters as well, to help advise the wellbeing of animals residing in those shelters.

How would the new Animal Sheltering Committee function within the Board of Veterinary Medicine?

The Animal Sheltering Committee members would be comprised of one euthanasia agency employee, one animal shelter director, one veterinarian, one representative of a non-profit animal advocacy organization, and one member of the public.

The new structure would retain the current Animal Sheltering Board’s duties regarding development of a voluntary statewide dog and cat spay/neuter program in conjunction with shelters and euthanasia agencies, as well as disbursement of moneys from the Animal Care and Facility Fund to facilitate low-cost spay/neuter services (by making recommendations to the Board of Veterinary Medicine for approval).

The Board of Veterinary Medicine will assume all other relevant duties in the Animal Sheltering Act, including authority over of euthanasia licensure and animal shelter standards. HB 219 would also bring local shelter veterinarians under the purview of the Veterinary Practice Act.

The Animal Sheltering Board’s Background

Each year, New Mexico’s animal shelters take in over 135,000 homeless, lost and abandoned dogs and cats; of these, over 65,000 are euthanized annually. New Mexicans agree that those animals who must be euthanized for lack of a forever home at least deserve humane euthanasia by trained and licensed individuals. Further, New Mexicans want to see the expansion of proactive, low-cost spay/neuter programs to reduce the number of homeless animals in our state. In 2007, the New Mexico Legislature and Governor enacted the Animal Sheltering Act (§77-1B-1 through 12), which created the Animal Sheltering Board within NM’s Regulation and Licensing Department.

The Animal Sheltering Board’s mission is to ensure a humane death for every shelter animal requiring euthanasia; to define recommended standards for animal shelter operations and facilities; and to develop spay/neuter initiatives to address the costly problem of dog and cat overpopulation in New Mexico. The Animal Sheltering Board continues to meet the challenges inherent in its highly specialized mission and to operate successfully within a very modest budget.

The Animal Sheltering Board’s Accomplishments

• By early 2009, the Animal Sheltering Board completed the development and adoption of mandatory rules governing euthanasia protocols, technicians, agencies, instructors, and formulary (16.24.1 – 16.24.6, NMAC). As of 2017, the Animal Sheltering Board has issued a total of 316 licenses: 276 euthanasia technicians, 28 euthanasia agencies, and 12 euthanasia instructors. The Animal Sheltering Board is also responsible for monitoring and disciplinary activities associated with its licensees, including investigating complaints and conducting hearings.
• In response to 2011’s Senate Memorial 36, the Animal Sheltering Board produced a study of development and funding options for a spay/neuter initiative to aid low-income households in New Mexico.
• In 2012, the Animal Sheltering Board produced and published online its Recommended Minimum Standards for Animal Shelters in New Mexico. The board disseminated this document to animal shelters statewide in early 2013.
• In 2014, the Animal Sheltering Board oversaw the distribution of $25,900 from the state’s spay/neuter license plate, made available to 44 local spay/neuter programs in 28 counties. The New Mexico Legislature and Governor appropriated an additional $70,000 in 2015 to be distributed to spay/neuter programs at the board’s discretion. To achieve the greatest impact, the board developed a targeted plan to fund 16 low-cost programs within the nine communities whose public shelters have the highest intake and highest euthanasia rates in New Mexico: Portales, Clovis, Roswell, Farmington, Hobbs, Valencia County, Gallup, Carlsbad, and Doña Ana County. In 2016, an additional $12,000 in spay/neuter license plate funds were distributed in four communities: Aztec, Deming, Silver City, Grants. In total, these successful efforts will have provided affordable spay-neuter surgeries for approximately 2,000 dogs and cats. The Animal Sheltering Board’s strict funding guidelines and direct distribution to existing local programs ensures that all funds are expended only on sterilization surgeries, in cooperation with local veterinarians.

Take Action!

Contact your State Legislators and ask them to support HB129 to merge the Animal Sheltering Board with the New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine.