Animal control officers cage a career

Grants Animal Control Officer Jose Gonzales checks on a dog at the Animal Control Office in Grants Tuesday afternoon. Animal control officers routinely pick up pets that people allow to run loose and have to euthanize them, because they are never claimed. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Grants-Cibola County Animal Control Officers capture 30-100 dogs and cats every month.

The numbers vary due to the time of year and how many irresponsible owners allow their pets to run free all over the county, said Cheri Blaisden, animal control supervisor.

An example of this is a recent issue of seven cruelty to animals citations to a woman who had more than eight cats in a locked shed filled with cat feces. Five of seven that were captured had to be euthanized because they were so ill.

Many captured animals are euthanized because they have no tags or licenses on them to identify them and their owners, Blaisden said.

Currently there are two animal control officers and the office is looking for a third because of the workload.

Blaisden said she and Jose Gonzales, the other ACO, have picked up other types of animals in the county as well, including skunks, badgers, and once, a turkey vulture that had eaten so much it had landed in a Grants resident's backyard and couldn't fly.

"When turkey vultures eat well, they usually have to sit for a day or so before they move," she said.

"Even rabbits have been brought to the shelter," she said. The ACOs do not euthanize them, rather they find homes for the animals.

Attempts made to contact owners
Captured dogs and cats are kept for three days and officers make every attempt to contact the owners.

If there is an identification tag or a license that bears the name of the owner, the officer informs the owners they have three days to claim the animal. If no one is home, the officer will drop off a green tag notifying the animal's owners.

They also try to call, but have mixed results.

After three days, the animal is put up for adoption, she said.

"We have some awesome dogs that need adoption now," she said.

There are also animal rescue organizations that will come to Grants and "rescue" the animals, to find homes for them in larger cities, such as Albuquerque, Blaisden said.

Many animals are brought to the animal shelter, 1728 Animal Shelter Road, in Grants, from the Acoma and Laguna reservations, she said.

"Their animal control officers bring them to us and most of the dogs are starving and sick," she said.

"Rescue" dog
There is a dog at the shelter currently that belonged to a Milan family. It was captured running loose on Interstate 40 and the ACOs will not release it back to the family unless the Milan ACO comes to the shelter and issues the citations and the family pays the boarding fees and any fees needed for shots such as rabies, she said.

This dog is a candidate for a "rescue" she said. It is a bloodhound-Rottweiler mix, is big and needs a lot of room to run.

"The family has a backyard, but the dog keeps getting out.

"In fact, it has taught the neighbor dogs how to get out of their yards too," she said.

There have been packs of dogs running loose all over the county in the past, killing livestock and creating havoc, but no calls have been made recently, she said.

Blaisden said the shelter needs the public's help with blankets, used towels and dog food, which the shelter is low on right now.

"If anyone would like to come and walk the dogs, or brush them, or play with the cats, we would welcome that," she said.

Irresponsible owners
It is completely irresponsible for pet owners to allow their pets to run loose, It is also against the leash laws in the county, she said.

The animals could get hit by a car or train, become ill, shot by a rancher thinking it is raiding his livestock, any number of things, she said.

And, to not spay or neuter pets is even more irresponsible, she said.

"There are 10 million homeless dogs and cats that are euthanized every year because pet owners do not spay and neuter their pets to help control the population," she said. The statistic was quoted from the 2003 edition of the Directory of Animal Service listing all animal shelters and organizations in New Mexico.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: tiffin.independent@yahoo.com.