Animal Protection of New Mexico has an ambitious list of initiatives for 2010, which will combine our heightened push against cruelty with work that continues its progress in fulfilling APNM’s mission of changing systems to ease the suffering of all animals.


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Animal Control, Law Enforcement
& Animal Cruelty Task Force Casework
Develop capacity to ensure effective enforcement of New Mexico’s laws against animal cruelty, to include: hosting animal cruelty/animal fighting hotlines and providing technical support to the public and agencies on cases–more than 2,000 cases were handled in 2009; working with N.M. Attorney General to further develop the New Mexico Animal Cruelty Task Force; underwriting law enforcement training on animal fighting/animal cruelty investigations and a broad range of topics pertaining to animal control and sheltering; issuing and publicizing rewards for information in cruelty cases; and launching a substantial outreach campaign urging the public to report animal cruelty.

Equine Protection Program
Plan, fundraise for and implement comprehensive statewide program to address the most immediate needs of horses and other equines in New Mexico. Program components will include creation and distribution of educational material to promote equine stewardship, direct support of equine sanctuaries to increase capacity, training of law enforcement agencies on handing equine cases, subsidized farrier care and veterinary treatment, emergency equine feed, equine retraining, subsidized gelding services, subsidized equine euthanasia and disposal, and pursuit of equine policy improvements.

Promoting Humane Animal Shelters
Provide comprehensive input to the Animal Sheltering Board on all aspects of animal sheltering, including shelter and euthanasia standards. Continue outreach across New Mexico about new euthanasia licensing laws, governing agencies, procedures, technicians and instructors.

Companion Animal Rescue Effort (CARE)
Maintain and promote CARE network of safe havens across New Mexico for animals of domestic violence victims.

Spay-Neuter Promotion & Program Support
Work with communities to create effective spay-neuter programs, publicize a directory of spay-neuter resources (on www.apnm.org) available statewide and promote New Mexico’s spay-neuter license plate.

Getting Dogs Off Chains
Using a New Mexico Department of Public Safety report on dog chaining, develop and implement a comprehensive plan to improve the quality of life for New Mexico’s dogs by: advocating for local ordinances that address chaining; creating a pilot program to ensure success; teaching people that dogs are social beings who should not be isolated on chains; developing a series of public service announcements; making behavioral training resources available; helping people with fencing and housing solutions.

Humane Education
Distribute Kind News newspapers to thousands of New Mexico school children, make age-appropriate presentations on animal care/safety and cruelty in schools, community centers, colleges and universities, and promote and distribute humane alternatives to classroom dissection of animals.

Chimpanzees to Sanctuary
Expose the plight of former research chimpanzees and their progeny still living in substandard conditions in a New Mexico facility, and work to have them permanently retired to a sanctuary.

Coexisting With Beavers
Work with state and federal agencies to promote humane solutions to problems caused by beavers by: educating agencies and the public about the benefits of flow devices and coexisting with beavers; creating a comprehensive landowner education packet on beavers and mitigation options; working with agencies on a model habitat and relocation evaluation procedure; and promoting beaver coexistence as part of river restoration and water conservation strategies.

Cougar Smart New Mexico

Plan and implement comprehensive outreach program on how the public can stay safe when living and recreating in New Mexico's "cougar country". Cougar Smart New Mexico will emphasize coexistence, education and awareness.

Wildlife Management Policies
Using the best available science and public support for coexistence with wildlife, influence policy-makers to change regulations harmful to wild species.

Wildlife Safe Passages
Work with wildlife advocates and other community stakeholders to evaluate, plan and implement short- and long-term strategies that ensure safe wildlife passage concepts are incorporated into transportation construction projects in New Mexico.