The City of Albuquerque's Animal Welfare Department (AWD) has announced that its Westside shelter admissions and reclaims will be temporarily closed for one day on Monday, May 20. The closure is due to the installation of a new electrical box to support the facility's HVAC system. Normal operations are expected to resume on Tuesday, May 21.
During this period, the Eastside shelter admission desk will remain open for emergency admission of stray animals from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The AWD clarified that it would only accept emergency intake of stray animals. This includes animals in need of medical treatment due to sickness or injury and those posing a risk to public safety.
Emergency admissions do not require an appointment and include situations such as domestic animals that are injured or suffering, kittens or puppies under seven weeks old without a mother, or any circumstance that interferes with the ability to provide proper care for the found pet.
The AWD’s Eastside shelter will accept non-emergency stray pets by appointment only. Those who find a stray pet should schedule an appointment accordingly.
In cases where a found pet does not meet the emergency criteria, individuals are encouraged to maintain custody of the pet until their appointment and look for its owner as permitted by the HEART Ordinance. Stray pets can be scanned for a microchip at local veterinary clinics or specific microchip scanning locations without needing an appointment.
Furthermore, finders must report the found pet to Animal Welfare by calling 311 and are advised to ask neighbors, post flyers where the pet was found, promote the pet on Pawboost - a free website and app designed to reunite stray pets with their owners - and share information on other social media outlets such as Facebook, NextDoor, Craigslist etc.
For feral cat information, individuals can contact Street Cat Hub at 505-247-9357 for assistance. Meanwhile, Animal Protection Officers will continue operations to address public safety concerns.
The AWD expressed gratitude to the public for their support as the Westside shelter upgrades its electrical system box. The East Side Shelter, located at 8920 Lomas Blvd. NE, will maintain its admissions hours from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
