( www.HermitsPeakHowler.com)
Las Vegas, New Mexico (the ORIGINAL "Vegas")
and Mora, NM
Jim Terr, editor
|
Special issue: Reporting on
animal welfare in Las Vegas In many circles, and on many Las Vegas Facebook pages, one of the main topics of discussion is the animal welfare situation in Las Vegas: Dogs on the loose and kept in inhumane conditions, un-spayed and un-vaccinated (contrary to City and County ordinances, and likewise for cats), perceived lack of enforcement and penalties, who cares anyway, just euthanize them, etc. Many viewpoints swirling around on these issues -- and many citizens putting in a lot of time and money to care for all these pets which aren't theirs, but who need help. A community meeting was held Saturday, September 9 at West Las Vegas High School gym to discuss these and other issues, attended by two City Councilors, a County Commissioner, a Sheriff's Dept. deputy, the then-Police chief, an animal control officer, the District Attorney and staff, the head of the local shelter, representatives of several animal welfare organizations, and a large crowd of interested citizens. Among the many topics discussed were staffing, funding, space, and supplies for the shelter (all needed and underfunded), rabies, feral cats and people unsympathetic to feral cats, plans to obtain funding to enlarge the shelter or build a new one, causes of the loose animal explosion, and so on. It was a good and civil exchange, and I wanted to provide a forum with this online-only special edition of the Hermit's Peak Howler. As many people have offered to make a statement as are represented here, but haven't gotten them in yet, but I wanted to start the conversation with the contributions shown below. More will appear here sometime after January 18, along with selected comments which can be submitted here. Please keep your comments on-point, non-accusatory, and please state to which contributor you are responding. Thanks to the two anonymous donors -- both active in animal rescue -- who made this special issue possible. And thank you for caring about our animals, and for continuing the conversation. -Jim Terr, editor of this now-and-again publication. All photos by Jim Terr (c) except as noted.  Makani Nakasone, animal rescuer We all knew that things would get rough when the AWC [Animal Welfare Coalition] left the shelter, but I don't think any of us expected just how fast things would get out of hand here. Animal overpopulation can happen very quickly (as we are seeing) - a female kitten can get pregnant at just 4 months old and have between 3-4 litters of 3-4 surviving kittens a year and a female puppy can get pregnant at 6 months old and have around 1-2 litters of 2-12 surviving puppies a year. It’s too much for any small town without any resources. We currently face lost and injured animals being left on the side of the road daily because there is no space at the shelter, one animal control officer to oversee both city and county matters being spread too thin (understandably) resulting in lack of enforcement or response, emergency departments without a standard operating procedure for animal welfare calls, judges who do not uphold current ordinances, and government officials who couldn't care less. Our current systems are failing the animals and it’s very apparent. So what's the most productive (and realistic) solution for our community right now? Spay and neuter. Gaining control of the animal population would provide a huge relief to all of the other issues in which blame is most commonly placed - lack of space at the shelter, lack of staffing for Animal Control Officers and shelter staff, and lack of funds. A new shelter will only make more space for all of the already unwanted animals and deplete more funds. Continuing to support the organizations (like the AWC) that are seeking to provide free / low-cost spay and neuter and provide animal humane education to the community is what's going to make a huge difference that we will all see and feel without waiting for the current systems to figure it out. Ideally, we’d have better enforcement, updated ordinances, and a justice system that follows through but as citizens, we can really only do so much.  Beatrice Gallegos, shelter manager I think one thing that should be mentioned is that only 10% of the animals coming into the shelter have someone come looking for them. I think this speaks volumes about how animals are viewed as disposable, and that mentality is the biggest reason we are in such a horrible situation with these animal welfare issues. Not only do we have the shelter, we now have some great groups in this area dedicated to animal welfare such as Friends of San Miguel County Animals, Animal Advocates of Northern NM, and AWC -- and I hope we can all work together to tackle these issues and make our community a better place for animals.  Irene Kranenburg, Rescueline (puppy run), affiliated with Animal Advocates of Northern New Mexico I think we need to have fosters in place with a contract under the city for long term cases whose owners have been accused of animal abuse. It can take up to a year before court would start. In the meantime they have to stay at the shelter and take up space. We need our own spay and neuter clinic. Stray dogs are rampant as are abused and starving. Getting fewer puppies is part of a long term solution. Education about dogs being part of a family or semi-part is a big undertaking since it is a cultural divide. Other states have gone thru it as have other western countries. We need a shelter that is up to par. A good grant writer is needed. It is such a slow progress and COVID did not help. A good communication between city, shelter and volunteer groups is essential. And especially transparency in communication. No empty promises for the future. Of course funding is a big problem. We all pay for most of it out of our own pockets.  RaeDawn Lujan-Price, volunteer animal advocate In order to address the animal welfare crisis in the Las Vegas/ San Miguel area, I think it's important to acknowledge how we got here. The tensions that built between the city and AWC are still something that I can't understand, but the organization vacating the shelter is only one piece of the puzzle. The Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, lack of updated ordinances, and failure to enforce those existing when able are also factors. With Brainerd Animal Health Center closed for more than a month due to the fire, Dr. Nelson's closed for a short period as evacuations swept the area played a role in increasing the number of litters born locally. Even responsible pet owners were unable to secure an appointment in a timely manner. They are still faced with long wait times. With inflation, and cost of medical supplies during and post COVID, access to affordable sterilization adds to the issue. Local ordinances are in need of an update, however, those currently in place are rarely enforced. In the highly unlikely case that someone is given a citation for some egregious acts, the offense is thrown out prior to being heard in a court of law. When there are no consequences, it not only enables the offender to continue as they had been, it makes the job of the animal control officer pointless. They are already facing an uphill battle, then any hard work they have placed in a case gets thrown out with yesterday's newspaper. To add to our local issue, we have animals from Mora county flooding our already crippled system. Their failure to adopt any ordinance has not only strained San Miguel County, but Taos and Espanola as well. Until our neighbors do their fair share, we will bear the burden of responsibility, which will never give them any real reason to deal with their issue locally. The hardest part for anyone who tries to do something about the animal crisis, is that it is never ending. We are trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon, and despite our best efforts and pleas for help, there is no relief. For every litter rescued, 10 are born. For one dog saved, a handful are starving, chained, and abused. Even a bigger shelter would be of little use, if we can not adequately staff the one we have. So, where do we start? Strengthen ordinances, support the officers, begin with a solution rather than citation; if that fails to bring about change, begin citations, which are enforced with fines in a courtroom. Have an adequate system for licensing pets, have and enforce laws regarding breeding, acquiring breeding permits. Allocate funds to contract the AWC to provide seasonal spay and neuter clinics. Add curriculum to schools, targeting elementary aged students about responsible pet ownership. Ask anyone running for an elected position what their position on this issue is, and hold them accountable. If they aren't responsive, there isn't room for them as a city leader. There is not a single handed solution, and I highly doubt we will see change soon, but we have started a group called the Animal Advocates of Northern New Mexico, which consists of people from all walks of life, from your everyday citizen, to officers, and local officials. We are all trying our best, but unless we have the cooperation of the majority, our efforts will remain futile. We are burning the torch at both ends, and will soon burn out.  Councilwoman Barbara Perea Casey 1. Is there any way for the shelter to get the funding they say they need to expand, to handle the increased load of animals lately? Councilor Romero (now acting Mayor) and I requested $4,000,000 for a new animal shelter/facility. The request is being made to the Legislature and, hopefully we will receive all or part of the money. I encourage Las Vegans to contact both Senator Pete Campos and Rep. Ambrose Castellano to ask for their assistance in obtaining this much needed money. 2. Is there any way to reduce the three-month process of hiring people, in the case of people who might like to work at the shelter but can't wait that long to get a job? The process takes long because the job is usually posted in the legal ads of the newspaper. The city also posts the job openings in all departments on the city website. Anyone who applies has to be interviewed, and, if the person meets the job criteria, and they are considered for hiring, a background check is conducted and that is also followed by a drug test. These take time to do. 3. Do you feel there's a "cultural divide" at the root of this problem, in terms of how various groups of people see pet ownership and animal welfare? (including attitudes on euthanasia)? I have heard the idea of a 'cultural divide' when it comes to pet ownership. In my personal experience, I don't believe there is a cultural divide. There is a difference in the reason that people own pets. Some prefer larger breeds for use as watch dogs to protect business properties and their homes. Others have the animals as pets or emotional support animals who are treated like family members. In my view, there are several reasons why we have a problem. Ordinances regarding keeping outdoor pets in their respective yards without being chained or tied up has led to a laxity in people thinking it is okay to let the animals out of the yard to be free to roam the streets. The city does not have enough animal control officers to check every animal owner to make sure city ordinances are being followed. There are also many animals that were displaced by the fire and those roam around looking for food. Although there is also a large population of feral cats, they do not pose the same type of danger to the citizens. Many of our citizens feed the feral cats and make sure they have a warm area where they can seek shelter during inclement weather. My husband and I have fed feral cats and provided them a warm area to stay in cold weather. We did work with a local veterinarian to help us trap the cats and he helped us find good homes for them. Some of the grown kittens have returned to our yard for three consecutive years because they know we will not let them freeze or starve. However, we do need to have adequate facilities to house these cats as well as dogs that have no owners. 4. Do you feel enforcement (fines, etc.?) are adequate, for animal control violations that come to court? I feel that enforcement of ordinances is difficult with the reality of lack of staff. I also feel that stiff fines need to be imposed to demonstrate to pet owners that ownership of an animal carries with it a strong responsibility for the animal, its care and the ordinances that govern how that animal should not become a problem for others. I receive calls from people complaining about dog packs roaming the streets and approaching people in a threatening manner. If dogs were kept in their yards or enclosed area, the dogs would not be forming packs that threaten the safety and well being of people, their properties, or pets. We need stronger enforcement of ordinances and we need pet owners to take responsibility for their pets. Pet owners need to understand that by not following city ordinances regarding the care of their animals, they are breaking the law. Further, if their animal hurts a person or other animal, that is also unlawful, with penalties for criminal liability. I would really urge people to work with the city instead of just complaining about the shelter situation. Working and volunteering at the shelter is a difficult job. It is heartbreaking to see animals brought in that have been starved, mistreated, injured, etc. It takes an emotional toll on the people who work there and there is a big turnover on employees because of this. Some employees can only work part time, increasing the workload for Bea and the other employees there. I admire the people who work there. I admire the volunteers who are willing to give of their time to help when they can. But, we really do desperately need a new facility that will provide adequate space, kennels, heating, cooling, industrial washers and dryers, storage area for food and supplies, refrigerators, freezers, etc. The half million dollars the city budgets for the shelter is not nearly enough to provide all that is needed.  Gail Swan, Rescueline (puppy run), affiliated with Animal Advocates of Northern New Mexico (Responding to same questions as Casey, above) 1. Our group is working on various ways to gain funding for all our issues. We are planning fundraising and letter writing events in the future, 2. This is a governmental process and we don't have privy to that information. What I think this proves is that an outside organization [NGO] is better equipped to handle and respond to the needs of this community and its animal issues. We should be rewriting the city's RFP [for shelter operation] to be acceptable, then take it to the AWC and beg them to submit a proposal. I would suggest the formation of a citizens review panel, to handle any issues between all parties, as a solution. This is needed because our shelter, run by our city, is basically not functioning for the citizens of our community. Many have had to step up to fill the gap otherwise the situation would be much worse. It has become a full time volunteer job for many of us. It is exhausting. 3. Paying attention to animal welfare and the environment is an economic issue. I lived in Mexico for nearly 5 years before moving to Las Vegas. During that period I saw in our small town a middle class grow and along with that the citizens of Loretto start fighting for animal rights. They banned dog fighting, but not cock fighting. More and more started working with the expat community to rescue dogs. Spay and Neuter clinics were held more frequently due to donations from both communities. An example of this is one man who lived on a rancho brought his pregnant dog into one of the clinics. She had previously been hit by an auto, breaking her pelvis, but had healed and survived. When she got pregnant she couldn't deliver the puppies. The vets gave her a hysterectomy and the ranchero went home with his companion. I witnessed this also occur with environmental issues and health in our Mexican community. I also remember growing up in Portland Oregon. When I was young there were few dog ordinances. Our lower front yard was the gathering place for our neighbors' dogs, actually it was the neighborhood lavatory. When ordinances were created nothing much changed until people started getting warnings and fines. I remember city employees coming around checking to see if our dog had tags indicating that they were vaccinated and licensed. Then we began to realize how much better it was for the community. People walking, running, or riding bicycles did not have to worry about being attacked and bitten. Parents could rest more easily about their children walking to school without getting threatened by wandering dogs. The community eventually accepted and appreciated these ordinances. My personal observations over a lifetime is that it is not cultural, it is about economics, education and enforcement. 4. Enforcement is not adequate. It is difficult to get law enforcement officials out to check on animals in abusive situations, strays, or animals with injuries. It is even more difficult to get the court system to enforce our animal ordinances and laws through penalties. Too many times the courts have not given fines out, only court fees. In abuse cases they have given the animals back or they have not enforced their own rulings. I have fostered dogs that were confiscated from people who previously had been charged, convicted and banned from owning dogs because their abuse was so egregious. No official checked to see if they were obeying. Reportedly my foster dogs were removed when a neighbor complained that a larger dog was eating another dog alive. 5. I had a house sitter for two weeks taking care of my animals while we were visiting family. When I got back one of the first things she asked was what was up about all the wandering dogs. I had to explain the situation and she volunteered to help if needed. She lives in Santa Fe and I took her up on the offer. There are 5 puppies from here, delivered to the Santa Fe shelter and now in their new homes. The situation here has caused many of us to break ordinances and laws, something we didn't have to do previously. There is hope. I went to a meeting about the shelter [mentioned in introduction above] a few months ago. The shelter employees, the sheriff and a few of our county and city officials were in attendance. I would say 50+ community members attended and were mostly Latinos. It isn't that this meeting accomplished anything, but the sheriff admitted to the correlation between abuse of animals and the abuse of others within the household. This occurs in between 94-97% of all abuse cases. If a dog is starving to death, then there is neglect within the household also. My conclusion is our city officials and enforcement are hearing about it from an increasing number in our community. I believe that this community is more humane and caring than the officials realized. This gives me hope.  Julie Hart, Friends of San Miguel County Animals Solving the animal welfare and overpopulation problems in New Mexico is not going to be easy, nor are there any quick fixes. It is multi-faceted and involves many pieces to the puzzle. There is the lack of money and resources for shelters to meet the New Mexico Administrative Code about minimum standards for animal shelters. (Title 16 - OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING; Chapter 24 - SHELTERING PROVIDERS; Part 7 - MINIMUM STANDARDS - ANIMAL SHELTERS). I don't know why the government does not make these resources more readily available. I do not understand why government officials would not want to not meet minimum standards and then some, but instead let animals suffer in poor shelter conditions. This also creates a hurdle to staff retention as people don't want to work in an unsupported environment without the essential tools they need to do their job. A huge obstacle to overcome when the city took over the Las Vegas Animal Care Center was to get procurement for essential supplies like food, basic medical supplies, vaccines, and cat litter. FSMCA has purchased essential safety items for the shelter such as a catch pole and bite gloves, and food that the staff needed immediately. The procurement process the city uses takes weeks, if not months, to get supplies like this. Another large obstacle is lack of veterinarians in New Mexico and funding to pay these veterinarians for spay/neuter, especially in rural areas. People want to get their pets spayed and neutered, but they cannot afford it or drive to a larger city for this purpose. The lack of veterinary license reciprocity New Mexico offers to vets from other states prevents out-of-state vets from coming to NM for spay-neuter clinics. Unwanted litters of puppies and kittens contribute to a huge overpopulation problem. Secure fencing is another concern that contributes to animals roaming, getting lost, injured, hit by cars, and ending up in the shelter. Lack of knowledge about animal welfare, animal care and training are also big contributors to animals coming into the shelter. Many people don't realize how expensive animals are or the care and training they need. Others have a lack of empathy and compassion towards animals and don't see them as sentient beings. There are more cases of animal abuse and neglect in New Mexico per capita than most other states. It is not okay to leave an animal outside freezing and starving in the cold, or chained, or to hit the animal or make them afraid of people. Animals are not disposable. They are our responsibility to care for. The tolerance for this both by the population and the government needs to change. New Mexico has been exporting our animal overpopulation problems for many years. A few years ago, I believe the number was at 30,000 dogs and cats yearly were exported for adoption to other states. We need to start solving the problem instead of moving it to other states. Now, after the COVID rush on adoptions, the adoption rates in other states have plummeted, the shelters in New Mexico cannot export animals to those shelters, and the shelters are overrun. The Las Vegas City Shelter takes in one animal for every 22 people in the county every year. This is an extremely high ratio and not sustainable. Euthanisia is not an answer to this problem. Valencia County is euthanizing over 300 animals a month, but all this does is to allow people to surrender their animals to the shelter to be euthanized without a sense of responsibility. Imagine having to work in a shelter where that many animals are euthanized; how heartbreaking. It solves none of the larger issues that creates the need to surrender the animals in the first place. Responsible pet ownership, government commitment to enforce the animal welfare laws, and getting the resources to enforce those laws such as funding for the shelter and shelter space, resources and training for animal control is part of the solution. Right now, if a large number of animals are seized from abuse or strays are caught, the shelter is bursting at the seams and has no space to put the animals. Las Vegas and San Miguel County would start to turn this around if the shelter was expanded to contain a veterinarian clinic for spay/neuter and shelter animals. Plus the shelter would need room for at least 100 dogs and 100 cats, and the staff to rehabilitate and train them for adoption. Then they would need a human population to adopt this number of animals to, which is more than the people in San Miguel County that want to adopt another animal, so exporting is still a need.  Charlynne Otero, animal welfare advocate We are in the midst of an animal welfare crisis. Driving up and down our streets it's very apparent and it's heartbreaking. There are a number of contributing factors. There is, of course, the cultural aspect but at some point, doesn't that just becomes ignorance? Because people do know better now and they do know right from wrong and yet they choose to continue to chain their dogs, to not have their pets spayed or neutered, to allow their pets to wander, to starve them, and there's no excuse for it. However, the lack of enforcement of the city codes is another factor. We have not had any kind of consistent animal control services in years, animal welfare has never been a priority to the city or county and it still isn't. I think that is evident given where we are. I'm sure everyone has seen some of the pictures of dogs being rescued from horrendous circumstances and heard the stories, but for every emaciated dog that is rescued from the brink of death there are so many more. In extreme cases like this, another factor is prosecution. If people aren't prosecuted, by the city or the state, depending on the venue, if they don't face any consequences why will they stop. Especially in felony cases which are the most extreme, the state needs to follow through with those cases and that's not always happening. San Miguel County and Las Vegas are known as ground zero when it comes to animal abuse because so many of the worst cases of abuse in the state happen right here. That is shameful. It's also a shame that rescue organizations around the state have to come here to help because not enough is being done. Right now so many people in our community are stepping up to help, rescuing, feeding, fostering because all of these dogs can't wait for help that isn't coming and neither can we. The city shelter has been at or over capacity for well over a year now and yet nothing has been done to address that other than to say they will have to euthanize. That is not the answer. This shelter is not sufficient for a community of this size. A lot of people are going above and beyond to do everything they can for dogs on the street, freezing and starving --paying for food, dog houses, medical care, out of their own pocket -- and God bless them all but what are the city and county doing? They see the same things we do but they look the other way, we cannot, that's the difference. The community is stepping up, when will they? And when will people understand that having a pet is a responsibility, if you're not going to care for them and keep them safe then don't get them.  City of Las Vegas Note: The Howler requested a statement from a top City official on animal welfare, and apparently this sponsored article in the Las Vegas Optic 12-21-23 was the response. City committed to resolving animal control issues For years, one of the largest problems the City of Las Vegas has faced has been animal control. With stray dogs and cats around nearly every corner, it has been a difficult task to handle. But now, thanks to efforts being led by city officials and employees, along with highly dedicated advocacy groups, the city is doing its best to tackle this challenge head-on. According to Las Vegas Animal Care Center Manager Beatriz Gallegos, a staff of two people have cared for more than 60 animals at a time for the past 18 months, when the City of Las Vegas took over responsibility for the city’s shelter from the Animal Welfare Coalition, which had managed it for several years prior. That organization now acts as one of the town’s advocacy groups, providing much-needed services to animals in an attempt to handle this challenge. “The formation of different advocacy groups is great, the more people and resources we have in our community the better,” Gallegos said. The stream of animals needing care is never-ending, and the animal care center has worked hard to form partnerships with veterinarians and shelters around New Mexico and into Colorado to ensure that as many dogs and cats that enter the shelter receive the care and attention they need, including medical procedures and anything necessary to get them ready for adoption. Gallegos said the overcrowding problem faced in Las Vegas, as well as a lack of willing adopters, are problems faced in every city they talk to. Only 10 percent of animals brought into the animal care center are reclaimed by previous owners, leaving the fate of a large number of them up in the air. According to Gallegos, the animal care center has a high success rate of finding places to transfer small dogs, but finding homes for the larger ones remains one of their biggest challenges. The staff at the animal care center is constantly working to find solutions to their challenges. Currently, they are hoping to fill two vacant positions at the shelter, which would spread the workload out and ensure that each animal in their care receives the love and attention they deserve. They are also hoping to receive funding from the state legislature for a new facility, which would not only increase the number of animals they could take care of, but also provide a safer and more comfortable environment, compared to their current facility. The city also has support in the form of various advocacy groups that constantly challenge them to improve conditions for animals, and they also work to fill in the gaps wherever they can. One of those advocacy groups is the Friends of San Miguel County Animals. That group’s president, Julie Hart, described the switch to a city-run shelter as a “difficult process,” but said the support in the community toward their efforts has been “overwhelming” and keeps them all motivated to help the community’s four-legged friends. Much like Gallegos, she described a lack of an updated facility and shelter staff as big challenges the community faces in this fight. Her organization aims to change the attitude toward animals in the community starting at a young age, with programs in schools about the importance of proper animal care. Though she admits this will be a long process, she hopes that it will one day lead to positive results. In the short term, her organization helps the city’s shelter however it can, purchasing several urgent items for the shelter such as over-the-counter medicines, food, and safety supplies such as a catch pole and animal handling gloves. They have held one spay/neuter clinic with PAWS of New Mexico, spaying/neutering 21 animals. “We are continually trying to find a way to get veterinarians to perform another clinic,” Hart said. “We have applied for a grant from the state and hope to hear about that funding soon. We have a spay/neuter request form on our website, www.fsmcanimals.com.” They hope to continue adding more social events involving the public in the idea of animal welfare and teaching about how important those efforts are. RaeDawn Price, a member of the Animal Advocates of Northern New Mexico, another local group, believes the key to making a real difference in this community in its attitude toward animals is by making laws tougher and improving communication around the topic. “I believe that the only way to create any change in Las Vegas is to strengthen ordinances, support the officers and begin with a solution rather than citation,” Price said. She also agrees with Hart that targeting children when they are young and highlighting the importance of proper animal care is a key to changing the long-term attitude. Price also wants to make sure that all elected officials are on the same page when it comes to this topic being a priority. “Ask anyone running for an elected position what their position on this issue is, and hold them accountable,” Price said. “If they aren’t constantly showing up, there isn’t room for them, as a city leader.” Las Vegas Mayor David Romero understands the concerns of the community. He said the city is working hard to address many of these concerns, including: • Micro Chipping in order to alleviate the time it takes to find the owners • Update ordinances to prevent the sales of puppies without the proper breeding permits • Working with local project management contractor to research grant funding and with the Council of Governments to seek funding for a new facility. • Lobbying the Governor and the Legislature • Submitted a 2-million-dollar request to plan, design, construct, furnish and equip a new shelter. • Educational campaign regarding the ordinances He said, “My main priority as mayor hasn’t changed since I was a councilman. I will continue to work with the governing body and organizations to revamp ordinances that address the problems we are seeing in the community, like the public sale of puppies without proper breeding licenses, mandatory microchipping, and addressing the problem of repeat animal offenders. This animal crisis will only be solved when we all work together because the city nor county can do it alone.” One thing everyone agrees on is that there isn’t one single solution to fix this problem, and it takes the support of everyone to make a difference. If you would like to contact the Las Vegas Animal Care Center, you can call (505) 426-3289. They are always accepting donations and would love to talk to you about adoption opportunities for their animals.  Euthanasia “Pets, it turns out, also have last wishes before they die, but only known by veterinarians who put old and sick animals to sleep. Twitter user Jesse Dietrich asked a vet what was the most difficult part of his job. The specialist answered without hesitation that it was the hardest for him to see how old or sick animals look for their owners with the eyes of their owners before going to sleep. The fact is that 90% of owners don't want to be in a room with a dying animal. People leave so that they don't see their pet leave. But they don't realize that it's in these last moments of life that their pet needs them most. Veterinarians ask the owners to be close to the animals until the very end. ′′It's inevitable that they die before you. Don't forget that you were the center of their life. Maybe they were just a part of you. But they are also your family. No matter how hard it is, don't leave them. Don't let them die in a room with a stranger in a place they don't like. It is very painful for veterinarians to see how pets cannot find their owner during the last minutes of their life. They dont understand why the owner left them. After all, they needed their owner’s consolation. Veterinarians do everything possible to ensure that animals are not so scared, but they are completely strangers to them. Don't be a coward because it's too painful for you. Think about the pet. Endure this pain for their sake. Be with them until the end.” - Tricia Mo’orea  Harold Mark Garcia, SM County Commissioner My theory on why the situation is so bad here is that when COVID hit, more people wanted to isolate and get a pet. Then when the fire hit, many people thought it would be over in a couple days, so they left their pets behind when they evacuated. Then days turned to months, and those animals left home and are now strays. I have talked to some FEMA representatives about the County getting funding to compensate for our fire loss, and perhaps we will get some funding that can help address the situation. I will be following up with FEMA on all this.  Dr. Joseph Whiteman on feral cats The main problem to me is that many of our bird species, especially songbirds, are under severe decline in numbers due to several factors but especially due to feral cats. Each feral cat kills huge numbers of birds, mostly for amusement. It’s true that windows, wind generators, and modern agriculture also hit the birds but I understand the cats overwhelm their devastating effects. These cats are invasive species which serve no useful purpose in the environment. They are potential sources of pathogens. The popular spay and release program really has no effect on the overall program and is just busywork, a sham, for cat lovers. Sadly, I have no solution other that euthanasia which is of course no solution since cat lovers will never allow it. Sometimes cats catch a viral epidemic and lots of them die. Big problem made worse by people “supporting” feral cats by putting out food, which also encourages skunks, raccoons and god knows what else  Las Vegas Municipal Court In response to a Howler request for information, LV Municipal Court Judge Eddie Trujillo had these figures sent, representing the disposition of cases to December 6 in 2023.  Let's keep the conversation going! Several people asked by The Howler to submit a statement have not done so yet (we hope they will!), and many people who spoke at the community meeting about rabies vaccinations and other issues need to be represented here. See comment link in paragraph 4 above. CHECK BACK HERE AFTER JANUARY 18 for (hopefully) many updates!  |
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October '22 issue:
(c) 2022 All Rights Reserved Hermit's Peak Howler
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Three more related articles (first one most startling - relates to New Mexico):
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ISSUE ONE: JULY, 2022
Beloved Montezuma
"Castle" (UWC-USA)
was saved by our much-appreciated firefighters.
"Hope Springs Eternal"
CORRECTION on print version Las Vegas story (p. 4): DODGE CITY, Kansas, not Kansas City
| I took this a
few days after we were cleared to come home from the evac. I came
out to feed the dogs and it was raining a bit, the sun hadn't come
up quite yet. The air was permeated with wet char smell, an awful
smell. I wasn't in a good place at that moment but then the sun rose
and I looked up and there was a giant double rainbow right over the
burn scar across the highway by our house. My throat caught and I
pulled my phone out and snapped it. I don't have words for what I
felt at that moment. -Anna Aragon |
|
|
I took this a few days after we were cleared to come home from the evac. I
came out to feed the dogs and it was raining a bit, the sun hadn't come up
quite yet. The air was permeated with wet char smell, an awful smell. I
wasn't in a good place at that moment but then the sun rose and I looked "All News
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