Animal Services Center celebrates renovations, promises more to Las Cruces
The barks of dozens of dogs echoed like background music to a ribbon cutting Thursday marking the next chapter of Doña Ana County’s animal shelter.
The ribbon cutting unveiled the years-long renovation efforts of the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley, an animal shelter formed and funded by the City of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County.
And while some items remain unfinished, officials and local politicians took a celebratory tone to showcase the facility.
“The new Animal Service Center is a promise to the people of Las Cruces,” Becky Corran, a city councilor representing District 5, told the group. “It’s a promise of more wagging tails, more gentle purrs, and more joy-filled hearts in our community.”
The center’s renovation comes as thousands of animals – primarily dogs and cats – move through the animal service center each year. According to ASCMV’s 2022 annual report, the center reported 8,869 intakes. Before the pandemic, the shelter saw intakes as high as 15,474 in 2009.
The ASCMV is also a “kill shelter,” or a shelter that employs euthanasia to control the population. In 2022, the annual report stated that the center euthanized 2,228 animals because the center did not have enough space. That’s one thing officials hope the new center alleviates even as officials fret about growing intake numbers.
“During COVID, we were around 6,000 animals,” said Clint Thacker, the ASCMV Director. “After COVID, we’re right back up to 9,800 animals a year. So, this building was definitely needed so we could provide a positive viewing experience for people coming through.”
Construction of the center launched after voters in City of Las Cruces approved a $9.8 million general obligation bond in 2018. That covered most of the $11.3 million cost of the center. Getting the money was only the first step.
After the project’s approval, supply chain issues caused by the economic impacts of COVID-19 delayed construction. Thacker said that steel and aluminum became hard to come by, and problems with kennels furthered delayed openings.
“Some things are still aren’t done,” Thacker said, citing some cat kennels as an example. “But we’re to the point where we can now open to the public safely and get these animals out of here.”
Some completed changes include renovations to the adoption counseling area, the surrender area, a cat and kitten condo, dog kennels, puppy kennels, a “get-acquainted” area, an enrichment play yard, and administrative offices.
A public art installation, called “Sun Shelter” by artist Vito DiBari, was also added to the center. The sculpture is 9 feet tall with a 7-foot base. It sits at the corner of Riconnada Boulevard and Bataan Memorial West. According to the news release, the center’s logo and services inspired the artwork.
In all, the new facility is about 18,000 square feet.
According to data from a November meeting, 1,658 people entered the center in October. That was more than eight previous months.
Thacker said he hopes those coming to the renovated center in the future keep one thing in mind.
“Just because an animal is here doesn’t mean something is wrong with them,” Thacker said. “They fell on hard times, but a lot of our dogs go on programs or rehabs or animal training.”
Justin Garcia is a reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at JEGarcia@LCSun-News.com.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Animal Services Center in Las Cruces celebrates upgrades
