Eastside Shelter Expands Days of Service
Beginning Monday, July 15th, the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department (AWD) is expanding the Eastside shelter days of service to seven days a week with operational hours of 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and pet viewing is from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Being open seven days a week will bring much needed support to AWD’s overpopulated shelter this summer.
Now is the time to help the pets in the city shelter. AWD has over 900 pets in care and over 600 pets in foster. AWD needs the community's support by adopting, fostering, volunteering and spaying or neutering your pet.
In an ongoing effort to provide accessible services to every Albuquerque citizen and promote responsible pet ownership, AWD will continue to offer free microchipping and pet tags through the end of July. It is essential to ensure that the details linked to your pet’s microchip remain up-to-date so the pet can be successfully identified. AWD’s shelter provides all-year-round free service to update pet owners microchips.
“This unprecedented expansion of days of service should help reduce the number of pets in our shelters while providing loving homes for our most vulnerable pets,” said Carolyn Ortega, Director of Animal Welfare Department. “There has never been a better time or better selection of incredible pets ready for new homes, and we know the people of Albuquerque will rise to this challenge.”
AWD is asking people who find healthy pets for their assistance, as the city shelter is currently over capacity. AWD is asking the finder to maintain custody if possible of the pet, and look for its owner, as allowed per the HEART Ordinance:
- Stray finders can have the pet scanned for a microchip at either a veterinary clinic or any of AWD’s 2 shelter locations (no appointment is necessary)
- AWD’s has 34 pet microchipping scanner locations around the city, click here to find these locations
- Stray finders must report the found pet to Animal Welfare by calling 311
- Stray finders can ask neighbors and post flyers where the pet was found
- Stray finders should visit petfinder.com, Pawboost and 24PetConnect to post information about the pet they have found
- Finders are also encouraged to post information on other social media outlets such as Facebook, NextDoor, CraigsList, etc.
- Looking for a Lost Pet? Please visit AWD website, Pawboost, Facebook, and other social media outlets for found pets
- For feral cat information, please contact Street Cat Hub for assistance at (505) 247-9357
Should your pet get lost and end up at either shelter, Animal Welfare wants to expedite the process of returning them to their owners. Pet reclaim fees are waived. All animals must be sterilized before release; if your pet is not already sterilized, the pet will stay at the shelter and have surgery on the next available date. AWD’s Admissions and reclaims, is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The adoption fee is waived for all available pets in care and in foster homes. Standard adoption practices will still be in place, including background checks.
To see available pets click here. To sign up as foster parent, please email [email protected].