Jacqueline Aragon, board president of the Animal Welfare Coalition of Northeastern New Mexico, said this dog was found living underneath an abandoned trailer within city limits. The dog, along with her puppies, were picked up by local volunteers. The AWC helped to provide food to their fosters until they were placed, Aragon said.
If you live in Las Vegas, you know about the dogs.
You know there are large dog packs running on the streets. Maybe your grandma doesn’t want to walk down by the river because she doesn’t feel safe. Some are feral, while others are pets, and they run all over the place.
Everyone has an opinion about what to do, but things don’t seem to change.
This series will look at animal control issues in Las Vegas, from a solution-oriented point of view, exploring not just the problem, but what we might be able to do about it.
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A multifaceted approach will be needed to tackle the greatest challenges to animal welfare in Las Vegas, said Jacqueline Aragon, board president of the Animal Welfare Coalition of Northeastern New Mexico.
Aragon said the two greatest challenges to animal welfare in Las Vegas are the overpopulation of street dogs and feral cats, as well as the tethering of dogs.
The overpopulation of street dogs and feral cats has serious consequences for the animals and people who live in Las Vegas, Aragon noted.
“These animals do not have shelter, so they often sustain wounds and injuries that are left uncared for,” Aragon said. “They also are not vaccinated against rabies, parvo, and FVRCP.”
FVRCP is a combination of vaccines that protects cats against three different diseases. Rabies, Aragon noted, can be passed on to humans, in which case it is almost always fatal if not treated at the first sign of symptoms.
Furthermore, Aragon said, street dogs and feral cats “do not have positive interaction with humans, and become feral, making them a huge safety concern for our community.”
The tethering of dogs, Aragon said, is another major issue that AWC has addressed for years.
“There are still too many dogs in the community on short, tangled chains without water and shelter from the elements,” she said.
A “multifaceted approach” is necessary to solving the animal welfare situation in Las Vegas, Aragon said.
“First, our city government must provide a well-trained team of animal control officers who can quickly and effectively respond to dispatch calls and issue citations for ordinance violations,” Aragon stated in her email. “City government must invest in hiring and training a high-quality animal control team, then the ordinances that are already in place, such as anti-tethering, breeding, and vaccine ordinances could be more efficiently enforced.”
Aragon said current animal ordinances must also be more readily shared with the community via news outlets.
“(The ordinances) have to be visible and understandable so that we can promote community buy-in,” she said.
Furthermore, Aragon said the local court system “must issue stern consequences for animal abuse and neglect so that community members begin to shift their habits.”
Aragon said the community should focus on decreasing the population of street dogs and feral cats. Accessible and affordable spay/neuter programs, she said, are the best way to support responsible pet ownership.
Aragon said she believes the majority of community members that own a pet want to be good pet owners; however, they may not have the financial means to provide for their animals.
“Owning a pet costs money, and the pandemic and recent fires have impacted a lot of families,” Aragon stated. “If we provide support for fencing, pet food … straw and housing, the community mindset may start to shift.”
How did we get here?
The AWC was formed in 2008, Aragon said, and to her knowledge it is the longest running animal welfare group in Las Vegas. The AWC was formed then to address the same situations with animal welfare that Las Vegas faces today, she said.
However, Aragon said, “the situation has gotten progressively worse since 2020.”
“During the pandemic, spay/neuter programs were not available,” Aragon said. “Additionally, many people adopted or took in animals while they were home, and were later forced to surrender them when they returned to work.”
Then came the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, and veterinarians were forced to postpone regular appointments, Aragon said. This, too, contributed to animal overpopulation.
The end of AWC’s partnership with the city may have also contributed to the animal welfare challenges Las Vegas now faces, Aragon said. The AWC managed the Las Vegas animal shelter from 2013-2022.
During that time, Aragon said, the AWC provided everything needed to maintain the shelter. It collaborated with animal control and rescues to sterilize, vaccinate, and then transport animals to adoptive homes in Las Vegas and elsewhere.
“This helped to alleviate the overpopulation,” Aragon stated. “When we did not apply to the request for proposal (in 2022), the city had to restructure the shelter and hire staff. … This transitional period has also contributed to the problem.”
AWC spay/neuter clinics, vaccines and pet food pantry aim to help animals,
community
Aragon said the AWC provides free, quarterly spay/neuter clinics in partnership with Animal Balance, an organization that helps communities across the world. Animal Balance has been assisting Las Vegas since 2022, Aragon said.
The next spay/neuter clinic will be held Oct. 25-27 at Luna Community College. Appointments are required and walk-ins will not be accepted, Aragon noted. Because space is limited, those interested in taking their pet to the spay/neuter clinic are encouraged to call the AWC office at 505-426-6715.
Animals who are seen during this clinic may also get age-appropriate vaccines. Microchipping will also be available.
Aragon noted the importance of vaccinating animals against rabies.
Since we began holding our vaccine and spay/neuter clinics in 2022, we have helped to vaccinate over 1,000 cats and dogs against rabies,” she said. “This is a state requirement that all pet owners must abide by.”
The spay/neuter clinics and vaccines are free, Aragon said, “but we do ask community members to donate what they can so that we can continue holding clinics. We refer to this as ‘spay it forward.’”
To date, the AWC has sterilized and vaccinated more than 940 dogs and cats, Aragon said.
The AWC also hosts free vaccine clinics in partnership with Petco Love, Aragon said. During these clinics, the AWC vaccinates against rabies, parvo/distemper, and FVRCP.
The AWC has distributed more than 7,000 pounds of dog and cat food to date, Aragon said. The AWC partners with The Food Depot team in Las Vegas to distribute pet food monthly, she said.
“We have distributed over 7,000 pounds of dog and cat food to date,” Aragon said. Furthermore, she said, AWC can help individuals with pet food outside of the scheduled distributions.
Those interested in receiving pet food outside of regular distributions may contact the AWC office at 505-426-6715.
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