ABQ, BernCo Target Illegal Pet Breeders

Animal officers will crackdown on unlicensed pet breeders this summer as part of a joint city-county initiative.

The number of homeless animals arriving in Albuquerque shelters is the highest it’s been in six years, and the city and county say they will work together to combat illegal litters, such as the puppies who get sold out of the back of someone’s car in a parking lot. They will also scour the Sunday newspaper for people who are selling or giving away animals without the proper license.

The goal is to encourage people who have an accidental litter to get their animals spayed or neutered or at least make it less desirable for people to breed their animals when so many already lack homes.

“You can’t adopt your way out of the problem,” Mayor Richard Berry said.

Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne Johnson said the number of animals euthanized each year “hurts your heart. None of us want to see that.”

About 25,000 animals a year end up in city shelters, and about 19,000 are adopted or reclaimed. The remaining 5,700 or so are euthanized.

Matthew Pepper, the county’s director of animal services, said local laws prohibit selling or giving away pets without a license or permit to do so. His office will use education to encourage people to sterilize their animals if it was an accidental litter, but the county won’t be afraid to take others to court, where scofflaws could face a $300 fine and 90 days in jail.