#UNchain Valencia County Dogs

NMDOG has been working the trenches of Valencia County - Meadowlake, El Cerro Mission, etc - for 12 long years. Our focus is chained dogs & victims of animal cruelty - often working in partnership with local Law Enforcement Agencies. NMDOGs partnership with Valencia County Animal Control spans a decade.

To say we are ELATED about the proposed revisions made to the ValCo Animal Welfare Ordinance is an understatement! We have pledged our unwavering support of the efforts of Valencia County Animal Control Director Jess Weston & the entire Department, along with all animal-loving citizens of Valencia County! To this end...NMDOG has pledged $3000 in funds from our general account to assist in these efforts once the zero-tolerance / anti-tethering language is voted on & approved by the ValCo County Commission. When the ordinance goes into effect....we have also promised to apply for additional funding, by way of grants specified for this purpose.  

 

We are thrilled to announce that Animal Protection of New Mexico (APNM) has pledged a MATCH to those funds AND we have received a pledge of another $1000 by a passionate ValCo private donor!! This brings the #UNChain Valencia County "good faith" seed money account to $7000!!! What will these funds be used for? First, it is important to note that these funds are specifically earmarked for compliance & educational assistance purposes for citizens of Valencia County who currently have their dogs chained & will need help providing a legal & more human means of containment ONCE THE ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT. IF the ordinance is not approved, these funds would then be used in an alternate fashion, which is discussed toward the end of this narrative. Why are funds needed when critical improvements like anti-tethering/anti-chaining are implemented? It is essential to provide realistic & reasonable options/resources to a community, especially those with many poverty level challenges, when we raise the bar of legal standards of care. Valencia County Animal Control does not want to impound every chained dog in Valencia County. They (like all animal welfare organizations) want citizens to do better for their animals within the law & because it is the right thing to do. This money will help people do the right (& legal) thing for their dogs. But we NEED YOUR HELP = two fold!

 

First....even though we have $7000 in pledges, we need to show the Commission that this NEW ORDINANCE is not only important to us as Animal Welfare professionals but to YOU as well.....citizen Animal Welfare Advocates who care about &/or have a vested interest in the state of Animal Welfare in NM & in Valencia County. To show the Commission a fundraiser made up of donations by regular citizens to MAKE VALENCIA COUNTY MORE HUMANE will speak volumes when the revision is presented.

It will speak to the overall support of those who want to see NO MORE CHAINS on dogs in Valencia County.....as well as support for the other improvements included, such as mandatory microchips, better outdoor shelter requirements & more. THE ANIMALS of Valencia County need your help TODAY!

NMDOG & APNM representatives will be signed up to speak.

 

Secondly...the County Commission meeting will be held 3/2/22 at 5pm in the chamber room at 444 Luna Ave Los Lunas, 87031. Attendees can sign up on the whiteboard near the chamber door to speak. Speakers will be limited to 3 mins ea, so please come prepared to make your points quickly & in support of these revisions! Speakers should be VALENCIA COUNTY RESIDENTS to really MAKE AN IMPACT.

Be a VOICE for the ANIMALS of VALENCIA COUNTY!!

Even if you do not wish to speak, it will be important to have bodies in the room as a show of support. These bodies DO NOT need to be Valencia County residents...just concerned individuals that care about how the animals of ValCo are treated. At some point, Jess may want to highlight this support by asking us all to stand. Can you imagine how devastating it would be FOR THE ANIMALS if only a handful of people stood up? We cannot allow that to happen! PLEASE ATTEND!

 

Once the new ordinance is passed, there will be MUCH work to do by us all in an effort to support the new language AND the Valencia County Animal Control Department. Door-to-door canvassing will be needed to make folks aware of the new rules going into effect, the grace period provided to come into compliance & a list of resources that will be available to help them do so. Some families will elect to surrender their chained dogs & that is ok, but we need to provide alternatives to them other than the shelter & we can. Some families will need physical & financial help to build fences or dog runs, some will need provisions such as dog houses, spay/neuter, training assistance & supplies to bring their dogs inside of the home & so much more!! These efforts are what this fundraising is intended for.

Should these revisions not pass....the monies will remain in an account earmarked for Valencia County & will be used generously towards ValCo chained dog outreach efforts to make their ongoing chained lives as bearable as possible. But we are confident the Commission wants a more HUMANE Valencia County just as much as all of us & will approve the revisions! All paws crossed!!

 

If you have any specific questions about the ordinance revision, these "feet on the ground" efforts &/or a copy of the proposed ordinance, please feel free to reach out to us via the NMDOG contact posted by GoFundMe (GFM will not allow us to insert private email addys) & we will forward your email to the person it is addressed to. 

We are more than happy to speak with you:

Jess Watson - ValCo Animal Control Director - [E-Mail ausgeblendet]encia.nm.us

Angela Stell - NMDOG Founder & Director - [E-Mail ausgeblendet]

Alan Edmonds - APNM Cruelty Case Manager - [E-Mail ausgeblendet]

 

Please SHARE this fundraiser far & wide, ESPECIALLY within the communities of Valencia County!

Please encourage your friends, family & neighbors to attend the meeting on 3/2/22!

Please donate to make the most significant impact possible in these efforts! #UNchained

 

Our sincere gratitude goes to Jess for his compassion & hard work on behalf of Valencia County animals & the people that love them! We can ALL show our appreciation by providing Jess with the support he needs to see this through & successfully get this ordinance passed! Animal Lovers.....LETS DO THIS!!

Lets UNCHAIN Valencia County!!!