http://kfoxtv.com/news/local/mesilla-valley-animal-shelter-will-euthanize-hundreds-of-cats-dogs-in-july  

I'm writing to you today to bring to light the number of unwanted pets living in our "kill shelters" in Dona Ana County.  Just the other day, Animal Services of Mesilla Valley, released that they were going to put down 150-200 cats and dogs because there are not enough animals being adopted as there are coming into the facility.  Not to long AFTER seeing this post, there was several people who posted "ISO a puppy" on sites where backyard breeders are trying to sell babies for $100+ to make a profit, meanwhile our animal shelter is currently going to be putting down unwanted animals that could be adopted by those people who are in search of puppies and kitties on Facebook and Craigslist. The shelters have great pets with adoption fees that include shots and spay/neutering (which helps resolve the problems plaguing our shelters), but instead of those individuals going to the Shelter to find unwanted dogs and cats of all ages they are easily enticed by backyard breeders who will have a puppy for sale instead of a mature animal.  The main dogs I see being posted on Facebook for sale are Pit Bulls & Chihuahuas, which is the highest number of occupancy this county has in the shelter at this time.

The City of Las Cruces & Dona Ana County Government need to step in to stop the problem, which is people breeding their dogs for those who buy them on Facebook buy & sale sites or animal sites.  Then those same people that buy from breeders turn them into the shelters after they lose interest when they get too big and lose their baby cuteness or because they poop everywhere or they're tearing up personal items because those who bred them don't want to take them back to find them another home.  There's a difference with a reputable breeder who does right by the animal and takes precautionary measures (like home checks to make sure it is a suitable place for their puppy to be homed) and if that person no longer wants the animal they have in the contract they will take the animal back so they can rehome. Then there are people who breed just for the purpose of making money and have no regard for that animal because they got their money and that was the end of the transaction.

Another problem is that people are also not taking accountability for their animals when they get loose and become pregnant. So if your dog got loose, you are accountable for what happens to it. If your dog gets pregnant, you are now a puppy parent and responsible for them through their entire life. And if you are a breeder it is your responsibility to take back the animal and rehome them to another family.  Or again with accountability, if you no longer want the pet to take the time to rehome the animals yourself AND NOT FOR MONETARY GAIN, knowing that you might have to take him back and rehome him if that individual no longer wants that pet. When you purchased that pet you made a commitment to that animal to take care of it through the good times as well as the bad times.

From taking actions like these, we will be able to combat this fight and achieve goals like ACTion Programs for Animals, which is to make our area a kill free zone. We would be able to achieve these goals if the City of Las Cruces & Dona Ana County Government stepped in and prosecuted those who are contributing to the issue, by selling their fresh puppy & kitty litters on Facebook & Craigslist by following Dona Ana County & Las Cruces City ordinances that are listed apnm.org stating; "Sale in Public. A person shall not sell, offer for sale, barter, give away, transfer or otherwise dispose of an animal upon a street, sidewalk, public park, or any area open to the public (which also includes Facebook & Craigslist as they are public forums) unless such person is acting on behalf of a professional animal establishment (AKA Shelters & Animal Rescues)." City of Las Cruces ordinance Article III. Permitted and Prohibited Animals, Sec. 7-30 Multi-animal site permit. "A. No person shall keep or operate a residential or commercial multi-animal site without a permit issued by the city. C. All applications for multi-animal site permits must meet the following conditions. Section C, all boarded animals three month of age or or older must meet the pet licenses requirements." I mention these statutes because the animals who are being given out, have not received their first shots, they have not been properly licensed by the City and are being sold/transferred/given away/etc through Facebook & Craigslist. We need to stop the issue of our overpopulated shelters/rescues by stopping where the source of the problem is originating from, Online Public Forums. We need to enforce the statutes we already have in place for City & County ordinances as listed above.

I believe the only way we'll be able to combat Animal Welfare in this area is to start at both ends of the issues. The Animal Services of Mesilla Valley needs to also be held to the same law as community members and needs to update their facility to provide adequate living conditions for everyone in their care. Unless people start leading by example, there is going to be no changes in the way people in this area view animals. So I propose fining those individuals for violating the ordinances (both community members & Animal Services Staff/Director), as well as habitual offenders who have accidental litters and do not fix their animals and have those fines be distributed to the Animal Shelters, Animal Rescues who in return have to care for these animals. The public demands mandatory spay & neuter with exception of licensed, reputable breeders, & if said reputable breeder wishes to do advertisements they have to show proof of current licenses. I would also like to propose that we give people incentives to want to take care of their animals (which I believe would help stimulate people to keep their animals), as well as higher incentives for those who choose a companion through the Rescues & Shelter by being able to claim them on taxes and getting a small return for being a responsible pet owner (I.E Yearly shots, spay/neuter, Health and wellness checkups, ensuring healthy pregnancies for those who qualify, as well as when accidents happen or they're predisposition for illnesses and have to do regular treatments, Etc.). By providing incentives, people will want to keep their animal even if they get very ill, or develop long-term illnesses instead of dropping them off at the shelters.