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Our principal objective is to find homes for
adoptable dogs, cats, and other small pets being housed and cared
for in our shelter.
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We accept lost and abandoned animals, as well
as those no longer suitable for their family. We try to
reunite lost pets with their owners. Our lost-and-found
pet service welcomes phone calls from anyone who has lost or found
a pet.
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We serve as an impoundment facility for the
Town of Silver City and the unincorporated areas of Grant County,
housing animals taken into custody by the city and county Animal
Control Officers.
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Reduced-fee vaccination clinics are held on
the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Rabies shots, other immunizations for dogs and cats, and annual
licenses required by city and county ordinances are available
then.
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Pet cremation services
are available. We operate a modern crematorium under the
supervision of a qualified technician.
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Educational presentations are given at area
schools, and tours of the shelter can be scheduled for groups.
Presentations emphasize the importance of spaying and neutering
and proper care of pets.
The Humane Society offers financial assistance with the cost of
having pets spayed or neutered.
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A memorial garden on the premises provides
a peaceful, contemplative environment, with a stone wall for placement
of plaques memorializing pets.
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We provide outdoor space for special events
and training classes sponsored by local pet organizations.
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In cooperation with local and county government
plans for responding to local and regional disasters, we maintain
ongoing plans to assist animal owners under emergency circumstances.
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We participate in "First Strike",
a nationwide program that encourages law-enforcement and justice
officials to act when encountering instances of children who abuse
animals. This behaviour signals a child and a family needing intervention
now to prevent deepening problems.
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Saturday April 12
Saturday May 10
Saturday June 14
Saturday July 12
There have four foxes and one dog test postive for
rabies in Grant County so far this year. Eight foxes and one bobcat tested
postive in Catron County in 2007
Rabies - Fact Sheet
What is Rabies?
Rabies is a very serious viral infection of the central nervous system
that can be contracted from the bite, scratch, or lick of an infected
animal. If rabies is not treated before symptoms begin, it almost always
results in death. Most people who get rabies have symptoms two to eight
weeks after exposure.
Which animals can be infected?
Rabies is most often found among wild mammals such as raccoons, bats,
skunks, coyotes, bobcats, and foxes. Cats, dogs, horses and livestock
can also get rabies if they are not vaccinated for their protection. Deer
and large rodents, such as woodchucks, have been found rabid in areas
affected by rabies.
Some animals almost never get rabies. These include rabbits, squirrels,
chipmunks, rats, mice, guinea pigs, gerbils and hamsters. They can get
rabies, but it almost never happens.
Other animals, such as birds, snakes, fish, turtles, lizards and insects,
never get rabies.
How do I recognize a rabid animal?
In any animal, the first sign of rabies is a marked change in behavior.
It may become either unnaturally withdrawn or unnaturally approachable.
Nocturnal animals (fox, skunk, raccoon) active in daylight are suspect.
In the furious form of rabies, the animal is excited, irritable, aggressive,
and may bite or snap at anything in its path. If the animal has dumb rabies,
it will seem unusually tame and friendly. Staggering, convulsions or frothing
at the mouth are sometimes seen in the later stages of either form of
the disease.
What to do if you are bitten...
" If the animal is alive, try to capture it so it can be tested for
rabies or quarantined. Try to prevent further biting and scratching in
the capture.
" If the animal escapes, try to remember what it looked like.
" If the animal is dead, save it for examination. Only touch the
animal if your hands are protected with heavy plastic or gloves. Try not
to damage the head.
" Immediately wash your wound with lots of soap and water. Scrub
the bitten area gently.
" Get medical help. DO NOT DELAY. Call your family doctor or closest
hospital emergency room.
" Report the incident to the police or animal control.
" If the biting animal is a pet dog or cat, get the owner's name,
address, and phone number. Find out if the animal has a current rabies
shot and write down the rabies tag number.
" If your pet or livestock has been bitten by a possibly rabid animal
and you must handle your animal within two hours of the incident, wear
gloves and afterwards be sure to wash your hands very well with soap and
water. Try to capture the possibly rabid animal. Call your veterinarian.
How is Rabies treated…..
" If an apparently healthy domestic dog or cat bites a human in an
unprovoked manner, it must be captured, confined and observed daily for
at least 10 days following the bite. If the animal remains healthy during
this period, the animal did not transmit rabies at the time of the bite.
" A wild animal such as a bat, fox, skunk, or raccoon which has bitten
a person or domestic animal should be sacrificed immediately. It should
be submitted to the state testing laboratory for examination.
" If a rabies-suspect biting animal cannot be observed or tested,
or it tests positive for the virus, treatment must begin immediately.
Human treatment consists of a dose of rabies-immune globulin administered
as soon as possible after exposure. The first of five doses of rabies
vaccine is given at the same time, with the remaining injections administered
one at a time on days 3, 7, 14 and 28 following the initial injection.
" There have been no vaccine failures in the United States when postexposure
prophylaxis was given promptly and appropriately after exposure. While
the treatment is safe, there can be side effects. So, it is only used
when there has been exposure to a confirmed or suspected rabid animal.
" The is no drug treatment for rabies after symptoms of the disease
appear.
How can I protect my family from rabies?
Be sure your dogs and cats are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations.
New Mexico state law requires a current vaccination for all cats, dogs
and ferrets beginning at three months of age. Pets too young to be vaccinated
should be kept indoors.
Keep family pets indoors at night. Don't leave them outside unattended
or let them roam free.
Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open
garbage cans, litter, or pet food. Never adopt wild animals or bring them
into your home. Don't not try to nurse sick animals back to health. Call
animal control or an animal rescue agency for assistance.
Feed pets indoors. Tightly cap or put away garbage cans. If you must feed
your pet outside, remove any uneaten food at once.
Board up openings in your attic, basement, porch or garage. Provide bright
exterior lights to discourage nocturnal animals. Block any means of entry
to foundations, porches and steps. Cap your chimney with screens.
Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic,
even if they appear friendly. Encourage children to tell an adult immediately,
if they are bitten or scratched by any animal.
Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the district Game
and Fish department.
If a wild animal is on your property, let it wander away. Bring children
and pets indoors and alert neighbors who are outside.
Why does my pet need the rabies vaccine?
Although the majority of rabies cases occur in wildlife, most humans are
given rabies vaccine as a result of exposure to domestic animals. This
explains the tremendous cost of rabies prevention in domestic animals
in the United States. While wildlife are more likely to be rabid than
are domestic animals in the U.S., the amount of human contact with domestic
animals greatly exceeds the amount of contact with wildlife. When "spillover"
rabies occurs in domestic animals, the risk to humans is increased. Pets
are therefore vaccinated by your veterinarian to prevent them from acquiring
the disease from wildlife, and thereby transmitting it to humans.
Who to call.....
Southwest district office for Fish and Game in Las Cruces 575-532-2100
High Desert Humane Society in Silver City 575-538-9261
Silver City Central Dispatch 575-388-8840
Deming Animal Shelter 575-546-2024
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