IMPACT
A Major Win for Animal Sheltering
House Bill 113 established the Animal Welfare Program Fund within the New Mexico Department of Finance & Administration (DFA). Thereafter, DFA awards grants from the fund to county and municipal shelters and agencies, Tribal governments, and government-contracted nonprofit organizations that provide animal care and control services. The legislature appropriated a historic $5 million to the Fund to cover a wide variety of animal care and control projects—including supplies and equipment, training, humane education programs, community services (such as microchipping, vaccinations, and spay/neuter), and government-owned facility renovations and repairs. HB 113 represents a significant investment in New Mexico’s dog and cat sheltering and animal care infrastructure. [2026 Update: Through the Fund, the DFA will have distributed all $5 million to shelters and agencies as of July 31, 2026.]
HB 113 VICTORY!
Cracking Down on Dog Fighting and Cockfighting
Senate Bill 70 updated our state’s anti-racketeering law by adding dog fighting and cockfighting (amongst other crimes) to the list of violations that would give rise to tougher penalties and more effective tools for disrupting the organized crime syndicates that orchestrate animal fights for money. The same criminal gangs that fight animals for profit also often engage in other crimes like drug trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and more. Adding animal fighting to the anti-racketeering law better protects animals and our communities at large.
SB 70 VICTORY!
Helping Families Escape Violence with Support Services and Co-Sheltering We secured a competitive Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD) contract for fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028. This will fund our work providing emergency services for companion animals of domestic violence survivors and our statewide work promoting co-sheltering, a model of sheltering which recognizes that more people affected by domestic violence are able to escape and survive when they can bring their companion animals with them. Thanks to our work, New Mexico now leads the nation in percentage of domestic violence shelters offering co-sheltering to survivors and their animals. VICTORY! $$$
A Modern System of Wildlife Management and Conservation Senate Bill 5 renamed the Department of Game & Fish and the New Mexico Game Commission to the Department of Wildlife and the Wildlife Commission, respectively. It improved Commission membership qualifications, ensuring that science and conservation experts have a seat at the table. It expanded the Department’s scope of authority to better protect vulnerable native species. And it increased certain hunting and fishing fees to support the Department. SB 5 was accompanied by $10.5 million in funding in the state budget, an amount never before appropriated by the Legislature to protect wildlife in New Mexico. SB 5 represents a paradigm shift in managing and conserving New Mexico’s wildlife.
SB 5 VICTORY!
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