It is unlawful for any owner to allow or permit any dog to run at large. Any dog permitted to run at large in violation of this section is declared to be a nuisance, menace to the public health and safety and may be taken up and impounded as provided in section 95.20 et seq.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91 Penalty, see section 95.999)
(A) 
It shall be unlawful to tether an unattended dog as a form of confinement on private property. “Unattended” for purposes of this section means the owner or other person having charge, custody, care, or control over the dog is not immediately present.
(B) 
Where an owner maintains an invisible fence, i.e. an electrical device designed to contain animals wearing an appropriate collar within a confined area, which is in operation at all times that a dog is outdoors on the owner’s premises and within the invisible fencing and where each owner’s dog on the premises wears the applicable collar, then the provisions of subsection (A) above shall not apply, provided that the invisible fence does, in fact, retain the dog on the owner’s premises.
(C) 
Violations of these requirements will constitute an act of neglect or cruelty and will subject the animal to impoundment immediately and penalties to the owner.
Editor’s note–Per Ordinance 2017-3, sec. 2, adopted 5/2/17, subsection (A) above shall not take effect until January 1, 2018.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91 Penalty, see section 95.999; Ordinance 2017-1, sec. 3, adopted 1/31/17)
(A) 
It is unlawful for any person to carry any animal in or upon any vehicle in a cruel, inhumane or unsafe manner.
(B) 
(1) 
No person shall keep or transport an animal in the bed of a pick-up truck unless the animal is properly restrained in a humane and safe manner to prevent the animal from leaving the confines of the bed of the truck.
(2) 
No person shall leave an animal in a closed vehicle for any length of time reasonably concluded to be dangerous to the health or safety of the animal.
(C) 
During hot weather conditions, an ACO or sheriff’s deputy may immediately remove an animal from a vehicle and take it into protective custody at the cost assessed to the owner.
(D) 
Violations of this section will constitute an act of cruelty/neglect and will subject the owner to the penalties set forth in appendix A to this chapter.[1]
[1]
Editor’s note–Said appendix is included as an attachment to this Chapter.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91)
(A) 
It is unlawful for any person to keep or harbor a known vicious animal in the county. Any attack by a vicious animal or any animal displaying traits of a vicious animal may be repelled by the use of reasonable force. After a judicial determination that an animal is vicious, the court having jurisdiction over the enforcement of this subchapter, upon hearing of such complaint, may, in addition to any fine or imprisonment which may be imposed for violation hereof, order the animal control officer to have such animal destroyed as set forth in section 95.23 of this chapter.
(B) 
When an animal control officer has probable cause to believe that a dog is dangerous or potentially dangerous and poses an imminent threat to public safety, the animal control officer may apply for a warrant to seize the dog and petition the court for a declaration that the dog is dangerous or potentially dangerous pursuant to NMSA 1978, § 77-1A-4.
(C) 
Any owner of a dog declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog or is deemed dangerous or potentially dangerous by admission of the owner pursuant to the Dangerous Dog Act, NMSA 1978, §§ 77-1A-1 to 6, shall comply with all the registration and handling requirements as set forth in NMSA 1978, §77-1A-5 and pay the registration fee set forth in appendix A. [1]
[1]
Editor’s note–Said appendix is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(Ordinance 2017-1, sec. 4, adopted 1/31/17 Penalty, see section 95.999)
(A) 
It is unlawful for any owner to allow any of his or her animals to persistently or continuously bark, howl or make noise common to their species or otherwise disturb the peace and quiet of the inhabitants of the county, or to keep or maintain, on his or her premises, any animal in a manner as to disturb others by noxious or offensive odors or otherwise endanger the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants of the county.
(B) 
Violations of this section shall constitute a nuisance and shall subject the owner to the penalties.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91 Penalty, see section 95.999)
(A) 
(1) 
It is unlawful for the owner of any animal to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, any animal to commit any nuisance upon a sidewalk, in a public park or upon the floor or wall or any common wall or any common hall in any multiple dwelling, entryway, stairway or wall immediately abutting on a public sidewalk; or upon a floor or wall of any theater, shop, store, office building or other building used in common by the public; or upon any private property other than that of the animal owner.
(2) 
(a) 
When an animal defecates in a public place, the owner must remove the feces and dispose of it in a sanitary manner.
(b) 
For the purpose of this section, the following definition shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
Nuisance.
Includes any defecation or urination, destruction of property or disturbing the property of another, including the rubbish or trash of a resident of the county.
(B) 
Violations of this section shall constitute a nuisance and shall subject the owner to penalties.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91 Penalty, see section 95.999)
It is unlawful for any person to remove any license tag from an animal and attach it to another animal. It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture or cause to be manufactured or to have in his or her possession or under his or her control stolen, counterfeit or forged animal license tags, rabies vaccination certificate or other form of licensing as required under this chapter.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91 Penalty, see section 95.999)
Animals trained to assist the handicapped, including blind or deaf persons, shall be allowed in public places and it shall be unlawful for any person who owns, operates or maintains any public place of business or conveyance in which the general public is invited to debar or exclude therefrom any animal which has been trained to assist the handicapped, provided the animal accompanies the handicapped person it was trained to assist.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91 Penalty, see section 95.999)
For any alleged violations of this subchapter, an ACO may, before further action or investigation, require a complainant to submit, on a form provided by the ACO, a written complaint of the alleged chapter violation, giving the name and address of the complainant and, if available, of the owner who is in violation.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91)
(A) 
Within 24 hours of death of an animal, the owner shall dispose of its carcass by burial at least three feet underground in a suitable location or by other means approved by an ACO.
(B) 
At his or her discretion, the ACO is authorized to pick up and dispose of all dead animals immediately upon discovery or notification.
(C) 
The ACO is not responsible for pick up or disposal of domestic livestock or wild animals or animals killed on interstate highways or state or county roads.
(D) 
At the request of the owner, an ACO may, at his or her own discretion, given the constraints of the county’s resources, pick up the carcass of dogs and cats weighing less than 20 pounds from the homes of the owners who are residents of the county. The fee for the service is as set forth in appendix A to this chapter.[1]
[1]
Editor’s note–Said appendix is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(E) 
An animal carcass picked up under this section shall be disposed of by the county in whatever way is determined to be the most feasible to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the county and in a manner as to minimize expense to the animal control division and the county.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91 Penalty, see section 95.999)
(A) 
Breaking into enclosure.
Any person who shall, in any manner, break into or aid, directly or indirectly, in breaking into the enclosure in which any animal is impounded or kept under authority of an ACO or sheriffs deputy shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
(B) 
Hindering an ACO.
Any person who shall willfully or intentionally hinder or obstruct any ACO in the discharge of his or her official duty under the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
(Ordinance 1991-06 adopted 3/12/91 Penalty, see section 95.999)