Pet Owners Urged to Keep Dogs and Cats Properly Confined
Domestic pet owners are reminded to keep their dogs and cats safely confined to their yard, or within their home, to avoid unfortunate harm to a four-legged friend.
City ordinance requires dogs and cats be humanely kept to their owner’s yard or within their home when unattended. Pets cannot be chained or tethered to a fixed point for more than two hours at a time, or for more than four hours at a time to a trolley line.
Ideally, dogs and cats should be allowed to run freely within the confines of their owner’s property with adequate shelter and plenty of fresh water.
Unrestrained pets risk being struck by vehicles or attacked by wild animals such as coyotes, predatory birds and prey cats.
Per City ordinance, all domestic pets should be properly identified with a collar ID or, preferably, by microchip.
Las Cruces Animal Control officers who locate loose pets will look for a collar ID or microchip on the animal. If an ID is located, the Animal Control officer will first attempt to reunite the pet with its owner. If the pet has no identification, or its owner cannot be located, the animal will be transported to the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley. Owners who retrieve their pet from the Animal Services Center are subject to potential fees for the impound, boarding, rabies vaccinations, pet license and microchip services.
Owners of unrestrained pets could also be cited in Municipal Court.
