DAILY LOBO new mexico
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wednesday
February 23, 2011
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
City: Neuter your pets to help ‘epidemic’ by Chelsea Erven cerven@unm.edu
New Mexico’s animal shelters launched a spay-and-neuter initiative Tuesday to help combat animal overpopulation and euthanasia. Every day, 66 pets enter New Mexico shelters, Public Safety Director Darren White said during the Spay Day event at Albuquerque’s Eastside Shelter. He said that more than 24,000 pets entered shelters last year, and since the facilities have only so much space to house animals, thousands of New Mexico pets are euthanized every year. “Most of these pets would not be in our shelters today, nor would they have to die if owners had spayed or neutered the pets in their care,” White said. Nearly 11,000 New Mexico pets were put down in 2009, according to a news release from Animal Humane spokeswoman Lindsay Lancaster. Euthanizations in Albuquerque dropped 37 percent since 2006, Lancaster wrote, but it is still hovers around 10,000 per year. As part of the spay-and-neuter initiative, the Animal Humane launched SpayNM.org, a website designed to make neuter information available to state residents, especially low-income residents. Program Manager Kim Snitker said providing low-cost neuter services reduce pet euthanizations. “The website is the first phase in combating New Mexico’s pet overpopulation epidemic,” she said. “Getting all that information together in one place is the first step.” Snitker said the website has a “Find a Clinic” page that allows users to type in a New Mexico county and locate nearby clinics that offer low-cost spay/ neuter services. It also provides information about spaying and neutering. Cat owners can bring their cats to the Eastside Animal Shelter for free spaying/neutering on two days in
Dylan Smith / Daily Lobo A shelter cat relaxes in bed during a press conference at the Eastside Shelter. Two Albuquerque animal welfare organizations teamed up to offer New Mexico’s pet owners more information and resources regarding spaying and neutering pets. March. The shelter will neuter 50 cats each day on a first-come, first-serve basis. The shelter will announce specific dates and times on the Albuquerque City website within the next few weeks. “With the cat breeding season heating up, we felt this would not only impact the cat population in Albuquerque, but also make more people aware of the need for spaying and neutering,” Director of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Barbara Bruin said.
Visit SpayNM.org for more information on spaying/neutering pets.
Snitker said pet owners are often misinformed about spaying and neutering. “I think a big reason why people don’t get their pets fixed is because there are so many myths out there,” she said. “People say, ‘My dog won’t protect my family if we get him fixed.’ If your dog protects your family now, he will still protect your family after getting fixed. That’s just not based in real science.” Bruin said the city will host the
Mayor and First Lady’s Dog Ball on Feb. 26, with event proceeds benefiting the Albuquerque Kennel Kompadres. Proceeds will offset the cost of spay-and-neuter surgeries performed at city shelters. White said it’s painful to work and visit shelters when animals are euthanized. “It hurts me to come to the shelter,” he said. “It breaks my heart because I know, unfortunately, some of these animals won’t be here next week.”
Governor appoints two regents Students tell SFRB Senate to vote on former Air Force Academy boss, Fortner’s reappointment
by Shaun Griswold shaun24@unm.edu
If all goes according to plan, UNM’s Board of Regents will have two new members. On Tuesday, Gov. Susana Martinez appointed Lt. Gen. Bradley Hosmer and reappointed Regent Vice President Jack Fortner to serve on the board. Martinez also appointed Jacob Wellman on Monday to serve as student regent. “I look forward to the opportunity to work with the new regents, as well as those who are already serving, to reinforce and maintain a standard of high expectations,” Martinez said in a statement. If approved by the New Mexico Senate, Hosmer and Fortner will serve six-year terms.
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UNM President David Schmidly said Fortner has been committed to students’ success. “He brings a great perspective from the citizens of New Mexico on what this
“UNM Faculty have worked constructively with Regent Fortner during his years on the board.” ~Richard Wood Faculty Senate President state needs from its flagship university,” he said. Fortner was appointed in 1999 by former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson. He is a senior partner at the law firm
Fortner & Dalley LLC in Farmington. He graduated from UNM with a bachelor’s in political science in 1978. Fortner serves as chair on the Regents’ Health Sciences Committee. He also served on the Regents’ Academic, Student Affairs and Research committee. Faculty Senate President Richard Wood said his organization looks forward to continuing to work with Fortner. “UNM Faculty have worked constructively with Regent Fortner during his years on the board,” he said. Fortner gave Martinez’s gubernatorial campaign more than $50,000. He and Martinez’s office denied his reappointment had anything to do with his campaign contributions. If Hosmer, from Cedar Crest, is confirmed, he will replace Regent President Raymond G. Sanchez, whose term expired in December. The 73-year-old Hosmer was the
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how to spend fees by Hunter Riley hriley@unm.edu
Students at Monday’s Student Fee Review Board town-hall meeting chatted with board members about how they want their fees allocated. SFRB member Heidi Overton said rising student fees are a cause for concern. “Student fees have been rising for the past eight years,” she said. “Do we want student fees to always be increasing? As cuts are coming to the University, the SFRB is being requested more and more and more.” The board will hold a meeting to draft student fee recommendations Thursday. The meeting will run from 5-10 p.m. at the Domenici Center room 310. The board will submit its recommendations to UNM President David Schmidly on March 1. Students also discussed the
consolidation and collaboration of resource centers at the meeting. Overton said one applicant suggested African-American Student Services, American Indian Student Services, El Centro de la Raza, LGBTQ Resource Center and Women’s Resource Center should be combined into one center, which would receive one sum of student fees. A consolidated center might not meet students’ needs effectively, said Alma Rosa Silva-Bañuelos, the LGBTQ Resource Center program coordinator. “We need to be cautious when we start to merge ethnic centers together,” she said. “We become a melting pot, which starts to change representation. There are unique aspects. And for the LGBTQ Resource center, we’re everywhere. Our constituency is part of all
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