Join the 505 Pit Crew and help Animal Humane work to end dog fighting and reverse the negative image of Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes.  505 Pit Crew is an inclusive program aimed at both educating youth about animal abuse and cruelty in our state and helping Pit Bull type dog owners build well-mannered 'Ambassadogs' to help change the image of these great dogs in our community. 505 Pit Crew training classes are 8-week courses for proud Pit Bull owners who would like to explore obedience training and agility for fun to help teach their dogs the great behaviors that make a true Ambassadog.  We'll also explore how dogs learn to help owners become excellent advocates for their Pit Bulls and all dogs. Our 505 Pit Crew education program provides youth in 6th grade and up presentations that explore the negative impacts of cruelty and abuse on pets, people and our communities, and inspires youth to take action in their own life to prevent such violence.   To schedule a 505 Pit Crew presentation for your classroom or to find out more about Pit Crew educational opportunities, please contact: Ellen Schmidt, Senior Director of Outreach & Volunteer Services; EllenS@AnimalHumaneNM.org. Our Community's Need 505 Pit Crew is a youth-oriented program aimed at addressing illegal dogfighting here in New Mexico, which most often affects Pit Bull type dogs and takes place for illegal gambling or gang-related purposes. Many of the people who become involved in dogfighting activities are introduced to it before the age of 9 and are forcing their own dogs to fight by their teen years. Studies have shown that involvement in dogfighting often leads to involvement in other serious crimes. Young people involved in dogfighting therefore not only hurt their dogs, but eventually themselves and their communities. 505 Pit Crew combines humane education and outreach with low cost dog training classes in an effort to divert youth from dogfighting and provide them with the education and tools needed for responsible dog ownership and to become excellent advocates for companion animals in our communities. Do You Own a Pit Bull? The Pit Crew offers 8-week training courses specifically for Pit Bull-type dogs and their owners. Dogs receive real-world obedience training in attention, sit, down, stay, polite walking and coming when called. We also address more complex topics such as working with reactive dogs, teaching our dogs focus in the face of distractions, and exciting fun and games for dogs and owner teams. Common behavior concerns will be also be addressed. Pit Crew classes are $20 for owners ages 12-20 years, and $50 for owners over the age of 20. View upcoming classes on our Training Class page. For Parents and Educators Help us Educate through 505 Pit Crew! To reach students with anti-fighting, anti-cruelty messages, 505 Pit Crew offers classroom presentations for middle and high school classes. If you are an educator, parent, or Pit Bull-owning teen or adult interested in helping 505 Pit Crew in its mission to end dog fighting in New Mexico, consider inviting the 505 Pit Crew into your classroom! Pit Crew presentations use slide shows, classroom discussion and activities to introduce the concept that dogfighting is a crime that is harmful to the dogs, human participants, and the entire community. Presentations also touch upon topics such as the violence of animal cruelty, dogs as companions (not fighters), and responsible ownership practices like spay/neuter and the importance of socialization. Two presentation formats are available: Our single visit presentation, “The Real Face of Dogfighting,” can be provided as either a 60 or 90 minute presentation. Students learn what dogfighting is, [...]

Animal Humane New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department are collaborating through the support of a grant from the ASPCA to increase adoptions community-wide as well as decrease pet intakes throughout Albuquerque shelters. Together, the ASPCA Albuquerque Community Partnership: Increases adoptions of homeless pets in Albuquerque through joint adoption events Increases the reunification of pets with their owners through licensing, microchips and identification tags Increases the wellness of Albuquerque pets by providing vaccinations and microchips at our community Pet Health Fairs and spay/neuter services through our $10 spay/neuter voucher program Decreases the number of homeless pets who enter shelters by offering spay/neuter services to Albuquerque residents Helps keep pets with their owners through their Pet Retention Program The $10 spay/neuter voucher program is available to Albuquerque residents who own a feline, Chihuahua, Pit Bull type dog or dog who will be over 40 lbs. at full grown. These $10 spay/neuter vouchers include FREE vaccinations, a FREE microchip and a FREE customized tag and collar. Pets over 6 years are not eligible and there is no voucher limit per client as long as all pets meet the mentioned specifications. An additional $50 fee is required for dogs 4-6 years, dogs weighing over 90 lbs. and dogs who are pregnant or cryptorchids. An additional $50 fee is required for cats 4-6 years and cats who are cryptorchids. An additional $20 fee is required for cats who are pregnant. If complications arise or medication is deemed necessary, payment is the responsibility of the pet owner. $10 spay/neuter vouchers are available to be picked up at the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department Eastside Shelter on 8920 Lomas Blvd. NE and Westside Shelter on 11800 Sunset Gardens SW and Animal Humane New Mexico’s Main Campus on 615 Virginia St. SE and Westside Adoption Center on 10141 Coors Blvd. NW. For more information please contact: Partnership Adoption Events Manager Melissa Hubbell 505.938.7892 MelissaH@AnimalHumaneNM.org Partnership Outreach Manager Leah Remkes 505.938.7872 LeahR@AnimalHumaneNM.org Date/Time Event 10/22/2016 10:00 am - 12:30 pm 8th Annual Pittie Parade ABQ Uptown, Albuquerque NM 10/30/2016 8:00 am - 10:00 am Pet Health Fair for Residents of 87108 & 87123 Animal Humane New Mexico – Main Campus, Albuquerque New Mexico

Our 4-acre Main Campus makes the perfect setting for animal-loving youth ages 8 - 13 to learn more about caring and advocating for companion pets. Through learning activities and crafts, animal interactions, visits from special guests and field trips to other animal-welfare organizations, campers spend their time with us exploring topics such as: how to care for and train many types of companion animals how to be responsible pet guardians careers with animals animal welfare the challenges that animals face how humans can help. Each camp session is led by Animal Humane’s professional Humane Educators, with help from Animal Humane Education Volunteers and, during the summer, Youth Volunteer Counselors, train students age 15-18 who wish to volunteer some of their summer hours to help homeless pets and their community. Winter 2-Day Adventure Camps Join Animal Humane for a fun winter experience like no other! Our 2-Day Winter Adventures are designed to let children explore animal-related topics over a few days of the school winter break. Both Winter Adventure Sessions run from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm. After care (including a movie and popcorn) is available from 4:30 - 6:00 pm for an additional $10 fee. Campers will need to bring a sack lunch. Snack will be provided in the afternoon. Open to children ages 8 to 11 years. Cost - $65/child 2016 Winter  Adventure Sessions: Cool Cats & Critters, December 19 & 20, 2016 - Spend some fun time doing crafts and activities while learning about cat care and about how other animals, like wildlife, take care of themselves during the winter. We’ll explore cat body language, learn about picking and making great toys and, of course, spend some time with our cats. We’ll discover what winter means in the lives of our wild neighbors and make some great take-home crafts. Happy Howlidays! December 21 & 22, 2016 - Through crafts, games and activities we’ll explore how we care for our pups at Animal Humane and how to be safe around all dogs. We’ll discover the best ways to keep our furry friends safe and happy during the colder months, and even get to work making some special holiday treats for the Animal Humane dogs and to take home. Winter Adventure FAQs: How many campers are in each session of the Winter Adventures? Space is limited to 15 campers per session. Can campers attend both sessions of the Winter Adventures? Yes! We will cover different topics for each session. What is the cancellation policy for the Winter Adventures? Camp registration can be cancelled up to 1 week in advance of the camp session for a full refund. Cancellations less than a week in advance will not be refunded. All other policies are the same as for our Summer Camps. Please see the Policies tab below. How do I register? To register, click on the Events Calendar links below. There is one event for each Winter Adventure session. Summer Camp Sessions Unleash your child’s love of animals this summer at Camp Humane! Join Animal Humane for five days of fun educational activities and hands-on learning at our animal-themed day camp! 2016 Camp Humane   Session I: June 20 - 24, 2016 (ages 8 - 10) Session II: June 27 - July 1, 2016 (ages 8 - 10) Session III: July 11 - 15, 2016 (ages 11 - 13) Session IV: July 18 - 22, 2016 (ages 8 - 10) Registration is now open! See the calendar links below to register your camper. Junior Volunteer Counselors Junior Volunteer Counselors are teen volunteers who assist the Learn Humane Educators as they teach campers about humane attitudes and responsible pet care during the week-long summer [...]

Humane education is the first brick in the road toward a more humane and compassionate community! Through educational and outreach programs, Learn Humane introduces New Mexico’s youth and adults to concepts, skills and resources that help humans build kind and compassionate relationships with their companion pets and one another. Respect, responsibility, kindness, compassion, and citizenship These are the qualities we want our children to acquire to ensure a positive community to come. Learn Humane Youth brings these concepts to your students through events and activities that encourage them to consider the needs of companion pets and how their own actions affect others, both people and pets. Class Presentations Bring Learn Humane to your classroom! Our class or group presentations cover a variety of humane topics and are available for all grade levels. They can be offered to single or multiple classes and can be scheduled Monday – Friday, 7  am – 5 pm. See list of available lessons below. Group Tours Tours of our Main Campus are offered to youth and adult visitors. They are able to be scheduled Monday – Friday from 10 am – 5 pm. Tours can be combined with any Learn Humane lesson listed below. Tours typically require 1 hour, and tours plus presentation require 2 hours. Lessons for Grades K - 4 Pet Care Basics What do pets need from people? Students learn about responsible pet ownership while taking turns choosing pet care items from our “grab bag,” learning what the items are and why pets need them. Through group questions, we’ll explore how pets are similar to people. This presentation is ideal for K-2nd grade classes learning about pets and animals, but is open to students through 5th grade. This presentation helps meet the following NM State Education Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K-4.1, 3 Health Ed K-4 Benchmark 1 Content Standard 1 Health Ed K-4 Benchmark 2 Content Standard 3 Social Studies K-4 Benchmark IIID Strand: Civics & Gov’t. Content Standard III Grades K - 5 Requires 45 - 60 minutes Be a Tree Dog Bite Prevention Program Did you know that half of all children are bitten by a dog by the time they are 12 years old? Luckily, many bites can be prevented through education. This fun, exciting and interactive presentation is perfect for all students grades K - 4. Be A Tree introduces children to tools to use to be safe with dogs. Students will learn basics about dog body language and how to make good choices and act safely around strange dogs and with their own. The “Be a Tree” program is an innovative and interactive dog bite prevention education program created by the non-profit organization Doggone Safe. To learn more about this great resource for children and adults, please visit http://www.doggonesafe.com/ Please note: Due to the nature of bite prevention education, visitor dogs do not attend Be A Tree presentations. This presentation helps meet the following New Mexico State Education Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K-4.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K-4.3 Health Education Content Standard 3, K - 4 Benchmark 3 and 6 Health Education Content Standard 5, K - 4 Benchmark 1 Grades K-4 Requires 60 minutes Careers with Animals In this fun, interactive presentation students will encounter stories about animal-related careers and will explore 5 careers caring for animals more closely with help from classmates. Recommended for 3rd grade and up. This presentation helps meet the following New Mexico State Education Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1, 3.1 Civics and Government K - 4 Benchmark IIID 2.2, 3.2 Grades 3 - 5 Requires 45 - 60 minutes Special Request Presentations Do you have a companion animal related topic you’d like to [...]

Paws and Stripes is a local nonprofit that evaluates our shelter pets to determine if they are possible candidates to become service dogs for veterans, often working with mobility issues or disorders like post-traumatic stress syndrome. Although not every dog identified is selected by a veteran to be a part of the multi-year program, this evaluation allows us to learn which pets are possible candidates for service-dog training for families or individuals requiring this type of companion. In addition, Paws and Stripes uses our newly renovated Main Campus as a training space for veterans and their pets.

Animal Humane is committed to saving more lives, and not just in Albuquerque where our offices and adoption sites are located. Project Fetch is a critical program serving shelters throughout New Mexico. Project Fetch is a flagship program that demonstrates the commitment to statewide animal welfare change communicated by our organization’s name, Animal Humane New Mexico. In many parts of our state, homeless pets reside in overcrowded and underfunded shelters that may be unable to rehome as many pets as they would like. Project Fetch works with these rescues and shelters to transfer pets to our facility, where we can give them a second chance at finding a forever home. Since 2008, over 5,500 pets have made the life-saving journey from shelters in Roswell, Artesia, Torrance County, Mesilla Valley (Las Cruces), Gallup, Aztec, Chama, Santa Fe, Espanola, Clovis, Artesia, Carrizozo, and Valencia County to name a few. We also regularly transfer in pets from our partners at the City of Albuquerque, Los Ranchos, and Rio Rancho. During our 2013-14 fiscal year, 1,366 pets arrived at Animal Humane as part of this program, 446 from the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department. In most cases, once the transfer has been approved, these shelters bring the animals to us. However, when we transfer from Roswell Humane Society, our Team travels to their facility to assess and select pets for transport. All pets must be pre-approved by our Adoptions Director and have received vaccinations at least 72 hours prior to transport. For more information on this life-saving program, please contact Sam Blankenship, Adoptions Director at 505.938.7901 or SamB@AnimalHumaneNM.org.

Animal Humane Main Campus Tours are an excellent way for adult or student groups to learn how Animal Humane serves our pets and pet owners. Adults: Tour groups meet our pet residents and learn first-hand about how our comprehensive Circle of Care programs change the lives of New Mexico pets and pet owners. Tours are offered Monday – Friday from 10 am – 5 pm and last approximately 1 hour. To schedule a Learn Humane Adult tour, presentation or educational booth for your group, please submit an online application or contact Ellen Schmidt, Senior Manager Humane Education and Outreach at 505.938.7863 or EllenS@AnimalHumaneNM.org. Youth: Students learn humane lessons about what pets need, the importance of spay/neuter and why adopting a pet is a great option. Tours are offered Monday – Friday from 10 am – 5 pm. Tours are recommended for children over the age of 8, last approximately 2 hours and include a brief presentation and healthy snack for all participants. Can’t make it to our Main Campus? Animal Humane will come to you! Our adult presentations for groups introduce Animal Humane and the programs we offer. Speaker presentations require approximately 1 hour. Animal Humane educational booths can be booked for larger group events. Our Outreach Volunteers speak with event participants about the comprehensive Circle of Care programs we offer pets and pet owners. Our team can also present a variety of presentations for schools and student groups.

Is your dog friendly, gentle, well-mannered and extremely socially motivated? If so, you and your dog may work together to touch the lives of those in need by being a Warm Hearts team! The Warm Hearts Network is a group of trained volunteers and their dogs who provide Animal Assisted Activities and volunteer visiting teams in the community. Our human-animal teams are screened, evaluated and then registered to visit healthcare facilities, schools, senior living and activity centers, hospice and other locations. Your dog must be: Be one year or older Have been a part of your family for 6 months or more Displays exceptional behavior and social personality traits Be extraordinarily tolerant & well behaved in new environments Frequently, the Warm Hearts Network identifies adoptable shelter dogs as potential Warm Hearts team candidates. These dogs have been evaluated through an assessment testing and would be wonderful additions to the program as well as great family dogs.   In addition to volunteer visiting teams, we also help prepare professional teams consisting of licensed professionals ( in health care, education and human services) who use dogs in their professions. For more information on the Warm Hearts Network, or to inquire about becoming a Warm Hearts Team, contact WarmHeartsNetwork@AnimalHumaneNM.org. View our calendar of events below. The Process Volunteer Visiting Teams and Phase I for Professional Teams Screening (must be completed 30 days prior to scheduled classes) No Fee WHN Coaching Class (by referral, for teams that need additional tips) No Fee WHN Entry Level Handler Coursework (offered 2-3 times per year) $15 per one human-one dog team, or $25 for a couple with one dog. Veterinary Screening Team Testing- $15 per team (one dog/one human team); $25 (two humans one dog) Registration for Volunteer Visiting Teams: $30 for 2 years per team; couple $50. Registration for Professional Teams is $30 for the initial test. Renewal for Volunteer Visiting Teams is every two years ($15 test fee, $30 registration). Renewal for Professional Teams is each year ($15 test, $20 registration per team per year). Phase II for Professional Teams: All of the above, followed by: Contact your state professional licensing board and obtain a copy of your professions standards and scope of practice/governing statutes, and continuing education requirements.http://www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/Boards_and_Commissions.aspx Participate in professional level continuing education/coursework for animal assisted therapy/animal assisted education www.dogwoodtherapyservices.com is one local organization that provides continuing education for licensed professionals. . Screening (No Fee) Sharing your dog with others can be a fun experience. In order to be successful, you and your dog should both enjoy going new places and meeting new people. A good human-dog team has excellent verbal and non-verbal communication. WHN teams have basic obedience training and interact with each other and community members in a calm and friendly manner. WHN teams use human training and handling techniques, and do not rely on physical force such as pushing the dog’s hips into a sit position, using choke chains, nor jerking the leash for compliance. To qualify for a screening: Dog is at least 1 year old Dog has been part of your family for at least 6 months Dog displays exceptional behavior and personality traits Dog enjoys interactions with other people Dog is not easily overwhelmed by novel noises, sights, touch, or smells Dog can perform basic obedience skills including sit, come, down, stay, walk on a loose leash, walk by food on the ground without taking it, work in the presence of other dogs, and easily engage with a stranger Dog does not require choke chain, muzzle, or physical corrections Dog responds quickly and accurately to cues in novel environments and with distractions [...]