Gabrielle Arsiaga/News-Sun
The Hobbs Animal Adoption Center is dealing with staffing shortages and as a result has had to cut their operating hours and cease vaccinations and surgeries.
Hobbs Police Department Public Information Officer Reanna Alarcon said the City of Hobbs is working on restricting positions within the facility.
“The animal attendant positions that (HAAC) has in the facility, they’re restricting them into animal control positions,” Alarcon said. “What that means is that it’s going to be a higher paying position but it’ll be with animal control and not specifically with the shelter.”
Alarcon said she wasn’t sure what the pay difference would be. According to the last job posting for the animal control position on the City of Hobbs’ website, the pay range varied from $19 to $20 an hour.
Alarcon said the facility currently has two animal control officers but was not sure how many animal attendant positions there were.
“Animal control has two officers and code enforcement has three,” Alarcon said. HAAC has “personnel working full time providing care for 120 animals.”
Alarcon added the facility is also working to keep any appointments already scheduled.
“(HAAC) is reaching out as promptly as they can if they need to cancel or adjust (a scheduled surgery or vaccination). As far as right now, they are doing their best to keep any (current) appointments,” Alarcon said. “(HAAC) will not be taking any new appointments.”
The news came Wednesday, March 15 after HAAC put a press release on social media stating the reason for the change in hours and halting procedures was due to “extremely short staffing.”
The newest hours are: Monday, Saturday and Sunday closed; and Tuesday, 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday, 3 to 5 p.m., and Friday 12 to 2 p.m.
The press release also stated that HAAC is not limiting adoptions or preventing owners from reclaiming their pets, just changing their hours to address the staffing shortage. People wanting to reclaim pets or adopt should call HAAC to scheduled an appointment at 575-397-9323.
Alarcon said in addition to volunteers, Alarcon urged the public to be responsible with their pets.
“Any time we have a big influx of animals in the shelter is usually after a windy day. We just ask the public to make sure their fences are secured, make sure animals are spayed/neutered, and chipped,” Alarcon said.