Valencia County, NM Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Section 90.080 opens the PERMITTED PREMISES subchapter of the Animal Control chapter by requiring a valid permit from the Animal Control Director before anyone may operate a commercial kennel/cattery, pet shop, humane society guard dog site, or hobby kennel/cattery, or keep a dangerous animal, and it sets a flat $100 fine for any violation (division (B)). The chapter defines a pet shop as any establishment owned or premises maintained for the purchase, sale, exchange, or hire of animals except livestock, so the permit duty reaches any county business that buys, sells, trades, or rents out dogs, cats, or other non-livestock animals (§ 90.002).

Applicants file on county-provided forms giving the Animal Control Director enough information to confirm the applicant and facility can adequately care for the animals and protect the public (§ 90.081). A permit is non-transferable between people or locations, must be posted conspicuously on-site, and the permit holder must keep the county informed of any operational, address, or phone-number changes (§ 90.082(A)-(C)). Except for hobby kennels, every permitted premises must keep a current record describing every animal owned, purchased, or received, plus its final disposition (§ 90.082(E)).

Permits expire one year after issuance, and a renewal application with a current inspection certificate must be filed 30 days before expiration or the holder faces a $10 late fee on top of the renewal cost (§ 90.082(F)). An animal control officer can enter a permitted premises, after proper notice, to inspect it before issuance, at renewal, or to investigate a complaint (§ 90.084), and the County Manager can suspend a permit for 30 days or revoke it for at least a year for serious or repeated violations (§ 90.085).