Albuquerque, NM Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Large-animal treatment banned in
- MX-T, MX-L, MX-M
- Small-animal treatment
- dogs, cats, pets only
- Outdoor run screening
- 6-ft opaque wall/fence
- Outdoor run curfew
- no animals 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Districts allowing outdoor runs
- MX-M, NR-C
- Enforcer
- Zoning Enforcement Officer
Summary
Albuquerque's Integrated Development Ordinance limits what a Veterinary Hospital can treat and how it can keep animals outdoors depending on zone district. In the MX-T, MX-L, and MX-M mixed-use districts, vets may only treat dogs, cats, and other small animals, while outdoor animal runs in MX-M and NR-C districts need screening and a nighttime curfew.
In the MX-T, MX-L, and MX-M zone districts, treatment of large animals, including but not limited to cattle, horses, sheep, goats, or pigs weighing over 100 pounds, is prohibited. Only treatment of dogs, cats, other domestic pets, and small animals is allowed. ... In the MX-M and NR-C zone districts, outdoor animal runs are allowed, provided that both of the following requirements are met. 1. Animal runs shall be screened from any adjacent property in a Residential zone district or lot containing a residential use in any Mixed-use zone district by an opaque wall or fence at least 6 feet high similar in color and materials to those used on the primary building on the same or lot. 2. No animals shall be allowed to occupy the outdoor animal run between 10:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M.
Full Breakdown
IDO § 14-16-4-3(D)(6) sets two use-specific standards for the Veterinary Hospital use inside Part 14-16-4-3(D), Commercial Uses. First, in the MX-T (Mixed-use Transition), MX-L (Mixed-use Low Intensity), and MX-M (Mixed-use Medium Intensity) zone districts, a veterinary hospital cannot treat large animals, defined to include cattle, horses, sheep, goats, or pigs weighing over 100 pounds; only dogs, cats, other domestic pets, and small animals may be treated there. m. These standards apply whether the hospital is a stand-alone building or accessory to another commercial use, and they layer on top of the base zoning district's use table in § 14-16-4-2 (Table 4-2-1), which determines whether a Veterinary Hospital is allowed permissively, conditionally, or not at all in a given zone.
A hospital in an R-zone or NR-BP district is not covered by these two paragraphs, so applicants there should confirm allowed uses against that district's use table.
Violations & Fines
Operating outside these limits, treating a horse in an MX-L clinic, or leaving an outdoor run unscreened or in use after 10 p.m., is a zoning violation the ZEO can act on under § 14-16-6-9. The City issues a written Notice of Violation with at least 15 days to cure, and a $500 civil penalty attaches to each violation still uncured after that period, with a lien available if the penalty goes unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Albuquerque veterinary clinic treat horses or cattle?
Can a vet hospital keep animals outside overnight in Albuquerque?
What happens if a veterinary hospital violates these zoning standards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albuquerque
Compare Albuquerque to another location·View the New Mexico animal ordinances overview
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