Albuquerque's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, there are 14 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Pet Limits

Albuquerque's HEART Ordinance limits a household to no more than six companion animals, no more than four of which may be dogs; exceeding that limit requires a Multiple Companion Animal Site Permit (MCASP), which itself caps a site at 15 companion animals.

Key details: Code Section: ROA Sec. 9-2-4-3(C)(1); 9-2-3-8. Max Animals: 6 companion animals. Max Dogs: 4. Over-Limit Permit: MCASP (cap 15 animals). Spay/Neuter: Required unless Intact Permit held.

Keeping more than the permitted number of animals without an MCASP is a HEART Ordinance violation; the City's civil-penalty schedule is $200 (first), $300 (second), and $500 (third or subsequent) offense, with potential seizure and impoundment of animals kept over the limit.

Compared to other cities, Albuquerque takes a harder line on pet limits. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Exotic Pets

Albuquerque bans owning, possessing, breeding, selling, or displaying Prohibited Exotic or Wild Animals, including big cats, wolves, bears, primates, large constrictors, and venomous snakes, anywhere in the city, with narrow exemptions for accredited zoos, vets, and sanctuaries.

Key details: Enforcing agency: Albuquerque Animal Welfare (AACC). Penalty: Petty misdemeanor, ROA § 1-1-99. Breeding: Also unlawful for exotic/wild animals. Exempt: AZA zoos, vets, sanctuaries, research/education. Examples banned: Big cats, wolves, bears, venomous snakes.

Petty misdemeanor under ROA § 1-1-99; AACC officers may seize a Prohibited Exotic or Wild Animal, and the owner is liable for the city's costs of housing, care, or disposal of the animal.

This is one of the stricter rules in Albuquerque's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Wildlife Feeding

Intentionally feeding feral pigeons anywhere in Albuquerque, public or private property, is a civil violation under the city's Pigeon Nuisance Abatement law, with a written warning for a first offense and fines after that.

Key details: Governing law: ROA § 9-18-3, Pigeon Nuisance Abatement. First offense: Written warning only. Repeat offense fine: Up to $50 per day. Enforcing office: Dept. of Environmental Health Director. Exempt: Caged show birds; non-pigeon bird feeders.

First offense: written warning from the Director specifying corrective action. Second and later violations: fine up to $50 per violation or per continuing day; violator may request a hearing within 15 days.

Compared to other cities, Albuquerque takes a harder line on wildlife feeding. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

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.

Key details: 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.

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.

Pet Groomer Rules

Albuquerque grooming parlors must hold an Animal Service Provider Permit, meet secure-facility and sanitation standards, and clean animal areas at least twice daily.

Key details: Permit required: Animal Service Provider Permit (ASPP). Cleaning frequency: At least twice daily. Enclosures: Must meet secure-facility standards. Max fine: $500 or 90 days jail.

Operating a grooming parlor without an ASPP or violating facility standards can bring permit suspension or revocation by the Mayor's designee, plus the code's general penalty of up to a $500 fine or 90 days imprisonment per violation, with each day a separate offense.

Cat Rules

Albuquerque bans letting cats roam free and requires every cat over three months old to be microchipped and registered with the city's Animal Welfare Department, with citation and impoundment for violations.

Key details: At-large ban: No cat may roam unconfined. Leash limit: 8 feet max when out with owner. Microchip required: By age 3 months, registered with AACC. Rabies tag: Required on collar/harness off-property. Max penalty: $500 fine and/or 90 days.

Violating the at-large or microchip requirements is a petty misdemeanor under ROA § 1-1-99: up to a $500 fine and/or 90 days imprisonment, with each day treated as a separate offense; at-large cats can be seized and impounded.

This is one of the stricter rules in Albuquerque's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Albuquerque requires dogs and cats over six months old to be altered unless the owner holds an Intact Companion Animal Permit.

Key details: Trigger age: Over 6 months, unaltered. Opt-out: Intact Companion Animal Permit (ICAP). ICAP cap: Max 4 intact animals per household. Enforcement: 2nd impoundment forces alteration. Medical exemption: Vet Medical Waiver Certificate.

No ICAP for an unaltered dog or cat over six months is a violation; a second impoundment of an intact animal forces mandatory alteration billed to the owner.

This is one of the stricter rules in Albuquerque's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Dog Leash Laws

Albuquerque bans letting any animal run at large; accompanied dogs must be on a leash no longer than eight feet, held by someone able to control them.

Key details: Leash length limit: 8 feet maximum. Unattended animals: secure fence, facility, or vehicle. Verbal commands: do not count as control. Enforcement: seizure and impoundment. Penalty class: petty misdemeanor, § 1-1-99.

Animal Welfare violations under this article are a petty misdemeanor under ROA § 1-1-99; each day of violation is a separate offense, and an at-large animal can be seized and impounded, especially if the owner is unavailable or repeatedly lets it run loose.

Pet Store Rules

Albuquerque bans retail pet stores from selling dogs or cats outright. A store may sell only other living creatures, fish, birds, rodents, insects, arachnids, reptiles and other Permissible Exotic Animals, and only after obtaining a Pet Store Permit (PSP) from the city's Animal Welfare Department.

Key details: Dog/cat retail sales: Banned; pet stores cannot sell dogs or cats. Permit required: Pet Store Permit (PSP), $50 per year. Sick-animal coverage: Vet costs reimbursed if sick within 1 week. Record retention: 3 years, buyer contact info required. Civil fines: $200 / $300 / $500, 1st/2nd/3rd violation.

Operating a pet store without a valid PSP is a petty misdemeanor under Sec. 1-1-99, with each day of unpermitted operation a separate offense; the lack of a permit is prima facie evidence of the violation. For permit holders, the Mayor's designee can issue a written notice, then a civil fine of $200 for a first violation, $300 for a second and $500 for a third or later violation, plus suspension or revocation of the PSP for serious or repeated violations. Fines are due within 30 days and unpaid fines can become a lien on the holder's assets. A permit holder or applicant has 15 days from notice to file a written hearing request with the City Clerk under the Independent Office of Hearings Ordinance, Chapter 2, Article 7, Part 8.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Albuquerque actively enforces its pet store rules requirements.

Microchipping

Every Albuquerque resident who owns a dog or cat past three months old must have it microchipped and registered with AACC. Non-residents who keep a pet in the city over 15 straight days a year must chip it too, and every companion animal off its owner's property needs a collar tag showing a current rabies shot.

Key details: Governing section: ROA § 9-2-3-1, HEART Ordinance. Applies once pet is: Over 3 months old. Non-resident trigger: 15 consecutive or 30 total days/yr. Off-property rule: Current rabies tag on collar/harness. First-offense fine: $200 civil fine.

AACC enforces Sec. 9-2-3-1 through the article-wide civil fine schedule in Sec. 9-2-7-1(F): $200 for a first violation, $300 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent violation, with each notice stating the fine amount and a 30-day payment deadline. A person cited can request a hearing from the City Clerk within 15 days under the Independent Office of Hearings Ordinance; failing to pay, appeal, or prevail lets AACC's designee place a lien on the owner's assets or collect by any other lawful method.

Bird Protection

Albuquerque's Parks Code bans hunting, harming, frightening, or shooting at any bird within city parks, and it makes removing or possessing a bird's eggs, nest, or young illegal. Feeding birds noxious substances like tobacco or alcohol is also prohibited. Violators face the city's general penalty of up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.

Key details: Governing section: ROA § 10-1-1-3(C), Park Property rules. Protects: eggs, nests, and young of any bird. Feeding ban: no food, tobacco, alcohol to birds/wildlife. Penalty: up to $500 fine, 90 days jail. Companion rule: § 5-8-6(F), Open Space Lands.

Because Chapter 10, Article 1 sets no bird-specific fine, a violation of Section 10-1-1-3(C) is punished under the city's general penalty at Section 1-1-99: a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense. Open Space bird harm under Section 5-8-6(F) is enforced the same way, through citation authority the Mayor delegates to city personnel patrolling those lands.

Wildlife Rescue Permits

State-licensed wildlife rehabilitators are exempt from Albuquerque's Exotic or Wild Animal Collection Permit, as long as they use secure enclosures and never use the animals for testing.

Key details: Exempt group: NM state-licensed wildlife rehabilitators. EWACP triggers at: 15+ permissible exotic/wild animals. EWACP fee: $35. Also exempt: Zoos, vet hospitals, humane shelters. Release restriction: No release in city without written permission.

Owning 15+ exotic/wild animals without an EWACP (when the exemption doesn't apply) lets AACC seize the animal, which becomes city property; the owner is liable for city costs, which can become a lien against the animal.

The rules around wildlife rescue permits in Albuquerque lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Breed Restrictions

Albuquerque has no breed-specific ban; the HEART Ordinance regulates dogs by individual behavior, defining 'Aggressive' through objective observation rather than breed. New Mexico's Dangerous Dog Act likewise defines dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs strictly by conduct, not breed.

Key details: Breed Ban: None. City Standard: Behavior-based ('Aggressive'). State Law: NM Dangerous Dog Act, Sec. 77-1A-1 et seq.. Dangerous Dog Test: Conduct, not breed. Local Authority: NMSA 1978, Sec. 77-1-12.

There is no breed-ban penalty. A dog found dangerous or potentially dangerous under the state Dangerous Dog Act must be registered, confined in a proper enclosure, and handled per court order or be humanely destroyed; HEART aggression and at-large violations carry the City's civil-penalty schedule of $200 (first), $300 (second), and $500 (third or subsequent) offense.

The rules around breed restrictions in Albuquerque lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Chickens & Livestock

Albuquerque's HEART Ordinance caps poultry at 15 birds per household with no more than one rooster, and caps rabbits at 15 per household; keeping of other livestock is governed by the city's Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) zoning rules.

Key details: Code Section: ROA Sec. 9-2-4-3(C)(2)-(3). Poultry Limit: 15 birds. Roosters: Max 1 per household. Rabbits: 15 per household. Zoning: Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO).

Exceeding the poultry, rooster, or rabbit limits is a HEART Ordinance violation; the City's civil-penalty schedule is $200 (first), $300 (second), and $500 (third or subsequent) offense; separate zoning enforcement under the IDO may apply where livestock is kept in a district that does not permit it.

The Bottom Line

Albuquerque is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 14 rules covered here, 6 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Albuquerque, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Albuquerque's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.