City Plans Series of Residential Zoos

“City Cat Castle”, one of the featured exhibits in the Las Cruces “Tour of Zoos”

Fueled by a surge in area animal-hoarding cases, City Council members have announced plans to turn problem into profit by developing a series of residential petting zoos and animal menageries.

In recent months, numerous residents have been arrested for homing dozens – and even hundreds – of animals in their homes and on their properties. The arrests, and subsequent mass exterminations of diseased animals, led one man to come up with a solution.

John Dolittle, resident zoologist at NMSU, says he has the answer. He took his ideas to City Council members who unanimously agreed to give the program a try.

“So we have neighbors complaining. The smells, the garbage, and the disease-factor of rotting animal carcasses strewn around their neighborhoods,” explains Dolittle. “We have to accept that some people just love animals so much that they want to have as many as possible, but when their love expands toward hundreds and hundreds of animals we need to realize they need a little help.”

Dolittle proposed designing a program to benefit the animal-hoarders, a curious community, and the animals themselves.

“We need to stop treating animal-lovers as criminals, and instead allow them to share their collections with the community.”

Beginning this month, a series of homes will be open to the public on Saturdays, giving local residents the opportunity to see, smell, and touch the workings of an in-home zoo. A one day pass costs $2.50 per individual or $10 per family and comes with a current map pinpointing homes containing twelve or more animals. The fees help to cover food and health care costs associated with cramming large numbers of animals into small spaces, as well as helping to pay for the mental health treatment of the hoarders.

“We’re especially excited to see the reaction of children who will have the chance to see 82 cats in one room, up close and in person,” exclaims Dolittle.

Dolittle states there will be a wide variety of animals available to see, but the majority of them are feral cats and mixed-breed pit bulls with battle scars. The exhibits are subject to change weekly as animals die and new ones are hoarded.

“We don’t want to bore people by saying it’s all just dogs and cats, because it isn’t,” Dolittle explains. “We have some houses containing ducks, rats, parrots, lizards, geese, and even a handful of domesticated jackrabbits. There’s a huge variety – we just never know what we’re going to find.”

“This is a win-win situation for all involved. Now we can avoid having to euthanize the hundreds of surplus animals who get dumped into the landfill, and give children the opportunity to see and touch these beautiful creatures instead of having to travel to the zoo in El Paso.”

Dolittle states it is unlikely any of the homes will contain exotic animals like elephants, zebras, or boa constrictors – but “you never know!”

Those interested in attending the Saturday “Tour of Zoos” can get further information or purchase day passes by visiting www.lcanimalhoarding.com.