Our History & Our Growth
Animal Humane New Mexico has deep roots in southeast Albuquerque. Our original footprint which began with a two-story building now occupies 4 acres. We care for 150+ homeless cats and dogs on a daily basis and, in 2019, adopted 3,163 pets, achieving a Live Release Rate of 98%. Our shelter’s 20 Circle of Care programs and services positively impact pets and owners statewide.
To ensure our mission continues to flourish, we have expanded our dog agility and behavior classes on a 2.28 acre parcel across the street from our shelter’s Main Campus. Growth in this arena, as well as the addition of doggie day care & boarding is enabling us to sustain and expand our services that New Mexico pets and owners depend on daily.
Pet Training
At The Center, adopters may continue to instill the lessons expertly taught by our shelter Behavior Team during their pet’s stay in our care. And Albuquerqueans with an enthusiasm for agility, behavior training & specialty classes may seek out our talented instructors to further their pet’s training. Our diverse classes offer instruction for every stage of your dog’s life and at every level for owners. We look forward to seeing you soon at The Center.
Our Goals
This important project has been undertaken with three important goals in mind: to keep pets with their owners, to sustain our current operations that save lives daily, and to build a greater capacity to generate revenue that will allow us to further invest in our team — our shelter’s greatest resource. Click below to learn about our phased construction plans. For more details and to tour The Center, please contact Val Wilson, Executive Director, at [email protected] or 505.938.7888.
Our Training Philosophy
Animal Humane employs reward-focused training techniques designed to strengthen your relationship with your pet. Pet owners are taught how to reinforce excellent manners and remove rewards for inappropriate behavior. Our instruction focuses on humane training aids for you and your pet.
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“Animal Humane New Mexico has great people doing great work with dogs and dog owners. I adopted Filbert, my 8-month-old Lab mix, from their shelter when he was 10 weeks old. Since adopting Fil, we’ve completed two Train Humane® Classes: Civilized Canine and Beyond the Backyard: Distraction Training.
I chose their instruction because of their positive, rewards-based training. Not only did we receive a registration discount at the time of our adoption, we also made friends with other dog owners and created wonderful and reliable behaviors that make me confident as a first time dog owner.
I owe many thanks to the outstanding and knowledgeable instructors at Animal Humane who provide invaluable help in understanding how dogs think and how they react to different situations. I highly recommend Train Humane® classes to anyone having issues with their dog because it’s true: a trained and obedient dog is a happy dog and joy to live with.”
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“To me, the phrase ‘Train Humane®’ means exercising patience with your dog. Traditional training methods do not require the handler to be patient with their dog because their pet is forced to respond, rather than encouraged. Positive training permits your pet to mentally process the command and therefore the owner must be patient during this learning process. I’ve used both training methods, and yes, positive training does take more time and commitment, but it is simply wonderful to witness your companion animal using their cognitive abilities.”
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“My dog Wheatley and I have taken three training courses at The Center and enjoyed every minute! I appreciate that they use a 100% positive reinforcement approach because it makes learning feel like a game we are playing together. Whether it has been clicker training, basic agility or new tricks, it’s all about building a bond and a relationship based on great communication.”
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“Sicily, my 2-year-old Lagotto, and I have been training with Kim Terrill for over a year and I have to say that she has an unbelievable knack for working with each individual and their dog and offering advice tailored to their situation and level of ability. Kim’s style is one of positive reinforcement for the dog, rewarding each small success and finding ways for my pet to be successful when they don’t understand what is being asked of them. A few months ago I added Luigi, another Lagotto, as my second dog in agility. He also responds well to Kim’s technique and simply loves the game of agility. Animal Humane has made a wise investment in developing their two agility fields at The Center and adding a person of Kim’s stature to offer instruction.”
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“I am so excited to see that Kim Terrill has a new training home. Albuquerque is so fortunate to have a World Class trainer and competitor available. Kim has guided us in the training of four dogs over the past seven years. Two have obtained Agility Champion titles and two are just beginning their Agility careers. Kim is able to address most any issue from the seemingly impossible behavior to the most fundamental training.”
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“I became hooked on agility after we built the original Dog Park at Animal Humane. Since then, I have trained and earned agility titles on all four of the dogs we adopted from their shelter, starting with Steely Dan, then Jack, Frieda and now Luke. Thanks to Kim’s expert and thoughtful guidance, I have been able to train my Whippet, Animal Humane adoptee, Luke, to his MACH (Master Agility Champion) title and qualified for the AKC Agility Nationals. Kim has been key to our success.
One of the great joys of agility is that it helps you develop an incredible bond and synergy with your dog. The agility and obedience classes The Center are offering under Kim’s leadership will help so many people develop stronger and deeper bonds with their dogs. The Center’s work will not only help fund Animal Humane’s day-to-day operations, but will also contribute to their mission to ‘support and improve the lives of New Mexico’s dogs.'”
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“I came to know Kim Terrill & Linda Johns 11 years ago when I moved to New Mexico and was looking for an agility instructor for my 10-month-old Miniature American Shepherd, Icy. I wanted someone who was competitive, pushed me to be the best we could be, and was also very patient. I found those traits in Kim & Linda. They know how to help you and your dog run as a team. My Mini is now 12, holds a MACH9 and has taken me to the Invitational finals, USDAA finals, and was the No. 1 Mini 3 years in a row! Throughout Icy’s career, these two women were always there supporting, mentoring, and encouraging us. Kim & Linda have been there for us, and will continue to mentor me and my dogs going forward. They are the best!!”
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“My Gordon Setters and I have known Kim Terrill & Linda Johns since 2003. My focus has been competitive agility and Kim & Linda have proven to me my goals are achievable and attainable. They recently saw my Gordon Setter, Scotland, earn her Master Agility Championship. Kim & Linda’s versatility, intelligence and discipline allow their students and their dog(s) to have positive and challenging experiences together. I am currently in competitive agility training with my 2-year-old Gordon Setter and 6-month Border Collie. I can attest that both instructors are incredibly responsive to their students’ performance and training issues. Their lessons have breadth and depth.”
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“My dogs and I have trained with Kim Terrill and Linda Johns for over 4 years. I am always impressed with their ability to: understand everything from the dog’s perspective; tailor their training to the needs of that particular dog; and, encourage owners to improve and grow in their relationships with each dog. One of my dogs, Turbo, was a rescue who was afraid of any new person or environment. Kim and Linda were compassionate and understanding, and could see the potential in Turbo that I could not. They pushed me to have more faith in Turbo and to give him a chance to grow. He met each of their challenges, became more confident, and has taken us places that I never thought we’d be able to go! That would not have happened were it not for Kim and Linda. We will be forever grateful for their kindness, wisdom and expertise.”
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I have been training with Kim Terrill and Linda Johns for several years. Both trainers have great insight and knowledge beyond agility training and are able to quickly adjust their teachings for all owner/dog pairs.
Early on in my training with Ozzi (and knowing absolutely nothing about the sport, as he is my first agility dog) I recognized that these two women had gifts in training top, highly competitive dogs. They have been a part of my personal success with my reactive dog, Ozzi and have become great friends as well. Thank you Kim and LJ for letting me join your team!
DAY CARE
6,695 square feet of indoor & outdoor space
2 large indoor play yards
4 outdoor covered play yards
Zen Room for quiet time & napping
Spacious evaluation room for first time guests
Live web cams in all play areas
BOARDING
19 spacing boarding rooms (6 with indoor/outdoor runs)
Dog bathing services
1 large private outdoor play yard – group day play available, too!
Private training during stay
Live web cams in all play yards & NM King Boarding Suites
TRAINING
Develop, refresh or
hone your dog’s skills
2,300 square foot dedicated training room for private & group classes
Agility
Training from local experts
2 large grass fields (10,920 & 5,525 square feet) for private & group classes