BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. – Bernalillo County Animal Care Services have to find another place for dozens of dogs after black mold was found at the Animal Care Services and Resource Center. 

That means workers have to find another spot for dozens of dogs. 

“We were made aware of the issue around Oct. 9. Shortly thereafter, remediation contractor came in, found mold, did mold testing and found mold,” said Misha Goodman, director of the Animal Care Services Department.  

An employee at the center on Second Street in southwest Albuquerque raised concerns about the possible mold contamination, which led to the testing.

“Then there was secondary testing done in some other areas, some of those showed some mold and some didn’t show any mold,” said Goodman.

Goodman says air quality testing in the building came back negative for mold, so it’s a surface issue. Now, they’re working to clear it out.

“So in the areas where it was found, those areas the contractor will go in, they will start to tear out, the walls, the ceiling tiles in certain areas, and look for the mold, see if any of it has spread anywhere else. Once all the materials are removed, they’ll do their remediation process, whatever that is, and then new materials will be put back in,” said Goodman. 

This won’t be a quick fix.

“Some of the areas are smaller, and we expect the remediation to be done within a week. Other areas will take a little bit longer, may have to be redesigned, reconstructed in a little bit different way. And so we’ll know more as we move along with the company that is doing the remediation,” Goodman said. 

Some of those areas include where dogs are kept and will now need to be relocated.

“The animals will be kept at, most of them at off-site facilities. We may use boarding kennels. We may use other county buildings,” said Goodman. 

They’ll need your help too, especially since other shelters and rescues are full.

“We’re confident that we’re going to be able to find space for these animals to house and to care for while this remediation process is going on,” Goodman said. 

They’re reaching out to anyone interested in adopting or just fostering a dog. 

“I can assure you that our staff is doing a fabulous job. Even with all this going on, caring for these animals, it is really important to them and to all of us that we continue operations as normally as we possibly can,” said Goodman. 

The building is still safe to be inside. Once they start working in those areas, they’ll have it completely closed off to the public areas or the staff areas.

There are some staff members that have filed worker’s comp claims, and they will be checked out and go through that process.

All services at the center are still going on, but the center will be closed until Monday.

Workers haven’t seen any increase in upper respiratory infections in animals, kennel cough, things like that that might happen if dogs were affected by it. 

For more information on how you can adopt or become a foster, click here.