Mold remediation work complete at Bernalillo County animal shelter

BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. — Bernalillo County confirmed crews finished remediation work after discovering black mold at its Animal Care Services and Resource Center.

They discovered the mold in some areas of the facility. A county employee raised concern about it, prompting the first test Oct. 11. Additional testing followed and 35 samples were returned 11 days after the first test.

The discovery led to contractors removing contaminated materials from two kennel areas, the main adoption hallway and surrounding rooms. They also cleaned, disinfected and fogged all of the spaces for around 24-48 hours. Afterward, they said that “all air tests came back clear.”

Now, the county’s fleet, facilities and management department is working with Animal Care Services to prevent similar incidents like these in the future. They will focus on adjusting their processes, procedures and cleaning methods, in particular.

The next step for the shelter is reconstruction where crews removed sheetrock and other building materials during the abatement process. According to the county, that will take “6-8 months.”

During this time, Animal Care Services is strongly encouraging community members to sign up to either adopt or foster an animal. If you’re interested in fostering an animal, you can submit an interest card here at this link.

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