Dog Poop Scooping in Sunland Park, New Mexico

Sunland Park is close enough to El Paso that many residents cross the state line every day for work and school. That makes it a natural part of a borderland service area. Dog owners here deal with the same desert yards and the same summer heat as their neighbors in Texas, and the same lack of time to keep up with scooping.

The city is also clear about what it expects from dog owners. Its pick-up reminder asks people to use designated pet waste areas on walks, and says waste should never be left on private property, in parks or in other public spaces. It singles out the trees and shrubs along sidewalks, because those belong to the residents who live there. Leaving waste behind can bring a citation under Title 6 of the city code, and a stray or lost animal can be reported through the Sunland Park Connect app or to Animal Control.

Sunland Park is a city in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, at the far southern tip of the state where New Mexico, Texas and Chihuahua meet. It sits along the Rio Grande below Mount Cristo Rey, and it is known regionally for the Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. Its parks are a mix of city ground and neighborhood ground. The city owns and runs parks such as Mender Park on Calle Carrousel and Maria Elena Park at Elena Memorial Plaza on Loma Vista Drive, while homeowners associations manage others. The city also lists a 10-mile Rio Grande River Trail as under construction. Maintenance problems in city parks can be reported through the city's online portal or the Sunland Park Connect app.

Several everyday services come from regional agencies rather than city hall. The Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, formed in 2009, supplies water and wastewater service here and in Santa Teresa, and it also sends the trash bill. The trash itself is the South Central Solid Waste Authority's job. According to CRRUA, every home gets a standard cart, collection comes at least once a week, and missed pickups or broken carts go straight to SCSWA rather than to the utility.

Yards in Sunland Park tend toward desert landscaping: dirt, gravel and rock, with block walls and chain-link fences, and turf in some newer homes. Dirt and gravel hide waste until the weather turns, when monsoon rain spreads it or spring wind dries it to dust. A regular pickup keeps it from getting that far. The city's reminder to residents makes the same point. Waste left on the ground can wash into storm drains and onto neighbors' yards. When you request a quote, tell us how much of the yard the dogs use and whether there is a side yard or a separate run.

The fence matters here for more than privacy. Sunland Park's Animal Control Division, part of code enforcement, asks owners to keep dogs leashed on public property and properly confined on private property, so a gap under the gate is a compliance problem as well as an escape route. If a dog does get out and is impounded, getting it back takes a government ID, proof of a current city license and payment of the impound and boarding fees.

Trash day sets the rhythm for everything bagged. With collection at least weekly, waste bagged the morning after pickup can sit in the cart for close to a week of summer heat. Keep the lid shut, and if you would like visits to fall shortly before your collection day, ask about that when the schedule is set.