MCACC Pawsome Newsletter

Maricopa County, Arizona sent this bulletin at 02/05/2021 11:30 AM MST
January Header

 

Hello Subscriber,

 

For pet owners, New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July celebrations can be a stressful time. If you have a dog or cat that is sensitive to noise, the booming sounds and flashing lights can be a terrifying experience, causing some pets to react by escaping their home environment. At MCACC we see first-hand the result of animals reacting to fireworks, getting lost and ending up on the streets.

Within the first few days of January, we saw our intake rise significantly, going from the normal 30 pets per day to over 70 very quickly. In the first week of 2021, we returned 94 dogs to their owners. The ease in which dogs can be returned to their family is based on two factors, a current license and microchip – both services are offered here at MCACC. 

Return To Owners (RTO’s) is a common term we use at the shelter. This is a daily reported number, but the stories behind the number is what is most heart-warming, and at times brings our staff to tears of joy. This past month we have had some incredible RTO success stories!

Nala

Nala came into our shelter as a stray. Luckily, she was microchipped and when our business office manager called the registered owner of the chip, she was very surprised to hear from us. Maria had to rehome Nala two years ago due to personal issues, and she had lost contact with the new owners who moved to Phoenix. One of our partners AZ Pet Project, was able to help with Nala’s fees and we coordinated with a pet social worker to pick up Nala and board her until her flight was ready for Tacoma, Washington. Maria and her family were thrilled to have Nala return home and the photos shows it!

Dior, an 8-year-old yorkie, was another dog who had an owner out of state and was missing for over 18 months. Our shelter team worked with the owner to help cover the incurred fees and one of our partners, AZ Small Dog Rescue helped with meeting the owner at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport for the hand off. What an incredible reunion for these two!

In addition, our Animal Control Officers have their own Facebook page that focuses on returning dogs to their owner, even before arriving on our doorstep. Their RTO rate is 27% while out in the field, which means those dogs never have to come into the shelter and are returned home the same day.

 Dior

It takes everyone here at MCACC, along with the help of our partners, to get pets back home to their families or to find their new forever home. We are proud of our ability to serve the community with the many programs we offer. To read more about our impact, visit our pets.maricopa.gov website.

With gratitude,
Robyn Jaynes, DVM
Director

Photo in header: Assaggie #A4522877 is available for adoption. 

Dr. Jackson

Staff Highlight
As part of our mission of supporting the pets in Maricopa County, ACC spays and neuters the shelter pets that come into our care and are adopted. One of our dedicated veterinarians, who has been with us for almost eight years, is Dr. Kristen Jackson. Dr. Jackson graduated in 2009 from the University of Florida and afterwards completed her internship in Arizona. After working in private practice, she decided it was a better fit to come work with MCACC where she could have a greater impact. With vet checks and surgeries, Dr. Jackson can attend to over 40-50 pets daily! Every day there are numerous medical issues to solve, from the common gastrointestinal challenges to the more extreme injuries that need immediate intervention such as mending wounds or surgeries. On a personal note, Dr. Jackson has two cats, five tortoises (one who is 20 years old), five chickens and five baby chicks. We are lucky to have Dr. Jackson’s expertise and service-oriented heart, and our pets are appreciative too!

Photo: Dr. Jackson during surgery.

Clinic Statistics

Clinic Stats
Walkie-talkies

Copy That!
Our West Animal Care Center is a rather expansive facility with the ability to house over 400 pets. We also have multiple outside play yards and walking paths for our dog walkers to take advantage of. For safety and effective communications, we needed our shelter team and volunteers to be able to connect immediately with each other. This led us to initiate a walkie talkie radio project, purchasing radios so that on-site employees and dog walking volunteers have a radio while on county property. 

Photo: Adoption Counselor using the new radio.

Pet Help Community Support
MCACC launched Pet Help in 2019, with a private donation from a dedicated long-time shelter volunteer. Pet Help aims to reach people who don't have easy access to pet services to ensure that pets are happy and healthy members of the family.

Our Community Outreach Coordinator who manages the Pet Help program states, "I'm always amazed by the overwhelming gratitude that is expressed by the families that benefit from our Pet Help program. The program's impact goes beyond the services that are provided, in that the relationships it forges serve as a bridge between our shelter and the community. Through our outreach efforts, the shelter is seen as a resource and source of community pride which gets people excited about getting involved with the work we do. "

To find the next affordable Spay and Neuter clinic visit Fix.Adopt.Save 

Photo: A beneficiary of the mobile spay and neuter clinic.

 PetHelp
PH Stats
HFG_John

Partner Highlight
Having effective partners is critical to the success at MCACC. This month we are highlighting our partnership with Home Fur Good rescue. In 2020, our collaboration helped transfer 349 pets into their care. Director Sheri Peet states, “HFG's mission, to eliminate euthanasia of treatable, adoptable cats and dogs, cannot be achieved alone. MCACC's employees are dedicated, compassionate team players who will go the extra step to ensure that the animals in their care have the best possible chance for successful placement. We are very appreciative of this partnership, as together we work towards our shared vision.”

Photo: HFG volunteer John, helps load pets at MCACC for transfer. 
ESE

Special Deliveries
Many of our shelter friends have been busy collecting and gathering new items to benefit the homeless pets at MCACC.

This month we had a special delivery from the Eastside Elves. Their recent gifts included over 575 toys for enrichment and 1,000 collars. The Elves are planning an upcoming golf fundraising tournament on May 15th that will provide vet tech scholarships for two lucky students. Click here for tickets or visit East Side Elves.

Photo: Oliver #A4515412  posing for the camera and available for adoption.

Thank you to Four Paws and Friends for donating 100 new Kong toys for our shelter dogs to enjoy while they wait to find homes. Not only are Kongs sturdy toys that even our larger dogs are able to play with, they provide an amazing opportunity for additional enrichment because we can fill them with yummy snacks! Our shelter dogs like Clara here (adopted!) LOVE receiving these fun snacks!

 Kong
Lost Dog

Lost Dogs of Arizona also supports MCACC with providing collars for our outgoing pets. We know that collars with licensing tags can prevent recently adopted or owned dogs from going missing, and they can be more quickly reunited with family. Lost Dogs of Arizona helps Arizona's lost dogs get home by providing resources and networking to owners and finders of lost dogs and educating the public about how to prevent dogs from getting lost. MCACC appreciates the generosity and resources of this valuable partner. 

Photo: An adopted pup goes home with a collar and license. 
Mobile Adoptions

Community Adoption Events

We are grateful for our volunteers who jump at the opportunity to help our shelter pets in unique ways. This month, volunteers Mike and Hannah spent one of their Saturday afternoons helping us find forever homes for 10 dogs at our monthly off-site adoption event at our Petco partner on Thomas Rd. We know we can count on our volunteers to support these and other special projects both at the shelter and offsite..

Photo: Adoption team with volunteer Mike.

Upcoming Events and Holiday Hours

Click each event to view details.
Petco

Feb 6
Mobile Adoption at Petco
Wag N Walk

Feb 6
Wag N' Walk at Estrella Mountain Park
Love Connection

Feb 12-14
Love Connection Adoption Event