September Pawsome Newsletter

Hello Subscriber,

September brought us many things to celebrate (including the start of cooler weather!) as well as a few things that weighed heavily on our hearts. Most notably was Dr. Robyn Jaynes departing the shelter on September 17^th. She summarized it best in her heartfelt message to staff, “It’s been a rollercoaster of a year with COVID-19, capacity issues, and distemper, but despite the daily challenges that we have faced over the past few months, I have seen a lot of positive momentum as well….It has been a very busy 13 months but I wouldn’t change any part of it! I have had the opportunity to get to meet so many wonderful, dedicated people and witness AMAZING dedication to animal welfare.” Everyone wishes Dr. Jaynes the greatest level of health, happiness, and success in her future endeavors. With her commitment to animal welfare, we are sure to see her again. 

In the interim, Assistant County Manager Valerie Beckett, will play a more active role in supporting the department. Recruitment for a new MCACC director is expected to begin in a few months once the budget planning session for FY2023 has been solidified. 

The best news is that both of our locations, Durango and the East shelter at Rio Salado, have dedicated professionals who continue to care and provide for our homeless pets and are working hard every day to find homes for our 700* dogs and cats. (*number changes every hour!).  We depend on our devoted staff, volunteers, partners, and community to help us place these pets into loving forever homes.

Please tell everyone you know, we are offering a $25 adoption fee for each of our pets in need every day – AND we have a special adoption event sponsored by The Bissell Pet Foundation starting on October 4^th -10^th. (see details below).

Thank you for your continued support of our community shelter.  

Photo: Volunteer dog walker Alex at MCACC West Valley Animal Care Center. 

HAVE SOME FREE TIME AND LOVE ANIMALS? WE NEED YOU!

We rely on our amazing volunteers to do a lot of important work around the shelter, and every day our volunteers generously give hours of their time to help make sure our adoptable pets get the care they deserve while waiting to find their forever homes, but we are currently very short-handed. Whatever your interests or skill sets, chances are we have an opportunity that will appeal to you!

Our volunteer Desert Dog friends recently interviewed MCACC volunteer Tina Barton and Jack A4592240. Click on the image below to view.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A VOLUNTER AT MCACC?

You need to be at least 18 years old to volunteer on your own. Children as young as 15 may volunteer alongside a parent or guardian, but are limited in their ability to interact with shelter pets.

We ask for a minimum commitment of 8 hours per months for a minimum of 6 months. We provide lots of flexibility and self-management when you schedule your shifts and we offer you the opportunity to take on more hours/shifts as you choose.

Of course, anyone who volunteers must have a passion for helping our homeless pets and a willingness to get your hands dirty and take initiative to make the shelter a better place. Each of our shelters houses hundreds of pets - it takes a lot of hard work to keep them clean and provide the animals with top-notch care.

Sound like a good fit? Check out more information and instructions on how to fill out an application on our website.

VOLUNTER HIGHLIGHTS “We love making sure that every dog at both shelters has a bed to lay on to make their stay a little more comfortable.” Mary Senseman, Founder of the Dog Bed Crew. Since its creation in 2018, the Dog Bed Crew has repaired over 1,500 kuranda beds at our East and West shelters. These beds are important for the health of our pets because they evenly distribute weight so that there is less pressure on hips, elbows or shoulders from the hard ground. Due to elevated stress levels for some pets, the plastic frames and bedding fabric can become prime chewing targets but luckily can be repaired. We and our shelter dogs appreciate this vital service to helping repair and replace the kuranda beds.

“It’s the best feeling ever, because you’re not only helping yourself, you’re helping a homeless animal find a new home and making connections with the people that come into the shelter to adopt. It helps build those relationships with the public so they have a good experience here at MCACC. Also all shelter pets need interaction and play every day and volunteers play a huge role in making this happen.” Laurie S., MCACC Volunteer Photo: Happy dog asleep on their kurunda bed. Laurie in the cat gallery with Steve A4638896.

DESERT DOGS IN NEED OF HOMES

Desert Dogs is a monthly collaborative effort between MCACC and three volunteers who are associated with the Arizona Coyotes to help feature and promote MCACC long-timers. A special thanks to our MCACC volunteer dog walkers Wendy G. and Kirsten L. and Tina B., for helping with the video shoot and to Matt McConnell, Craig Morgan, and videographer Greg Dunaway!

These long-timers are still available for adoption and have been in the shelter over 120 days.

Click on the images to view videos of these fabulous dogs interacting with Craig and Matt. 

Simon (#A4537543) This handsome golden bull terrier is still waiting to find love and has now earned the sad title of longest shelter guest waiting for a home. We know someone out there is the right match for this good boy. He adores people, and he loves playing fetch, soaking his toes in kiddie pools outside, going for car rides, showing off his "sit" for you, and tasting dog-friendly snacks.

Chunky Monkey (#A4066774) is very playful and affectionate with his familiar friends! This handsome youngster is somewhat a of a hidden gem: he's only around three years old, has already had some training, was house trained in his previous home, and is a wonderful balance of playful and cuddly! Out in the play yard, he loves to run zoomies and play, show off his "sit" for treats, or just hang out.

Garlic (#A4572520) has been waiting to find a home since APRIL, and would love to start settling in and enjoying a more peaceful atmosphere than the shelter has to offer. He was a little nervous about meeting other dogs but enjoyed socializing with them, and we think he may do well in a home with other dogs if introduced properly. He would like to meet everyone in his new family before you adopt, and we think he may do well with kids as young as twelve.

Geraldine (#A4585514) is one of those girls who loves attention but needs someone who is patient and can work with her on training and commands. She is always excited to get out of her kennel to enjoy walks and be outside in the sunshine. All in all, she is funny and playful and would make a great companion for an active home.

How beautifully unique is our friend Bart (#A4455253)? This one year old Catahoula mix pup has trouble standing out inside the kennels, but when he's out in the play yards, he shines! According to myth, animals with heterochromia (split-colored eyes) have the ability to see both heaven and earth - so we like to think he can already see his forever family.

Penny (#A3569449) knows you're only as old as you feel - and she still feels like a spunky young pup! She enjoys going for walks playing fetch with tennis balls, and splashing around in kiddie pools to cool off! We suspect she's already housetrained because she prefers to use the restroom outside. She's very affectionate and will occasionally even try out her plus-size lap dog skills because she loves to cuddle so much.

Visit our website to find more information about the above dogs (and other available shelter pets!) and reserve an adoption appointment to meet your new best friend. All pets are spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and ready to go home with you as soon as today!!

PET HELP COMMUNITY OUTREACH In September our Pet Help program partnered with Mobile Animal Surgical Hospital (MASH) and Dr. Kelly's mobile vet for two spay and neuter clinics, both sponsored by Fix.Adopt.Save. In total, 59 pets were altered, and 55 pets microchipped. All pets went home with personalized collars and name tags thanks to our partnership with One Love Pit Bull Foundation and AARM and their Tag Me Home program. For more information on our Pet Help program, contact our Outreach Coordinator at ACCPetHelp@maricopa.gov or leave a message at 602-506-2256 or text 602-526-0320 for more information. Most low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinics offer affordable microchipping, which can make all the difference in whether your pet is able to be reunited with your family! A Maricopa County dog license is another great step you can take towards protecting your furry family member in case they ever get lost. Learn more and license your pup by visiting our website.

SUCCESSFUL EVENTS WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! Thanks to help from our volunteers and fosters, we were able to take pets to two offsite adoption events this past month resulting in 10 *additional* adoptions (AND several long-time shelter guests were among those who went home)! Offsite events help in spreading awareness of the life-saving work that MCACC does, educating the public on our available services, and recruiting new volunteers. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to meet our adoptable pets and to those who helped play matchmaker for them!

43 dogs walked in just one morning! Thanks to our amazing volunteers at Four Paws and Friends who supported our West shelter by walking over 43 dogs in just a few hours. We appreciate all these volunteers who put in countless steps and hours of time to make these tails wag!

Yummies for our tummies Monthly, our friends at East Side Elves Community Canine Project, One Love Pit Bull Foundation, and Four Paws and Friends help support us and our enrichment program. The shelter can be a very stressful environment for our dogs, but they're able to have so much fun with the toys and edible enrichment items they receive from these generous donations. The mental stimulation they get through enrichment is crucial to their happiness and general well-being - every single treat we get makes a big difference to each dog who receives it. Since we have over 670 pets right now, we are constantly in need of daily enrichment and treats. If you can help, please visit our Amazon Wish List or make a recurring donation. We are grateful for all your support!

We are so thankful for the work organizations like St. Vincent de Paul Society are doing for our community! MCACC was happy to provide our support this past month at the first St. Vincent de Paul Companion Animal Program (CAP) mobile pet wellness clinic. Our Animal Control Officers assisted in issuing dog license tags sponsored through grant funds and registering microchips into the county database to help keep pets with the people who love them. Over 55 pets were registered and microchipped thanks to our community partners!

SILVER PAWS SENIOR PET OF THE MONTH Studly is a happy, three-legged dog that is looking to spend time with a family that is ready to let him soak up all the love and attention they have to offer. Studly will do great in a home with a doggie door or secured fence for him to enjoy. He is already neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and located at our East Valley Animal Care Center. For more information visit our website.

Saving Lives Through Microchips We are still experiencing a high volume of intakes but thanks to the generous partnership of three local non-profits, #LovePup Foundation, Two Pups Wellness Fun, and Community Canine Project, we have been able to supply microchips to all pets that leave our shelter. These groups have generously sponsored over $4,500 in microchips to all pets that are adopted and all pets that are returned to owners after being in our care.

Upcoming Events and Holiday Hours

Click each event to view details.

Both our East and West Animal Care Centers are open seven days a week for adoptions! 
Locations listed below.