 PACC in immediate need of fosters and adopters
PIMA COUNTY, Oct. 20, 2022 – Pima Animal Care Center may be forced to euthanize animals for space, with 722 animals currently in the shelter, 572 of which are dogs.
The shelter needs adopters and fosters immediately. Every dog kennel in the facility is full. Dogs are currently housed in offices and in pop-up crates in meeting rooms and lobbies. With dozens of dogs coming into the shelter daily and 68 coming in on Oct. 18 alone, the shelter is in a crisis situation.
Monica Dangler, Director of Animal Services, said that PACC has reached a tipping point after being in “Code Red” capacity for much of the past year.
Code Red indicates that the shelter is at extreme capacity with no kennels available for incoming dogs. If the shelter moves to Code Blue, it means that the shelter is facing a critical capacity situation and may have to make decisions regarding euthanasia.
PACC is an open-admission shelter and takes in all animals brought through its doors. PACC policy is to evaluate every animal for adoption and only animals with acute terminal diseases or unrecoverable injuries are euthanized. Euthanizing to create shelter space is only done as a last resort when not doing so would endanger the health and safety of other PACC animals and PACC staff.
“Our current situation is not sustainable,” said Monica Dangler, Director of Animal Services. “If we are not able to significantly reduce the number of dogs in the shelter, we will be forced to euthanize. PACC is asking the public to help us by adopting, fostering, and rescuing dogs in our care so that we do not have to make this heartbreaking decision.”
Community members can help PACC by:
• Adopting a dog. All pets are currently free to adopt. A $20 licensing fee does apply to adult dogs.
• Fostering an animal in their own home for as little as two weeks. Fostering gives animals a break from the shelter while also clearing a kennel for incoming pets. PACC provides pet supplies for fosters if needed.
• Helping happy, healthy strays find their way back home by posting on social media, having them scanned for a microchip, and asking nearby folks if they know where the animal belongs.
• Keep your pets identifiable using a collar and tags and/or a microchip to ensure that the animal can make it home easily if lost.
• If you have lost a pet, please be sure to check the PACC website daily to see if they have come to the shelter. Reclaim fees are waived in most situations; the shelter just wants to reunite owners with their pets.
• Donating to Friends of Pima Animal Care Center.
Due to volume of calls and urgency in the shelter, PACC is prioritizing in-person adoptions, so non-emergency calls may be delayed. For specific questions about pets at PACC, adoptions, or fostering, community members should stop by the shelter in person. For emergency-related calls, people can call the dispatch line at (520) 724-5900 and press 4.
Pima Animal Care Center is open from 12 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. To view all available pets and services, please go to www.pima.gov/animalcare.
|
