Animal save rate up 10 percent over last year; more progress needed

Staff at Pima Animal Care Center would love to never have to euthanize another animal again, except to end severe or terminal suffering.

It’s the hardest part of our job. And while we are making progress, we’re not there yet.

June 11 will mark Just One Day, a national movement promoting a one-day moratorium on euthanasia in order to highlight the need to find homes for homeless animals.

Pima Animal Care Center practices this moratorium on each of the 10 County holidays. With the exception of ending suffering, we will fulfill that goal again on June 11, as well as on the date of our large annual adoption event, Monsoon Muttness, coming up this Saturday, May 18.

To be clear, there is no “clock” ticking on healthy, adoptable animals. We will keep them indefinitely as long as an animal shows no sign of illness or injury or aggression. Last fiscal year, ending June 30, Pima Animal Care Center took in more than 24,000 animals. Think about that for a minute. Imagine taking in 65 pets every day of the year. Or visualize it this way: McKale Center, filled, seats fewer than 15,000.

Although approximately 13,000 animals were euthanized, we’re on pace to make significant improvement this year. We have a strong rescue program, thanks to the work of our energetic and compassionate rescue partners. We routinely run specials to help our animals find homes faster. We are working to organize more events in the community. In all, our save rate to date this year is 63 percent – up 10 percent over this time last year. It needs to be better.

This is a plea for the community’s help. We can certainly put more donations and more volunteers to good use, but what we really need are two main things:

• Please spay and neuter your pets to keep animals out of our shelter in the first place. When a mother with six babies shows up at our door, that means we now need as many as seven homes – not just the one.
• And to help those that are here, please remember us when you’re looking for a pet. Our pets wag, wiggle and purr with the best of them and we have them in all shapes, sizes, colors and ages. In fact, if you’re considering a pet, head over for our Monsoon Muttness event on Saturday. We’ll have family fun, food and great specials from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

It will take all of us working together to save more lives. Please join us.

With the dog days of summer on their way, Pima Animal Care Center would like to share some tips on how to make sure your pet stays safe when the mercury soars.

Pets not only have to deal with soaring temperatures wearing their fur coats, but they rely on panting to cool down. That isn’t as effective as sweating, especially when they’re just breathing in hot air, and it can be a particular problem for those dogs with short muzzles, which are more prone to overheat because of compressed nasal passages.

• Car safety. A parked car can rapidly become a furnace. Even at 70 degrees, the temperature inside a car can rapidly approach 118 degrees. On days in the mid-90s, inside temperatures will reach 145 degrees. Never leave your pet in a parked car, even with the windows open. It’s against the law and it can be deadly.

• Walks. Sidewalks and asphalt can be blistering in the summer heat. Heat rising off the pavement can rapidly elevate your dog’s body temperature. If the pavement is too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your pooch. Although it’s important for dogs to have regular walks, schedule them in cooler times of the day.

• Short cuts. Many dogs see their groomer for summer-friendly clips in the summer time, but make sure not to go too short, particularly if you have a light-colored dog with pink skin. Dogs can get sunburned just like you can. If your dogs are going to be out in the sun, make sure they have access to shade and plenty of water. It’s not a bad idea to use sunscreen on areas without as much hair, but make sure it’s free of zinc oxide.

• If your pet is showing any signs of heat stroke – excessive panting, difficulty breathing, vomiting, impaired movement – take him to the vet right away to avoid complications.

Pima Animal Care Center wishes everyone a safe summer.

In May 2009, Pima Animal Care Center picked up a little dog at a busy intersection, with no tag and no microchip, and then helped him find a home that would give him all the love he could want.

Now that the community has voted for a favorite in a field of five worthy and adorable finalists, Oliver is returning the favor as the new face of responsible pet ownership for Pima Animal Care Center. A bit of a ham already, the ever-exuberant Oliver will be on posters in the community, encouraging owners to license their dogs.

Licensing is the law, but it also helps ensure our staff members can reunite you with your dog if he or she ever gets lost. Meanwhile, the $15 fee for a spayed or neutered dog helps us shelter abandoned animals and protect neighborhoods. And since rabies vaccinations are required for licensing, it helps ensure the whole community is safer.

Oliver will be enjoying a free photo session with pet photographer Ann-Eve Cunningham. And while poster dogs don’t have quite the dietary demands of other cover models, Oliver nevertheless will be donating his treats back to the shelter pets at Pima Animal Care Center.

Oliver is no stranger to high-profile roles. Since being adopted, Oliver has become a Certified Pet Therapy dog, making regular visits to local hospitals and assisted living homes. He also raises awareness about pet adoption and rescue as an ambassador for TheShelterPetProject.org, a national public service adoption and rescue campaign. To learn more about Oliver, check out http://www.followoliver.com/.

“It is such an honor and joy every day to share my little rescue dog with his giant spirit,” said Oliver’s pet mom, Laurie Gaetano. “It means so much that Oliver gets to represent shelter pets as part of this campaign!”

Of course, there are many great dogs just like Oliver waiting for love, so if you’re looking for a pet, please visit our adoption center at 4000 N. Silverbell Road, or visit www.pima.gov/animalcare.

Photos: Scott Rich Photography

When Ellie Beaubien received a citation from Pima Animal Care Center for having a rooster in an urban environment, it set her on a career path she never anticipated.

Just out of high school, she brought the rooster in to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, saw a “we’re hiring” notice, and has been working with animals ever since.

Now, as the first full-time staff member at Pima Animal Care Center dedicated solely to adoptions, her whole focus will be on helping pets find their new homes, both in the Silverbell adoption center and at off-site events, such as baseball games, home shows, fairs and storefronts.

Both are key, she said. While there are more adoptions in a given day at the shelter, the off-site events are important for exposure and as a reminder that the adoption center at 4000 N. Silverbell has great options when it’s time to adopt another pet.

With the shelter doing a few off-site adoption events a month, her goal is to increase that over the near short-term to once a week, with an eventual goal of doing seven.

Beaubien is not new to Pima Animal Care Center, serving as the shelter supervisor since 2009. It’s a tough job, and that experience is fueling her in the new role, she said. “The motivation that I have to save more is really a driving force for me,” she said. “I won’t stop.”

The owner of two pitbulls, Beaubien said there’s a reason she likes the challenge of her job. “There’s nothing stagnant about this environment. There’s something new and exciting every day.”

Over her desk is a placard reading, “Dwell in possibility.”

“The possibilities really are endless, so why not embrace them?” she asks.

There are two ways to help Beaubien reach her goals. If you have a business or an upcoming event and would be willing to share some space with some of our adorable pets for a day, she’d love to speak with you. Ditto if you have some time to help volunteer at those events. Give her a jingle at 243-5962 if you can assist.

The dogs at our adoption center have had their daily dose of fresh air and exercise this week because of the volunteers who lace up tennis shoes each morning.

Families have added to their “packs” because our volunteers have helped make great love matches.

Thirteen of our dogs visited the Pima County Fair last weekend and found new homes because volunteers helped staff our booth.

And this weekend, volunteers will be armed with paint brushes to spruce up the walls of the shelter.

In honor of National Volunteer Week, which was established in 1974 and runs through April 27, Pima Animal Care Center celebrates the extraordinary individuals who make such a difference in this community by opening their hearts to animals waiting for a second chance at happiness.

“It really does take an entire community working together to make things better,” said José Ocaño, the volunteer coordinator for Pima Animal Care Center. “Every single volunteer who gives of their time makes a tremendous impact. We couldn’t face the critical challenges we have to address every day without them and we are deeply appreciative.”

Want to help? In a 45-minute Open House on Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m., we’ll share all the information you’ll need to see how you can help our animals find new homes and to help our adoption center be the best it can be.

If this Saturday won’t work, we have plenty more sessions coming up. Please visit http://www.pimaanimalcare.org/aboutus/calendar.asp

You may never have a treat in absolute peace again.

A lint roller may now be part of your morning routine.

Kneading paws or assorted vocal stylings may replace your alarm clock.

If you ever move something heavy, rest assured that a particular little furball may develop a pitch-perfect knack for getting in the way.

And you may on occasion find yourself stumped that a seemingly interminable game of ball is so powerful in its allure to your furry friend.

Naturally, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

And that’s why Pima Animal Care Center would like to give a big shout-out on National Pet Parents Day for all you do to provide warm, stable homes for your four-legged little buddies.

Pets give so much back in return, from encouraging physical activity to counteracting isolation. They may even provide some health benefits, including decreasing blood pressure. For a more comprehensive list of potential benefits, please visit http://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-pets-improve-your-health.

Want to be a Pet Parent? We’d love to help you find your match. We’ll be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on National Pet Parents Day at 4000 N. Silverbell Road.

Pima Animal Care Center needs a poster dog for its dog licensing campaign materials and we need your help selecting from the five finalists.

Sure, licensing is the law, but what owners should know is that it also helps protect their pets. If they ever get loose, a license helps us know where they belong so we can reunite your family. Plus, the license fee – $15 a year for a dog that’s been spayed or neutered – helps us do our job protecting animals from cruelty, sheltering strays and responding to dog bite calls.

Now that the Sheriff’s Department has selected the five finalists – Laila, Checkers, Chaps, Neil and Oliver – it’s your chance to read a little about them and let us know whose whiskered face has the license to steal some hearts and encourage responsible pet ownership.

Please visit http://www.pima.gov/vote/

You can only vote once and the deadline will be midnight, May 5.

Summer is coming. That means we will be seeing an average of 85 animals coming to our shelter every day, with some days topping 100.

There are many ways that community members can help us in our mission to reduce the numbers of homeless animals and help those in our shelters have a second chance at finding a loving household.

• Consider a rescue pet when it’s time to add a pet to your household. Many of our pets are perfectly healthy, well-socialized animals whose owners might have underestimated the responsibility that comes with owning a pet, or experienced life changes that prevented them from caring for their pet. Not only will you help save a life, but you’ll get a great bargain on a new pet that will be spayed or neutered and will go home with a rabies shot, a microchip and a license.
• License your pet. It’s the law. But it’s also the best way to make sure we can reunite you with your pets if they get lost.
• Donate. Supplying food, medical assistance, staff time, gasoline, utilities and other services costs an average of $17 per animal per day. Donations are accepted online for your convenience and you may designate your donation to help us with specific needs, such as spay/neuter services, adoptions, or community outreach.
• Volunteer. We couldn’t offer the services we do without the dedicated volunteers who assist families in finding the right pet and help our animals get exercise and socialization. We have 45-minute Open Houses coming up Thursday, April 25, and Saturday, April 27, where you will get all the information you need on how you can help animals in this community. For more information, call 243-5920.
• Share the word about Pima Animal Care Center. If you have friends or family members looking for a new pet, send them to our adoption center,4000 N. Silverbell Road, to see if we have the right addition to their household.

Pets can help make a house a home, whether they’re hanging out on the couch, snuggling on your lap or playing ball in the yard.

It’s only natural, then, that Pima Animal Care Center will once again be offering adoptions at the SAHBA Home and Patio Show.

The show, which runs April 5-7 at the Tucson Convention Center, offers a great opportunity to give a great dog another chance at a happy life.

During the Fall Home and Garden Show, more than 30 dogs went home with new families – a record for offsite pet adoptions.

Adopt, don’t shop, and you’ll not only save a life, but you’ll get a great deal on your canine friend. No pet will cost more than $50, and that includes a rabies vaccination, licensing for one year, a microchip and spay/neuter services. If you don’t make the right connection at the show, ask us for a discount coupon that can be used for a future adoption over the spring and summer.

Parking is available at the Tucson Convention Center,260 S. Church Ave.

Our dogs will be available for adoption between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Cat lovers should know that while they similarly bring plenty of love and panache to a home, they don’t travel as well as our dogs. Please come visit them at our adoption center at 4000 N. Silverbell Road between noon and 7 p.m. weekdays and between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends or check us out online at www.pima.gov/animalcare.

In fairy tales, princes sometimes do the rescuing, but in real life, at least one particular Prince was rescued by a group of schoolchildren and teachers.

A handful of Rio Vista Elementary School students were enjoying time at nearby Limberlost Park while on spring break when they found the lost Boxer mix.

Concerned, they called Pima Animal Care Center and waited with the dog, hugging him and petting him, until an officer came to take him to the shelter. The first day back at school, they shared the story and their cell phone videos with their reading tutor, Cindy Hayden.

“The kids were very protective of him and did the right thing by making sure he was taken care of,” Hayden said. The class tracked his progress on the shelter website, waiting to see if his owner would redeem him. When no one did, Hayden started trying to find a home for him.

It turns out kindergarten teacher Kellie Walsh was ready for another pet, after her Boxer passed away last year.

Walsh, a teacher for about a decade, said she was touched by Prince’s story and the commitment of the children. Since going home with her Thursday, and getting a bath and some love, the rather aptly named and regal 6-year-old is getting to know her extended family. “He’s a very sweet dog,” she said.

He’ll almost certainly be greeted as a hero when he visits his student rescuers later in the school year, but in the interim, he’s inspiring some of the curriculum. Walsh told her story Monday morning to inspire her writing session with the students, while Hayden’s students will be writing a storybook about the Dog Prince, chronicling his adventures, and potentially entering the work in a writing contest.

“These students are a great example of how we all have a role to play in making a difference for animals in this community,” said Kim Janes, Manager of Pima Animal Care Center. “It’s going to take working together to make sure all animals have loving homes and we’re confident Prince will live happily ever after with his new family.”