Help Pima Animal Care Center By Adopting Or Fostering A Pet

TUCSON, AZ — Pima Animal Care Center has a plethora of pets that need homes, whether they be on a permanent or short-term basis.

The center has taken in some 674 pets in the last seven days alone, straining the facility's capacity and inspiring them to waive all adult pet adoption fees for the month of May.

A $20 licensing fee that can't be waived is still in place, while kittens and puppies still cost $50 each, the center said.

Additionally, the center is also waiving reclamation fees for pet owners that lost their four-legged family members to alleviate the center's dearth of space.

“As soon as we get one animal out, three more come in its place,” said Monica Dangler, Interim Director of Animal Services, in a statement. “We just need to clear out some kennels in order to keep up with what’s happening right now.”

The center is also seeking short-term fosters for its influx of pets, so as to lessen the burden that's being placed on staff.

Three reasons that the center attributes the surge in pets are:

• People falling on hard times financially during the COVID-19 pandemic and making difficult decisions.
• In several cases, pet caregivers have become overwhelmed.
• Pets are coming into PACC with contagious diseases like Parvovirus and Distempter, and can't be co-housed.
• People are bringing in litters of stray kittens and puppies without their mothers.

The last point is an item of importance for the center, which reminds the general public not to panic when they see kittens on the loose.

The center reminds the public that in most cases, the kittens aren't abandoned and their mother is nearby.

Without their mothers, kittens and puppies have an increased chance of dying, the center said.

“Right now we have around 40 pets in our Parvo ward,” Dangler said in a statement. “And the kittens just keep coming, litter by litter. We need folks who can help these pets get out of the stressful shelter so that they can relax and get better.”

Anyone that would like to adopt or foster a pet can do so by visiting PACC's foster and animal care pages.