Story by Monica Dangler
As PACC and other shelters across the country continue to face a dog overcrowding crisis, I often hear from dog lovers that they wish they could help, but they don’t have the room, time, or funds for more dogs. I truly understand – in fact, the vast majority of our staff and volunteers are in the same situation. However, I want to share that there are many ways our community can be part of the solution and help dogs in the shelter without fostering or adopting (although, of course, if you can foster or adopt, we need you desperately!).
Photo Directors Desk Cyrus
Here are 6 ways you can help PACC pets this holiday season without fostering or adopting:
1. Follow PACC on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor) and help spread the word! Your coworkers, friends, family, and the person behind you in line at the store – make sure everyone you know knows that if they’re ready for a new pet, we need them!
2. Put a collar and tag with up-to-date information on your pets. Microchips have received much attention in recent years, and have reunited countless pets and their owners every day. Ideally, all pets would have both a microchip and a collar and tag. Collars and tags are immediately accessible and do not require the help of a vet or shelter to find the owners of lost pets. Pets wearing a collar and tag almost never come into PACC, simply because they’ve already been reunited with their families.
If you need a tag for your pet, we offer them for free here at PACC! This service is available for all pet owners free of charge any time we’re open thanks to our nonprofit partner Friends of PACC.
3. Volunteer! Everything from dog walking to greeting potential adopters to reading to shy pets through our Paws and Pages program makes a positive impact on shelter pets. Learn more at pima.gov/paccvolunteer.
4. Take a shelter dog on a Day Trip or Pawjama Party! Recent research from Maddie’s Fund shows that a break of even a couple of hours for a hike or a visit to a coffee shop can make a dog 5 times more likely to be adopted, and a simple overnight stay makes a dog 14 times more likely to be adopted. You can truly change a dog’s life in an afternoon! Simply come to our foster office any time we’re open to get started.
5. Help lost pets get home before bringing them to the shelter. The shelter should be considered a last resort and a haven for sick, injured, and aggressive pets. If you find a healthy, friendly lost pet, please use tools like lost.petcolove.org’s image recognition technology, flyers, and social media, and walk the pet around the neighborhood to reunite them with their families.
6. Donate! PACC is always in need of items like pet food, towels and blankets, and pet carriers. In addition, our nonprofit partner Friends of PACC accepts monetary donations to support our life-saving programs. Every little bit helps!
While the challenges we face are significant, so is our community’s support and love for Pima County pets. With your continued help, we can persevere and continue to find homes for thousands of pets every year.
For information about the adoptable dogs in the photos go to Browse Shelter Dogs | Pima County, AZ
