The Secret Life of PACC: Behind the Scenes of Lifesaving

When people think of Pima Animal Care Center, the most common focus is on the place to go if you want to adopt a dog or a cat. And while that’s true, PACC serves the community in many more ways. Some of that is ‘back-of-house’ services that many people are not even aware that we’re providing. And yet the work being done is critical to PACC being the regional animal welfare leader.

One of the back-of-house functions at PACC is our medical clinic. With the funding support that comes from both Pima County and from Friends of PACC, we have on staff 4 veterinarians, between 15 and 20 vet techs at any given time, and staff that is dedicated to community events through our mobile medical unit, Karen’s Karing Van (KKV). While that may sound like an army of vet care professionals, given our vast regional responsibility, we keep that medical crew busy every day of the week.

Every animal that’s adopted from PACC leaves fully altered (spayed or neutered) and vaccinated. That means our vets are performing 40+ alterations daily. PACC also has over 1,500 dogs and cats out in foster. As foster animals, their medical care continues to be our responsibility. The clinic schedules 10-15 foster animals daily for any number of ongoing medical conditions.  And with that number of foster animals out in the community, some inevitably come in with emergency medical needs. We see roughly 10 foster emergencies daily. And don’t forget our Animal Protection Services (APS) unit – the animal welfare enforcement team that responds to calls regarding cruelty and neglect around the clock. Between those calls and the ‘hit by car’ responses we make daily, the PACC APS unit brings another dozen or so medical cases to our clinic. Add up those numbers and you can see the PACC vets, vet techs, medical support staff, and volunteers are treating 75-80 animals every day, many with significant emergency needs. And all are treated with the compassion you would expect to be offered for your own pet.

In addition to all of those medical interventions that are performed at the shelter,  our clinic is out in the community multiple times weekly. The KKV was provided to PACC by the Friends of PACC. It is literally a mobile surgery center that we take all over the county performing spay/neuter and other wellness procedures. We realize that the cost of veterinary care can be prohibitive for many people. The KKV mobile clinics are our way of offering spay/neuter surgeries free of charge to those who simply cannot afford the cost of private veterinary care. Everyone wins from this service – low-income animal owners gain the veterinary care their pet deserves, and we limit future litters that may have otherwise ended up in the shelter.

When you think of PACC, it is correct to think of the many adoptable pups (and cats) we have at the shelter. And it is also proper to remember the PACC medical team that serves largely behind the scenes, conducting life-saving procedures and preparing the animals in our care to go home and become your new forever family member. PACC would not be what we are without the dedication of the PACC clinic staff. Each time you interact with your PACC pet, give a nod of thanks to the team who works 7 days each week in support of our animals’ health.