Story by the Team at Friends of PACC
Accessing affordable veterinary care is a difficult reality for many Pima County families and their pets. While local veterinary providers are doing their best to provide space and contain costs, the need for care continues to outpace availability. As a result, the Veterinary Care Accessibility Project, a national organization that ranks each region of the country for availability of care, scored Pima County 36 out of 100, citing that care is ‘Difficult to Access.’
In a bold move to help address this issue, the Friends of Pima Animal Care Center announced its plan to open an affordable nonprofit veterinary clinic. The Friends of PACC Community Pet Clinic will support PACC’s life saving efforts by filling gaps in pet care services currently accessible to vulnerable families and families adopting pets from the shelter.
“We see an opportunity to help families who are unable to access or afford care for their beloved companion animals,” said Friends of PACC Board Chair, Clark Bright, “And in doing so, we aim to help combat the ongoing overcrowding challenges at PACC.”
At PACC, nearly 30% of all pet surrenders are due to the inability to address medical issues, which is the number one reason for pet relinquishment. Additionally, 28% of the dogs coming to PACC are puppies under 9 months old, while 40% of the cats are kittens under 9 months old. Friends of PACC believe these are partially solvable issues, and the Community Pet Clinic will be a remarkable tool to address them.
The Friends of PACC Community Pet Clinic will address these challenges by providing low-cost spay/neuter services for vulnerable families, affordable care options for pets adopted directly from PACC, and care for pet families receiving assistance from Friends of PACC’s Keeping Families Together program. Additionally, financial assistance will be available to those who qualify.
The Clinic will be located at 2661 N 1st Ave in Tucson. Previously, it was a high-volume veterinary clinic with 5,000 sq ft, five exam rooms, a large treatment area, and space for up to four surgical tables. Well-regarded local veterinarian Dr. Erin O’Donnell has joined the project as Medical Director, and Gary Zimnoch will serve as consulting Business Advisor.
“We want to provide medical care for pets who would otherwise never be seen by a veterinarian due to the families’ financial constraints,” explained Dr. O’Donnell, “So many pets that are relinquished to PACC have families who love them and just need help getting medical care for them.”
The Friends of PACC Community Pet Clinic plans to accommodate up to 8,000 appointments annually and eliminate the barriers that keep families from seeking care, including cost, language, and restrictive hours. Towards this end, the Clinic will also feature a Financial Liaison position assisting families with limited resources to access the myriads of resources available to them and their pets. Through this assistance, the Clinic aims to make pet care available for thousands of families who cannot afford it.
Friends of PACC is laying a solid foundation for sustained success, acquiring the facility and equipment. The Clinic will open with two veterinarians on staff daily, but the facility can accommodate 4-5 veterinarians working simultaneously. Many supportive animal lovers have already stepped up to ensure the Clinics’ success. The Clinic’s future growth and ability to help more pets and families will depend on raising funding for more veterinarians and supporting technicians.
“Friends of PACC exists to support PACC and save animal lives. With this project, we can accomplish both goals by tackling one of the biggest barriers to lifesaving. Thank you to the donors and supporters who empower us to implement such transformational projects,” added Torre Chisholm, Friends of PACC Executive Director.
The Friends of PACC Community Pet Clinic is projecting a grand opening in early 2025.
Find out more about the Friends of Pet Community Pet Clinic at www.friendsofpacc.org.
