PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA – Pima Animal Care Center and Best Friends Animal Society are teaming up for another adoption campaign to encourage people to choose to adopt, not buy, their next pet.
Best Friends is a leading animal welfare organization working to save the lives of cats and dogs in America’s shelters by 2025.
All pets, including puppies and kittens, will be free to adopt from Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18. PACC is open from noon to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. As part of the partnership, Best Friends will offer financial incentives to the shelter for every animal that's adopted. In addition, Best Friends is using its resources to advertise the event.
“We are hoping to send as many pets home as possible this weekend,” said Monica Dangler, Director of Animal Services.
Recent data released by Best Friends showed that U.S. shelters were seeing an increase in animal intakes and a decrease in pet adoptions from shelters. This has steadily turned into a crisis in the animal welfare community, where many shelters are over capacity.
PACC is no exception. The shelter has been at Code Red capacity with dogs for much of the past year, and 508 dogs are currently calling PACC home. That’s 118 more than the facility’s “ideal” number of 390.
Anyone considering adding a new pet to their family can make a difference by choosing to adopt instead of purchasing their pet.
"There is a growing shelter crisis across the country and the animal welfare community won’t just sit by and let innocent pets die,” said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society. "In fact, it’s quite the opposite. We’re joining forces with our vast network of shelters and rescues across the country to host our third National Adoption Weekend since May to incentivize people to get out and adopt.”
Best Friends and PACC want to spread the message that due to recent problems such as staffing shortages, limited shelter hours, decreased volunteers, and reduced adoption events, the time is now to help save lives by adopting a pet.
“We have proof that national promotions like the first two adoption weekends we did in May and July work,” said Castle. “Our July National Adoption Weekend saw close to 10,000 animals adopted in a three-day period.”
That’s why Pima Animal Care Center is compelled to be a part of the upcoming National Adoption Weekend.
“We need to get some animals, especially dogs, adopted out this weekend to make kennel space in the shelter,” said Dangler. “If someone isn’t ready to commit to adoption, they can foster and still make a big difference in helping that pet and clearing a kennel for the next one to come.”
For more information, visit PACC’s website or follow PACC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.