Celebrate 10 years of Life-Saving Strategies

In 2012 Pima County challenges were steep, over 12,500 animals were destroyed at Pima Animal Care Center (2011-2012, including all feral cats). But there was also much room for optimism, based on the success of other communities and the notable strengths in Pima County: namely, the volunteers and the rescue organizations supporting PACC and the animals.  In FY12 over 3000 animals were transferred to Rescue Organizations (12.5%). NKPC would build on the strengths and identify the gaps.

.  In Septmeber 2012, NKPC held it’s first Community Meeting to raise public awareness of the unnecessary death in our public shelter, the challenges involved and the life-saving strategies of the No Kill Equation. Over the next year there were 6 more community meetings sharing the success of other cities and recruting support to work on change

 

The People. Earlier in 2012 advocates gathered at the Just One Day Event, organized by LeeAnne Savage and soon some began to meet and ‘organize’ including: LeeAnne Savage, Jeanette Regan, Marcie Velen, Jessica Shuman, Dawn Mathews-Rasnake, Kimberley Walker and Jenica Anagnostou.

Early on we received consultation from Trish Manes of No Kill Maricopa and soon further leadership from Mike Santos, Kim Silver, Vicki Fein and Justin Pope.

The army of compassion grew quickly. Volunteers formed committees to address some key pieces of the No Kill Equation: adoption, rescue, foster, owner retention, owner redemption, lost pets, trap neuter return and spay/neuter. These efforts led to multiple Initiatives in Pima County.

From tabling community events and doing the research for the resource directory to organizing events to support rescues, handling PACC dogs at offsite adoptions or The Morning Blend, manning the Help Desk at PACC, organizing the Savethesaveable marketing campaign and manning the microchip events. This list does not include everyone who came to a community meeting or provided financial support (more to come on that!). Still, we are sure people are missing from this list of 70 and we hope you’ll speak up if you belong on this list so we can correct our error. See the list here.

NKPC celebrated the volunteers of  Pima Animal Care Center who held successful ‘holiday dog walks and cat cuddling’ events.  And NKPC encouraged  volunteerism efforts through social media marketing and recruiting volunteers for various organizations.

In 2012 Trap Neuter Return for community cats wasn’t quite legal in Tucson. Cats deemed feral were exterminated. The community rallied and PACC became a national leader in TNR, with 3 years of funding/collaboration from Best Friends. Our community continues to need public education, and your  advocacy/participation, but now there is also financial resources for the cats’ medical needs through the county and NKPC. Ask us how you can get involved (hint HSSA facilitates the Community Cat Coalition).

NKPC’s Community Cat Program not only focused on TNR education and advocacy, it also included the Community Cat Medical Fund (now folded into the SOS assistance program).  Bruno  (2019) is just one representative of well over 100 community cats who received assistance, but many are feral and they are not too fond of photos! Community cats are any free roaming cats which includes lost, stray, abandoned and feral cats.

In 2012 the Owner Retention Committee began research to produce a resource directory for pet owners: Support Options Solutions for Keeping Pets Out of Shelters. The SOS directory went online in 2013. NKPC partnered with PACC to open the Help Desk at their intake door in 2014.  The public learned about Support Options Solutions to keep pets out of shelters and S.O.S ultimately included financial support for pet owners.

In the first year, with only 335 volunteer hours, 543 animals were diverted from PACC at the door. Half of those diversions went to 17 rescues who came to PACC on the spot, or got them the next day from the finder, or we delivered them.  30% of the people we talked to accepted an alternative to leaving a found or owned pet at the shelter.  After one year PACC added a part time staff. In 2017 PACC took over the service with the Pet Support Center.

Low cost/Accessible spay neuter service is obviously an important part of the No Kill Equation. Pima County has LONG been fortunate to have significant resources for spay neuter which were quickly included in the SOS Directory. The NKPC Help Desk also committed to provide free alters for any animal diverted from PACC to a private home. NKPC extended this offer to PACC intake staff, enabling them to offer free alters to all cats they diverted to a private home when the Help Desk was not staffed. That service, Spay Neuter Intervention Project was a collaboration with Spay and Neuter Solutions and Tucson CARES.

Starting in 2013, Fosters to the Rescue hosted 5 events for Rescue organizations to recruit more fosters and increase adoptions.  40 organizations participated in one or more events.

2014 Photos by Philip Falkenheiner Music by Bish Emcee by Kricket

2015 Photos by Rebecca Hamilton

2017 Photos by Alexcasaresphotography.com

 

 

The Each One Medical Fund assisted animals at the Pima Animal Care Center to get specialty consults and procedures, additional diagnostics, second opinions and more. At least 50 homeless pets were assisted. Bagel had an ophthalmic consult which saved his eyes and Kira who benefited from an online fundraiser we help to cover her complete ear canal ablation.

                               

Savethesaveable.com: A marketing campaign to help pets with challenges ranging from being a mature age to major special needs, featuring them on a website and explaining who is ‘savable’ in a No Kill Community. Part one was the graphic work was donated by the very talented and generous Juli Hill of jujocreative, was featured on billboards, bus stops, theatre screens, magazine ads, social media, posters and bookmarks. . Marketing the most vulnerable included NKPC making monthly appearances on The Morning Blend with cats or dogs from PACC or rescues,  bringing PACC dogs, usually seniors, to Patio Adoption events, including a monthly Patio Adoption at The Eclectic Cafe, and bringing a homeless dog to any of our fundraisers we could.

 

Free and low cost microchipping, in partenrship with Pima Medical Institute, for Pima County residents. Over 1500 pets chipped to date at events that have been held in various locations all around the county.

 

 

We thank our funders!
Nearly all of our donations come from individuals who make a wide range of contribtutions, from $5 to $10,000
and companies who have supported our efforts with fundraisers.

We also have the good fortune to have received some grant funding. AND we could not be more grateful to
The Bonnie Kay Charitable Fund
held at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.
Her support of the owned and free roaming cats of Pima County is uncomparable and invaluable!