A Special Message from Kristen Hassen-Auerbach, PACC Director

I wanted to take a moment to personally say thank you to everyone who donates to Friends of PACC to save PACC pets. On any given day, we take in 50 to 60 cats and dogs (along with a few bunnies and other small pets) from our community. Because we are the open-admission shelter for Pima County, about 25% of the animals who are brought to PACC have urgent or emergency medical needs and need to see a vet right away.

These pets are often surrendered, and sometimes abandoned, because their owners can no longer care for them. There is almost nothing sadder than seeing a sick pet with untreated medical issues lose their family and their home when they’re already feeling so badly. These cats and dogs come to us after losing everything they know and love and are often confused and heartbroken.

Just a few, short years ago, PACC did not have donors like you and our only option for these pets was euthanasia, because we did not have the funding to provide the extra care they needed to survive.

Because of you, all of this has changed.

The dog in these pictures is Alfred. He came to PACC over the weekend, suffering from untreated Tick Fever. Emaciated and dehydrated, Alfred was in a sorry state, barely able to walk because he was so weak. Our vets got to work quickly to save his life, giving him fluids, medication and close monitoring. Yesterday, we got a closer look at Alfred’s teeth and realized he is in his mid to late teens. This geriatric, sweet soul has lived a long life. His past is a mystery to us, but it’s clear at some point, he was loved by someone.

After receiving care from our vet team, Alfred started to feel better yesterday and got to leave the clinic to become and ‘office dog,’ spending time cuddled up on a soft bed in our administrative area. This part of the shelter is also known as the “little sick dog recovery area.” Once his medication kicked in, he began to gobble up his food, which his body desperately needed. After eating, it was obvious he felt a world better and he slowly looked up at us and smiled with gratitude, softly wagging his old tail. He’s all skin and bones and it’s hard to believe he survived such a starved state, but he’s on the road to recovery. Last night, he got to come to my home where he’ll get to be in foster with my family and me until he is stable enough to go to his new, permanent home.

Many of you foster for PACC so you know how heartwarming and moving it is to see a neglected pet come back to life with medical care, healthy food and a lot of TLC. As a regular foster and the director of PACC, I can’t tell you what it means to me and to our entire team of staff, volunteers and fosters to have the chance to help these pets survive and know joy and love.

Without your donations to Friends of PACC, we simply couldn’t save the lives of our more vulnerable pets. Just a few of the groups of animals you help us save are:

• Senior and geriatric cats and dogs with manageable medical conditions

• Orphaned puppies and kittens

• Pets that have been hit by cars or attacked by animals

• Pets that are victims of cruelty, neglect and hoarding

• Animals with treatable illnesses like Parvovirus, Valley Fever and Distemper

Alfred is just one of the 18,000 to 19,000 Pima County pets who will come into PACC this year. Because of your gifts, he will receive, like all of our animals, the best possible care we can provide and a second chance to have a beautiful life through his golden years. Thanks for helping us save 92% of our community’s homeless pets and thanks for your continued support as we work to save lives.

Want to learn more about saving the lives of PACC pets? Click the button below.