08/27/2025
8/30 update: All of the pups pictured are SAFE! Thank you to everyone who stepped up for these dogs in need. Please help us spread the word about the hundreds of other dogs in our care currently in need of homes.
We've shared with our community that PACC is at a critical point with more than 500 dogs in our shelter. Despite our pleas for help, we've consistently seen more dogs come into the shelter than find homes. With our current numbers, dogs are at high risk for kennel stress and infectious diseases, and we can no longer avoid the difficult decision of deadlining dogs for space.
Remember: Even if you can't take home a deadline dog, ANY and EVERY dog that goes home - or doesn't unnecessarily come into the shelter - makes a difference! We've got puppies, littles, purebreds, and an incredible range of big ole mutts looking for homes today. Learn more about the Urgent Placement List dogs here: https://www.pima.gov/2770/Urgent-Dog-Placement-List.
All dogs and puppies are currently FREE to adopt, and all pets from PACC are spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and now have lifelong access to low-cost vet care at the Friends Pet Clinic!
Finally: We currently have a shelter full of lost pets whose owners never thought they'd go missing. One of the biggest ways you can help is by making sure your pet isn't the next one coming to the shelter. Please keep your pet contained and safe and ensure that they're wearing a collar and tag so they can get home, just in case.
There's no better time to save a life than today. We'd love to see you at PACC - and if you can't help, please share this post. 💙
FAQs:
Q: Why can't you just stop taking dogs in?
A: As Pima County's only open admission shelter, we are often the last option for pets in need. Turning pets away would result in injured and sick animals, as well as pets that may present a public safety risk, staying on the street without the treatment or protection they need and deserve. That is not an option for us. We ask all folks bringing in healthy, friendly strays to be part of the solution and please attempt to find the owner before bringing them to PACC.
Q: Why can't you just put more dogs in each kennel?
A: There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, safety. Our kennels are not designed to hold 3+ dogs and put the dogs at risk. Secondly, cramming more and more animals into the facility is not the answer. As you may have seen over the past year, when we are over critical capacity (450 dogs), the dogs in our shelter are at high risk. So many dogs, so much noise, and so much chaos is very stressful for the dogs, which in turn weakens their immune systems, making them susceptible to bugs that they would normally be able to shake.
Q: Why don’t you just put up the tent again and build more buildings?
Warehousing more dogs doesn’t address the root issue of the lack of veterinary access and lack of pet inclusive housing. With the support of Friends of PACC, Karen's Karing Van, our mobile medical unit which has neutered and spayed nearly a thousand animals over the past year, our Pet Support Center, outreach efforts, and more, we are directing resources towards helping stop this cycle where it starts, which is beyond the shelter's walls.
Q: How do you choose the dogs?
A: Dogs chosen for our Urgent Placement list are dogs that will take more resources to find the right match OR who are suffering from heightened stress in the shelter. Making these decisions is incredibly difficult for our staff, who handle these dogs daily and love them as our own.
Q: Why doesn't PACC just send animals to other shelters and rescues?
A: The simple answer to this one is that we work with hundreds of shelters and rescues every day, unfortunately they are facing the same space crisis we are. This crisis is affecting animal welfare organizations across the country, and shelters like ours are sending pleas daily. If you have a direct connection with a rescue or shelter, please reach out; we’d love to expand our network.
