TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — There are many reasons people surrender their dog.
The Pima Animal Care Center takes in up to 4,000 owner-surrendered pets every year.
KGUN 9 viewer, Carol Collins, reached out to Concetta Callahan for help.
She shared with her that her son left his two huskies with her when he moved to Hawaii.
Collins explained, “I can't keep my dog any longer, so I called PACC and they have an hour wait on hold.”
She grew frustrated after several attempts to get in touch with the shelter.
“I’ve been trying for weeks.I see today that they actually posted they are full,” she said to Concetta.
Carol was dead set on dropping the dogs off at PACC.
KGUN 9’s Concetta Callahan went down to the shelter to see what she could do to keep those dogs from ending up there.
“Surrendering your animal to PACC should be your last option,” said Steve Kozachik.
He runs the Pima Animal Care Center.
Right now, they have 400 plus dogs and just 233 adoption kennels.
The dogs are doubled up in the kennels.
PACC doesn’t want more animals being surrendered to the shelter.
Kozachik said there are multiple ways PACC can help our KGUN 9 viewer.
“In a situation like that, where your caller has highly socialized and highly adoptable animals, we can work directly with a person like that.We can help your viewer with re-homing through our foster program as well, ‘Foster-to-Adopt.’”
Kozachik explained PACC’s Pet Support Center can help you.
Many people don’t realize the help that’s out there.
Like landlord assistance so you can afford the pet deposit.
You can get dog food and low-cost vet care is also available.
“There’s a program called, the ‘Safety Net,’ where if you’re going into, for instance, the hospital for 90 days, you’re going to be down from surgery, we can provide a foster through our Safety Net program,” Kozachik said.
Because giving your dog up is the last thing you should ever have to do.
“The last resort, though, is sticking them in a kennel out here and hoping someone comes out and finds them,” he said.
PACC processes more than 12,000 animals every year.
To relieve some of that burden, Kozachik said the best thing you can do if you find a happy, healthy-looking stray is *not to bring it to PACC.
Instead, he suggested trying to find its owner by posting the dog on various sites or creating a flyer.
Kozachik said most of the dogs found wandering around are less than a mile from their home.
