Pima Animal Care Center is running out of room and is asking the community for help as the shelter holds nearly 500 dogs—roughly double what it was originally designed to hold.
The shelter currently has about 450 dogs in its care, and officials say there are almost no kennels left for medium or large dogs.
"Anytime it gets to this number, it's a safety concern for the public, for staff and volunteers, it's a safety concern for the animals," said Steve Kozachik, director of Pima Animal Care Center.
Six dogs are on deadline until the end of Monday, meaning they could be euthanized if they are not adopted, fostered or transferred to an animal rescue.
"We're playing the hand that the community deals with. If you don't confine your animal, if you don't spay or neuter your animal, if you don't microchip your animal, they're going to wind up in a shelter," said Kozachik.
Longtime PACC volunteer and foster Linda Simmons says the foster program is a critical lifeline for the shelter and for the dogs themselves.
"So they're not sitting in a kennel just barking their heads off and going stir crazy," said Simmons. "Imagine if you just had this little square space that that's all you saw all day long and all night long."
Simmons added that dogs who spend time in foster care often have a better chance of finding permanent families.
"We love for people to adopt, but fostering really contributes to helping with the severe overcrowding that we're facing right now," said Simmons.
For those interested in adopting, PACC is currently charging only a $20 licensing fee for dogs.
If adopting isn't an option, PACC asks the community to consider its foster program and resources to ensure pets can be safely reunited with their families should they ever get lost.
“We really need the community to step up and help at this point. This is a life-saving plea," said Kozachik.
Click here for more information on adopting or fostering at PACC.
PACC is located at 4000 N. Silverbell Rd.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
