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Pima Animal Care Center aims to expand program that spays and neuters stray cats

Pima Animal Care Center
Posted at 5:48 AM, Jun 14, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-14 09:54:33-04

Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) takes in around 8,000 cats and kittens every year.

"Right now, we have 119 cats on-site. Many of those cats are kittens or have medical needs," said Pima Animal Care Center Interim Director, Monica Dangler.

Arizona's warm weather encourages cats to breed year-round. PACC wants to help control that and can do so through spay and neuter surgeries.

"We currently fund about 2,500 surgeries in the community and want to increase that capacity, so we can help keep pets, specifically community cats, with the people that love them and care for them," said Dangler.

PACC wants to hire its own veterinarian team to help spay and neuter cats they find on the street. In the past, the shelter has had help from outside clinics. Dangler said doing more surgeries in-house will increase their capacity.

"We're hoping to bring in, at least, an additional 3,000, but we might have the capacity to bring in several thousand more," said Dangler.

The program, known as "Trap - Neuter - Return," will need approval from the Pima County Board of Supervisors to fund the new positions. Until then, Dangler said there are ways the community can start helping out.

"If there are community cats in and around your neighborhood, you can contact PACC. Let us know and we can help with providing traps and getting those cats spayed and neutered," said Dangler.

To report a stray cat in need in your neighborhood, click here.

To read the Pima County Administrator's memo to the board about the "Trap - Neuter - Return" program, click here.