Poor economy hits pet adoption agencies
Joshua Bishop
Pet shelter advocacy group PACC911 sponsored three events this January to promote awareness about animal adoption programsThe events included a Pet-a-Thon release party for the movie “Hotel for Dogs,” a Pet Walk at Tempe Town Lake and most recently, a Pet-a-Thon and Pet Social at the Anthem community park, which featured professional lure and agility courses for dogs.
The events were put together by PACC911.
“We are an umbrella organization,” said PACC911’s Operations Coordinator, Valerie Unger.
For the past ten years, PACC911 has been working to bring together local animal rescue and adoption centers.
Its founder, former account executive Bari Mears, started PACC911 in an attempt to put a dent in Arizona’s reputation as the worst state for pet overpopulation.
The organization’s goal is to increase adoptions and awareness about pet overpopulation.
“It goes up and down. We want to try and balance that number,” Unger said of Arizona’s track record for adoptions.
Last year, approximately 60,000 homeless pets were put down in Maricopa County. Of those, 80 percent were purebreds.
Gary Mittendorf, president of the AZ Jack Russell Rescue and associate member of PACC911 said that the culprit is a lack of knowledge.
“No one knows about or pushes the local shelters,” Mittendorf said.
According to both Mittendorf and Unger, the thousands of homeless pets around the valley are stuck in shelters because people choose to buy pets from pet stores and breeders rather than adopting from shelters.
Mittendorf is convinced that people are picking pet stores and breeders because they aren’t aware of how many shelters are full of needy animals looking for homes.
Another challenge in front of homeless pets is the economy.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the animal drop-off rate increased last year by 20 percent, with most families citing a lack of funds to support a pet as the reason for dropping their pet off at a shelter.
The increase in the number of pets being dropped off at shelters, combined with the lull in adoption rates, has forced some “No Kill” shelters to close their doors or change their policies.
However, in a city where seven out of ten adoptions are turned down, PACC911 and its members are keeping their spirits high.
“The big goal is to get people to realize that adoption is the best option,” Mittendorf said.
