PACC offering free adoptions throughout June as shelter faces critical capacity

The Pima Animal Care Center is offering free pet adoptions every Friday throughout June as the shelter grapples with being at full capacity.

"We’re starting the day off today with nearly 700 animals in our shelter," said Kayleigh Murdock, the public information officer for the shelter.

She said that just weeks before one of their busiest times of the year, PACC is beyond critical capacity, meaning the shelter has more animals than available bed space.

"We’ve seen a lot of animals coming in, especially as strays, for the past couple of years," Murdock said. "Unfortunately, we have been at or near critical capacity for the last couple of years."

Murdock explained that summertime often presents more challenges as adoptions typically slow down while animals coming into the shelter increase. Following the Fourth of July holiday, upwards of 300 dogs often find their way to the shelter, many of them are strays that have run away.

"Every year we see that happen. People take pets to those shows, they get loose. In the best case, they end up back here at the shelter. In the worst case, they end up hit by a car," Murdock said.

Murdock recommends you leave your pets at home if you are going to any fireworks shows this year. She also advises pet owners to have a way to identify their pets should they get lost—whether with a collar or microchip.

With the overwhelming number of animals currently at the shelter, some pets could be at risk for euthanasia.

"So that’s one of the reasons that we really, really need people’s help with adopting and fostering, especially with those big dogs."