Pima Animal Care Center braces for an increase in dogs coming to the shelter after the New Year's weekend festivities. PACC officials say the pop and boom of the fireworks often scares the dogs and causes them to run away.
PACC's Public Information Officer Nikki Reck said they are still counting the number of pets that have arrived throughout the weekend but usually they expect around 200 pets to come to their doorsteps between New Year's Eve and January 3.
She said the spike will crowd the shelter even more.
"In addition to that spike that we expect, we are unseasonably full we have exhausted all creative solutions," she said. "We have dogs in our offices we have dogs in kennels. We have put dogs everywhere that we can because we want to save as many lives as we can."
But, she said, there's a way for people to help their community's dogs by taking them in if you are able.
“We are trying to get people informed about their options for lost and found, so one big thing would be if you find a lost pet, if you have the ability to hang on to it, that would really help us out," Reck said.
If you need any supplies like food or leashes, Reck said PACC has those materials set aside for this reason. She said it's best to keep the dog within the community that they are used to, which also helps with the overcrowding at PACC.
"Dogs that stay within their community are usually home within a couple of hours or a few days at maximum," she said. "Knock on some doors or hang up a couple of posters and you'll have that dog home within a couple of hours."
She said if people find an injured dog or one that is unfriendly because it is scared, then it's best to call PACC as it is considered an emergency situation. If you find a lost dog, you can get immediate help here on PACC's website.
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