TUCSON, Ariz. — In midtown Tucson, there's a new effort underway to help the crisis in our animal shelters. When the shelters are as full as they are, dogs get stressed, and when they're not on their best behavior, they become less likely to get adopted.
That's why the group Tucson Rescue Now is partnering with the Pima Animal Care Center to try and turn things around. They just opened their new location at Swan and Grant, right next to Trader Joe's. When you walk in, you'll quickly notice how different it feels from a shelter. That's what the director, Bonny Harris set out to create.
"They have this wonderful new indoor play yard, and that gives us an opportunity for the dogs to have some really great off-leash time, as well as do some training," Harris said. "When a dog meets a potential adopter or foster, if they have a resident dog, they can do meet and greets here as well. So it gives us a lot more opportunities to work with the dogs individually."
Four days a week, volunteers pick up six or seven dogs from PACC in the morning, and bring them to Tucson Rescue Now on their big red bus. After four hours, they take them back the same way.
Inside Tucson Rescue Now's new space, each dog gets their own private kennel, where they can finally relax and be themselves. Harris says it's a big benefit for the dogs, and our community.
"Aside from the obvious of trying to find adoptive and foster homes to help alleviate the pressure on PACC, it's a really transformative experience for the dogs," she said.
They largely focus on senior dogs, dogs with medical needs, and dogs who are having a really tough time in the shelter. Take Lumber for example, an adult pitbull mix who has been up for adoption for more than a year.
"Lumber is very exuberant in the shelter setting," Harris explained. "He gets very overstimulated by a lot of the other dogs that are around his kennel."
While we were at Tucson Rescue Now, Lumber was as polite as can be. He nicely played with toys, he rolled over for belly rubs, gave plenty of kisses, and took some time just to calmly lounge on the ground.
When Claire Graham visited PACC on one of Lumber's days away from Tucson Rescue Now, he seemed like a totally different dog -- barking at others that walked by his kennel, clearly overstimulated, overwhelmed and uncomfortable.
"Here, he's calm. He's relaxed," Harris said. "And so folks that see these dogs here, they see a different side of the dog, something that's a little bit closer to what they can expect to see in the home."
With a volunteer for each dog at Tucson Rescue Now, it also means more personalized attention, in a much quieter setting, if you're looking to adopt.
"And we have a much lower rate of return on animals to the shelter as a result of that," Harris said.
One dog at a time, they're making a big difference, in more neighborhoods across town.
"It also helps to bring dogs half an hour closer to this area of town, compared to having to drive all the way out to PACC," Harris explained. "It's giving them a better quality of life while they're stuck in the shelter environment."
Now, Tucson Rescue Now is coming up on 500 dogs they've helped find homes for.
They currently have eight kennels, but they're planning to build six more. They run completely on donations, and they're always looking for more help. Right now, Harris says it would be great to find another volunteer bus driver, who can help drive the dogs between Tucson Rescue Now and PACC.
You can find the dogs at their new location at 4752 E Grant Road, on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They arrive at 11am, and leave each afternoon at 3pm. If you adopt from Tucson Rescue Now, it'll be the same paperwork and pricing as adopting from PACC.
To donate, volunteer, get in touch, or learn more about the dogs they're spotlighting, you can visit there website by clicking here.
Claire Graham is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. She grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in musical theatre. Claire spent a decade in Washington state, where she worked in journalism, met her husband and welcomed their baby boy, before moving back home. Share your story ideas and important issues with Claire by emailing claire.graham@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
