WHITSTONE, Ariz. (KGUN) — Seven-month-old puppy Lucky came to Animal Watchers to save her from being euthanized due to overcrowding at the Douglas Sanctuary.

Now she can find her forever home.

“It’s terrible that such a perfectly healthy dog ​​should be euthanized because of overcrowding,” said animal rescue volunteer Mary Moran. “It happens every day. It’s wrong. Our county can do better.”

Cochise County Animal Control has been using some kennels at shelters in Douglas and Wilcox since the last county shelter closed more than four years ago. Limited space is not enough. Moran said 30 percent of the dogs were euthanized at Douglas Sanctuary due to capacity, despite the help of the city’s shelter and local rescue teams.

“All rescue efforts in the area are under stress. We are taking in all the dogs that are being euthanized,” Moran said.

In December 2022, the oversight board approved $3 million in funding for the construction of a new shelter in Bisbee. The Board held a working session on the project at the end of June and heard presentations from counties.

Some Cochise County residents hope the county will consider alternatives for new shelters instead of building new facilities.

Whitstone’s boarding house, Animal Watchers, has helped breed dogs like Lucky by adopting them from Douglas when they can’t accommodate them. The 16-acre site is on the market for $514,000, and the county is expected to purchase the land for use as a shelter. There are 50 kennels, an agility course and housing on site.

Cochise County resident John Cooper said his main concerns were the cost of building a new shelter in Bisbee and the number of dogs and cats that would be euthanized.

“For me, it’s a no-brainer. It’s a sufficiently adventurous facility, bigger, and Bisbee isn’t as centralized as our Cochise County facility,” Cooper said.

Moran and Cooper agree that centralized shelters make it easier for people to come and unload animals for adoptions and events. Maria Teter used her voice to stand up for her grindstone location, she said, drawing attention to the euthanasia rate in the county because animals cannot be euthanized.

“They don’t talk about themselves. We are their ears, their eyes, their mouth,” Teter said. And we are their advocate, and that is what we must do. “

Moran, Teter and Cooper have emailed supervisors and encouraged others to voice their concerns as well. More information about their causes and statistics from the Douglas Asylum can be found at: Cochise County Animal Shelter New Website.

The Oversight Board will continue work sessions on the new shelter until a decision is made.