Parking lots outside the Evangelical Church on Polk Street and 29th Avenue are generally quiet on Fridays.
On March 31st, however, traffic stabilized as neighbors approached a large white trailer. They came with dogs and cats, sometimes in their arms.
Inside, the Preferred Pets Vet Clinic veterinary team was spaying and spaying the animals. Heart monitors attached to dogs and cats beeped incessantly in a tight space as the three worked to prep, med and change pets. The orderly and bustling activity was only interrupted when the trailer door opened when the aide took the pet for the reservation and went outside to reunite with its owner.
“We’d like to start at 7:30 for the first check-in and finish 20 by noon if possible,” says veterinary technician Paula Motica, adding anesthetics. After dosing, the animals are shaved and prepared for each procedure.
The mobile clinic is part of Maricopa County Animal Care and Control’s ongoing efforts to combat shelter overpopulation. Once a month, the department uses the grant to cover the cost of a trailer equipped and staffed to park in one of the Valley’s zip codes with the highest number of stray animals in the county’s shelter system. I am a burden. Each time, our staff will repair 30 to 40 animals for the owner free of charge.
County officials believe that if more pets were secured, the stray population in these areas would decline over time, and fewer animals would end up in kennels.With that goal in mind. , they are ready to start offering a new source of funding, clinics more often.$1 million in COVID-19 recovery funding from the federal government.
“Historically, best practice to reduce handover numbers is to change animals in a particular area,” said staff, one of the mobile clinic vendors who filed with the county office, Fix-Adopt-Save. I am writing on the justification form for a contract with the Procurement Service. “Historically, mobile clinics have shown up to a 60% reduction in churn from these regions within three years when they provided these services for free.”
In total, the county’s shelters can comfortably house 500 dogs, spokesperson Kim Powell said. During the work-from-home era of the pandemic, staff saw record lows for stray animals. However, there has been a sharp increase in recent months and the kennel is regularly overcrowded with over 600 dogs.
About 18,500 animals entered the department’s care last year, but lack of space has sometimes forced staff to expel animals.
“In the last year or so we started seeing more animals coming in,” Powell said at the mobile clinic. It changes all the time, but sometimes there are more animals coming in than going out.”
Distemper also occurred in the county’s East Valley Shelter in October. Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause dogs to cough, lose their appetite and vomit. can be fatal. Staff had to temporarily quarantine all animals at county kennel facilities. Ultimately, 240 animals were infected and several were euthanized to stop the spread. This has sparked criticism from animal advocates who accuse Animal Care and Control of failing to protect and properly manage the dogs.
Amid the tension, Michael Mendel, the director of Animal Care and Control, resigned.
As such, officials said there was a desperate need for relief from the constant influx of stray children.
“We have more puppies and kittens, and we’re trying to change that,” Powell said.
Where do lost children come from?
Animal Care and Control tracks where feral animals are taken before they are taken to county shelters.
Here are the top zip codes where dogs and cats were found:
- 85009, which covers most of West Phoenix.
- 85041, including parts of South Phoenix and Lavigne.
- 85326 covers most of Buckeye and areas of unincorporated Maricopa County in the West Valley.
- 85323 including part of Avondale.
- Highway 85339 extends from Lavigne to Highway 347 and includes portions of the Gila River Indian Reservation.
- 85048 includes portions of the Awatuky and Gila River Indian Reservations.
- 85040 covers several neighborhoods in South Phoenix.
- 85042, which includes portions of South Phoenix near South Mountain.
- 85035 along I-10 in Maryvale.
- 85033 includes several areas of Maryvale.
To date, the county has focused on addressing this problem through mobile clinics in zip codes 85009 and 85041, which have the highest number of lost children. The department has limited resources and faces a shortage of veterinary providers, officials said.
On the other hand, most private vets schedule spay and neuter appointments months in advance. These procedures can cost anywhere from $300 to $600 per pet, depending on the size of the animal, says the team at the Preferred Pets Vet Clinic.
New federal funding will allow counties to host mobile clinics more frequently, renew contracts with private veterinary partners to be more competitive, and free to more pet owners in eligible zip codes. Gives you the opportunity to change animals.
Lucy Amaya, 33, lives five blocks away from the church the county has booked for March. She arrived at 11:00 a.m. and was about to neuter her 1-year-old puppy, Pumpkin. Amaya said she couldn’t afford the surgery without a mobile clinic.
She also can’t afford to buy garbage. According to Amaya, her mother has a dog named Sujay, who is 6 years old, and she gave birth to her 12 puppies last year, including Pumpkin. Amaya and her family had to find someone to let go. Amaya, she said, never wants to have an experience like this again.
“Finding ownership of them was tough,” she said. “We put them on Craigslist and sold them to people who could take care of them.”
Mobile clinics for owner education and other pet care tools
Mobile clinics only offer sterilization and neutering procedures free of charge. But clinics are also a great opportunity for Maricopa County and veterinary staff to educate owners and address other issues.
Some animals, including pumpkins, were infested with fleas and ticks and were treated with Frontline treatment. Amaya and other owners were given options when purchasing remedies to protect their pets from pests.
Others have vaccinated and microchipped animals for an additional fee. The county also frequently hosts grant-funded events where pet owners can access similar services at discounted or no cost.
Microchips, in particular, can help get pets home sooner and away from shelters, Powell said.
Methods of identifying animals are especially important in the summer, when monsoon storms, holiday fireworks and intense heat waves exacerbate overcrowding in shelters, she said.
Summer in Arizona brings loud sounds and lights that can scare animals. Pets left in poorly fenced areas can run away and get lost. Additionally, storms can blow fences and walls off, allowing for an unexpected escape.
“We are running out of space,” she said. “Especially for summer.”
Sasha Hupka covers regional affairs for Maricopa County, Pinal County, and the Republic of Arizona. Any tips for county government?contact her sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.comFollow her on Twitter. @SashaHupka.
