RIO RIO CO, Ariz. (KVOA) – Animal rescue groups across Southern Arizona are desperate to rehome 19 dogs from a Rio Rico outbreak.
Animal rescue groups across Southern Arizona are desperate to rehome 19 dogs following a mass breeding situation in Rio Rico.
Animal rescue groups across Southern Arizona are desperate to rehome 19 dogs following a mass breeding situation in Rio Rico.
According to the rescue group Hope of Deliverance, a home in Rio Rico was home to 36 dogs, but the owners decided to move at the end of the month and could no longer care for the dogs.
“These dogs are healthy and get along with other dogs. They all weigh between 20-30 pounds. They are beautiful puppies! If you would like to foster or adopt, please contact us ASAP. These dogs will be homed within 10 days. This is urgent!” Bree Kishman, director of Hope of Deliverance, said in a news release.
News 4 Tucson visited Nogales to speak to Vanessa Lane, owner of Little Angels Dog Rescue, as she had several dogs spayed and neutered at a local veterinarian and prepared them for adoption.
Lane said the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter has very little capacity left, putting the dogs' lives at risk.
“Unfortunately, when we get really full, we have to euthanize to make space. If we have more than 12 animals that need to be housed, we'll have to euthanize them right away,” she said.
As of Wednesday morning, 17 dogs had been adopted by new owners, while the remaining 19 were in need of foster care.
Jennifer Zammit helped adopt one of the dogs and is fostering the other one. She's urging others to do the same to help save the dogs. She wonders why things have gotten so out of hand.
“There are 36 dogs left in the yard that are not spayed or neutered. I just want to ask her. [dog owner] “I was expecting what was going to happen. It's frustrating and it's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking to leave the other dogs behind,” she said.
Lane said pet overpopulation is a common problem and he believes a lack of spay/neuter services is a major contributing factor to the issue.
“Oftentimes, dog lovers end up with too many dogs. This woman clearly loved animals but failed to get them spayed or neutered and so she continued to get more and more dogs,” Lane explained.
Anyone interested in helping find homes for the dogs can contact Kishman at breekishman@gmail.com or Lane at 520-221-8106.
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