Pima Animal Care Center tackles multiple diseases in shelter

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The Pima Animal Care Center this week stopped allowing regular intake of pets as they work on a solution to the surge of diseases in their facilities. The shelter has been trying to handle the rise of illness in the animals under their care since June 6th. Their first step is to get most of those pets out of their cages and into homes.

“We need as many people as possible to help… clear the shelter, essentially,” PACC public information officer Kayleigh Murdock said.

By June 10th, they hope to have numbers down enough to isolate the diseased dog into one section of the shelter. But this time of year makes it especially difficult.

“During the summer months, animal shelters generally see more animals coming in and fewer animals going out,” Murdock said. “College students being out of town, a lot of the folks that come from up North are gone for the summer months now, just means we have fewer people in town, fewer fosters and adopters.”

Elizabeth Dirks and Bryan Butt are two pet foster parents who have experienced the surge of illness first-hand with their two foster kittens.

“They came really sick. They didn’t want to play they didn’t want to eat,” Dirks said, “and when they started playing and running around, I was like ‘my babies!’”

Although their journey has been difficult, they would recommend fostering to anyone.

“It will break your heart if you lose one, but there’s other ones out there and they need it,” Dirks said.

According to a press release on June 9th, the shelter plans to extend the emergency intake limit until next Saturday, June 17th.

Be sure to subscribe to the 13 News YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@13newskold

Copyright 2023 13 News. All rights reserved.