Carolina and her teenage son stood in the lobby of an animal shelter in Phoenix with tears rolling down their faces. The boy hugged the fluffy black dog to his chest, occasionally whispering comforting words into the puppy’s floppy ears. An advisor for Arizona Pet Project notice their suffering and invite them to share their stories.
After 13 years living in their house, Carolina and her family received notice that they had to move out after only 30 days. The loving mother somehow managed to find an affordable place in the fiercely competitive housing market; they even allow dogs. But with the first and last month’s rent and additional moving costs, Carolina was unable to manage the additional pet deposit required by the new landlord.
The decision is heartbreaking: give up her new home and risk becoming homeless while searching and saving to rent another pet-friendly place, or give up Maggie, her family’s dog. love.
Carolina knows that she must keep a home for her children. So, with a broken heart, she heads to the shelter she happily adopted Maggie 5 years ago. Luckily, the Arizona Pet Project was here. Minutes after entering the shelter, Carolina’s anguish turned into pure joy. The The 501c3 nonprofit offers to pay a deposit for Maggie’s pet so she can be right where she belongs: in the arms of a loving family!
Sadly, Carolina and Maggie’s story is not unique. Countless pets have to give up shelters every year because of financial constraints or personal crises. Whether a family is facing poverty, housing problems or domestic violence, the Arizona Pet Project is here to provide services and resources to prevent the needless surrender of their dear companions.
No one needs to say goodbye to their pet due to an unforeseen medical event
Whether a pet is injured or a pet parent is diagnosed with an illness, companionship is more important than ever in times of medical crisis. Laurie suffered terrible back pain when she learned surgery was the only option for pain relief. As a doting mother to Pippa for eight years, Laurie’s first concern was what would happen to Pippa during her recovery.
Faced with months of excruciating pain and limited mobility, Laurie felt her only option was to give up her ownership of the high-end Schnauzer. When Laurie left the shelter in Phoenix in tears, Daniel, one of the advisors of the Arizona Pet Project, caught up with her. Daniel helped Laurie find care and support for Pippa so they could be together throughout her recovery and beyond.
Homelessness is not a crime
Homeless people often face petty crimes like trespassing while simply trying to survive on the streets. Such was the case for Taydra, who found herself facing a 6-month prison sentence and losing her dearest companion, Whinny. With the help of their vast network of nonprofit partners, the Arizona Pet Project put Whinny in a wonderful boarding facility until she and Taydra can reunite.
Pets also deserve protection from abuse
Like many victims of domestic violence, Sarah refuses to leave an abusive relationship without her beloved dog by her side. She was fortunate to find shelter at the Sojourner Center, which provides a Pet companion shelter to keep family and pets together. However, Sarah’s dog bit another resident’s dog amid the tension and chaos.
Scared of losing her dog, Sarah contacted the Arizona Pet Project, who paid for the temporary boarding. Sarah was able to stay at the Sojourner Center until she found pet-friendly permanent housing.
Everyone deserves a furry friend
The wonderful people at the Arizona Pet Project believe that everyone deserves to experience the love and joy of having a pet. That is why they are ready to help people in all different situations. Take Wanda as an example. She fell in love with a noisy puppy at the shelter named Baby.
Wanda wants to give Baby a wonderful home, but she needs help buying supplies. She contacted the Arizona Pet Project and they provided her with a crib, pee pads, and nutritious puppy food to help Baby grow up healthy.
The Arizona Pet Project Do What They Do?
This unique organization started in 2001 as Friends of Maricopa County Animal Care & Control. At the time, shelters in the Phoenix area were receiving about 105,000 dogs and cats a year and killing about 70,000. To stem the influx of homeless pets, they have become a shelter containment agency that offers free spaying and spaying services. Once the puppy and kitten problem was brought under control, shelter numbers dropped to less than 50,000 pets per year and less than 9,000 deaths.
Having been wildly successful, the group set out to tackle the problems older pets had. Surname focuses on community issues and creates intervention programs to keep pets safe at home. Through a combination of grants and private donations, the Arizona Pets Project uses partnerships with various human services agencies to provide temporary housing, foster care, pet consignment, urgent veterinary care, pet food and supplies, animal control fees, etc.
Where to find support in your area
While there aren’t as many organizations as the Arizona Pet Project, people outside of the Phoenix area can still find help. If you or someone you know is facing the loss of a pet, see the resources in this post are from the Humane Society of America.
