ABOUT US
Who is No Kill Pima County?
No Kill Pima County (NKPC) is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization working to end the needless killing of shelter animals in Tucson and Pima County through the rigorous implementation of the No Kill Equation.
Our grassroots organization began in the fall of 2012 when only 48% of the cats and dogs at our public county shelter were leaving the shelter alive. NKPC promotes the No Kill Model, and its 11 components, as a proven framework with demonstrated successful outcomes across the country to achieve our purpose.
The vision of NKPC is a community that saves the savable animals in our local shelters. Savable animals are those that are healthy, treatable or have maladjusted behaviors who can be rehabilitated. We believe that euthanasia should be reserved for those who are incurably physically suffering.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES and CORE FUNCTIONS
We strive to create a compassionate community that recognizes the intrinsic value of animals. We agree on the shared principles of accountability, respect, transparency and community collaboration.
Our primary functions are
- Raise community awareness of the problem, the needless reasons that cats and dogs are killed in our county shelter, and evidence based solutions -No Kill Equation.
- Identify gaps and weaknesses in the policies, programs and services available in the shelters and the community to address the needs of lost, abused, feral, orphaned and homeless pets.
- Garner community support, collaboration and participation in the solution.
- Influence the goals and policies at the county shelter, Pima Animal Care Center, and the county’s governing Board of Supervisors.
- Provide direct services identified to address relevant unmet needs in the community.
NKPC believes it will take the commitment of the County, Pima Animal Care Center, The Humane Society of Southern Arizona and the community to achieve a No Kill Pima County. None of the above entities could do this without the full participation of the others. NKPC is identifying the gaps in the services and programs offered at the shelters within the county, as well as community resources available to meet the needs of the public, advocating for change through public awareness and providing direct support.
Over the past 6 years, Pima County’s municipal shelter has raised the live release rate from 48% to 86% (7/01/17- 6/30/18).
The County implemented more components of the No Kill Model and accepted many tenets NKPC has advocated for. PACC now has a foster program at the shelter, has hired shelter veterinarians to provide medical services, started a Trap Neuter Return program for community cats, hired a trainer and collaborated with NKPC to provide shelter prevention and diversion services. The NKPC Help Desk diverted over 30% of the people we talked to, close to 1,500 animals from the shelter intake door in almost 3 years. In March, 2017, PACC incorporated the Help Desk into the public services of the Pet Support Center. (In 2018, the Help Desk no longer exists.) The community can call the Pet Support Center for info/resources and NKPC hopes to see the intake staff at PACC incorporate more of the supportive services that kept pets in homes.
Our hope and goal is to continue to support life saving strategies that keep pets out of shelters, support them in shelters, and get them out to appropriate placements. and ultimately be able to save all of the saveable.
CURRENT INITIATIVES
NKPC is actively working on several components of the No Kill Model while supporting the county shelter and community in their plans to implement/improve other components. Our services are intended to achieve and sustain practices, policies and methodologies in line with the No Kill model.
Our services have the purpose of keeping animals out of the shelter, supporting the quality of care they receive in the shelter and helping them leave the shelter to quality placements as soon as possible.
Lost Pets Initiative
More than ½ of the dogs and cats that come to the county shelter are strays. The vast majority are never reunited with their owners. NKPC is working to prevents animals from going to the shelter and/or get them back home from the shelters. Providing low cost microchipping, free collars and direct support to those who lost their pets.
Support Options and Solutions to Keep Pets out of Shelters (S.O.S.)
NKPC has published an online Resource directory: Support Options and Solutions (S.O.S.) to Keep Pets and Ferals out of shelters. Research of community sources and updates are ongoing. This information, available to all animal welfare organizations and the public assists owners in keeping their pets or in re-homing them responsibly without the use of the shelter. Information also supports those who lost or found pets in preventing shelter placements. S.O.S. may also able be to assist with low cost needs when families and community cat caregivers have short term challenges, contact us for more information.
Each One Medical Fund
NKPC conducts fund raisers and supports shelter pets in need of medical procedures that cannot be completed at the County shelter or cannot be completed as soon as needed. Animals are brought to specialists in the community or to other veterinarians who are able to complete the service immediately.
Fosters to the Rescue
Local rescue groups partner with the county shelter to save animals with special needs and those with ‘deadlines’ who will be put down if not removed from the shelter. The number of animals who can be saved is limited by the number of available foster homes. NKPC conducts foster home outreach and events to recruit foster homes for all shelters and rescues in the county.
NKPC provides sponsorships for animals in ‘urgent need’ of rescue/adoption at the shelter to be used for the medical or behavioral needs by the person or organization who removes the animal from the shelter.
Savethesaveable.com
A marketing campaign to reach the general public and increase adoption/fostering of County shelter animals most in need: those on deadline, with medical and behavioral challenges, seniors and those who have been there for a month or longer. Many of these animals are featured on the website. Marketing includes billboards, bus stops posters, radio and television commericals as well as live exposure of animals on television and individualized adoption events.
Organization
No Kill Pima County is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.
The Board of Directors includes: Marcie Velen, Jessica Shuman , Jeanette Regan-Anders and Justin Pope.
Contact us
No Kill Pima County
PO Box 86231
Tucson, AZ 85754
Phone: (520) 477-7401
Email us here
There are many people interested in learning more about this model and working to create a No Kill Pima County. We hope you’ll join us in this effort, a very achievable reality.
Get updates and information by liking “No Kill Pima County” on Facebook.