SUMMER 2022 ARIZONA HUMANE SOCIETY® PAPAGO PARK CAMPUS PROGRESS PAGE 3 A LEGACY OF COMPASSION: NINA MASON PULLIAM SOUTH MOUNTAIN CAMPUS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS PAGE 5 VETERINARY HELP IS ON THE WAY PAGE 7
SuzanneDr.LisaDyanAnnAndreaYvonneCourtneyAlfonsoBellerABettsL.ClausDamianoGetzGraysonLindaGroomesHensing
We save the most vulnerable animals and enrich the lives of pets and people. Our Values Innovation. Compassion. Excellence. Dr. Craig Thatcher, Vice Chair Bryan Albue, Vice Chair
Matthew Waller, Treasurer Andrea Marconi, Past Chair Committee Board Members Susie
It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Edison, AHS’ Animal Teacher of 7 years. Edison was a senior domestic ferret who had been undergoing treatment for hypoglycemia for some time, which is common in older domestic ferrets. Edison was a remarkable ambassador for his species, and truly the “leader of the pack” for AHS’ Animal Teachers. He was one of the first Animal Teachers on AHS’ team and throughout his nearly 7 years “on the job,” he educated over 100,000 people, including his regular “Ask Edison” column right here in Paw Prints, on his favorite subjects: compassion, responsible pet care, and how to make a proper mess. He was a calm ferret who enjoyed attention and snuggles from both people and his best friend, Tesla the ferret. He was very smart, and passionate about stealing anything made of Velcro or leather… including the occasional wallet. Edison will be greatly missed by Tesla, all of his staff, volunteers, and youth education participant friends at AHS, and in the community we serve. Thank you, Edison. We will miss you.
AZHUMANE.ORG
2022 AHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive
Dr.PatriciaBrianKristinAnnKimberleeAnn-MarieIngoldLeeR.PadillaSinerSlykerStollTateStevenR.Hansen, Ex-Officio
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Julie Johnson, Secretary Anthony
THANK YOU, EDISON
Our Mission
Dr. Steven R. Hansen President & CEO
ROB & MELANI WALTON PARK CAMPUS COMING TO LIFE
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Over the spring, construction crews made solid progress preparing the site by removing buried debris, leveling the soil for our underground utilities, and laying the groundwork for concrete. At last, the foundation is complete, and crews will continue to pour the concrete flooring, section by section. It is all really happening, and we think it’s something to bark about!
There will be much more to come as we continue our journey to our new home. For questions or more information about how this new campus, along with our expanding system of care, will transform our community, please visit azhumane.org/transform
PAPAGO
Your pets have a special place in your heart and ours too. Through our Continuing Care Program, we will make sure your pets are cared for and placed in a loving home after you’re gone. For more information, please contact AHS’ Planned Giving Team at 602.216.6457 or by email at legacycircle@azhumane.org.
Two big paws up to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s Office for providing funding to the Arizona Humane Society as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support pet owners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding was split between AHS and the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA), and together, AHS and HSSA will be able to help more than 9,000 additional low-income pet owners! Thank you, Governor Ducey and Arizona, for helping the pets and people of our community.
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The Arizona Humane Society’s vision to create a new state-of-the-art facility to better meet the needs of our growing community finally became a reality last fall. In November 2021, we broke ground on our new Rob & Melani Walton Papago Park Campus
FUNDING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) HELPS KEEP PETS AND PEOPLE TOGETHER
Once the concrete is smoothed, cured and its integrity is completely secured, the onsite team will begin to place cinderblock walls and structural steel framing for the Nina Mason Pulliam P.E.T. Center and the Watts Family Medical Complex, anchored by the Lazin Animal Foundation Trauma Hospital.
CONTINUING CARE PROGRAM TURNS GOODBYES INTO HELLOS
Chowder, a sweet, 14-week-old Golden Retriever mix, was in rough shape when he arrived at our Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital™ after police responded to a call from a witness stating their puppy had been thrown. However, the police quickly realized the owner caused the injuries after the puppy had had an “accident” in the house. They immediately took the poor pup to a 24-hour Emergency Animal Clinic, where he was stabilized and then transferred into our care.
Oscar the Grouch mewed helplessly, scared and alone in the dark. He cried and cried until someone finally heard him. Then, our Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™ discovered the 8-week-old stray gray kitten stuck in a wall. Once freed, our team brought him to our Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital™, where our compassionate medical team examined him and later detected a slight heart Despitemurmur.this,Oscar is a healthy tiny tot full of sass and attitude who moved in with a Foster Hero to rest and gain weight. After a few short weeks, Oscar found his new home and is now livin’ large in Tempe. Our Foster Heroes are the beating heart of our organization, and provide loving care that helps pets like Oscar on their journey to finding their forever home. So far this year, we’ve placed over 3,800 pets with Foster Heroes - a 25% increase over last year, and there are plenty more pets to go around! Visit azhumane.org/foster to become a Foster Hero. ISN’T REALLY A GROUCH CHOWDER GETS A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE
And right now, thanks to a group of generous donors, every donation we receive before September 30, 2022 , will be matched up to $74,000 to help save abused pets like Chowder! This means that every gift we receive is doubled, so we can help twice as many of our community’s most vulnerable pets . You can make an incredible difference this summer. Visit azhumane.org/match to double your donation today.
Once at our trauma hospital, our team of skilled veterinarians were heartbroken to learn Chowder had sustained a fracture in his hind leg, and our team determined that amputation was his best option. Thankfully, Chowder quickly learned to navigate life on three legs! After he healed, Chowder found a loving, fur-ever home with a new family in Glendale.
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OSCAR
Sadly, Chowder’s case isn’t unusual. Last year alone, AHS’ Animal Cruelty Investigators assisted on nearly 7,000 suspected cases of animal cruelty.
Throughout June, we celebrated with several special events, including an adoption special sponsored by longtime generous supporters Stuart and Ted Tufty, that helped place 328 more animals with their new families. We are so grateful for the Tuftys, who have helped more than 1,000 animals find homes through their support of adoption specials over the years.
For the last 10 years, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust has helped to support the coalition Fix.Adopt.Save. This partnership consists of seven local animal welfare organizations, including the Arizona Humane Society, that make up the Alliance for Companion Animals. The initiative promotes adoptions, fostering, and access to spay/neuter services, and raises awareness about homeless pets in Maricopa County. As a result, euthanasia rates across the Valley have decreased by 88%, saving an additional 32,000 animals each year, and intake at Valley shelters has decreased by 38,000 pets each year.
Thank you for your continued commitment to homeless pets and to everyone who helped make this milestone possible as we carry on Nina Mason Pulliam’s legacy of compassion.
Since 2002 when the doors to this facility first opened, we’ve adopted out nearly 100,000 pets! An incredible feat by any standard. Yet, that isn’t all. The campus’ impact extends far beyond adoption. The Nina Mason Pulliam South Mountain Campus has also expanded veterinary care across the Valley.
This past year alone, the Margaret McAllister Brock Veterinary Clinic cared for an impressive 6,585 animals and assisted low-income pet owners helping to keep more pets and people together. In addition to our veterinary and lifesaving services, the campus is home to our youth education programs and community outreach events, along with our Pet Resource Center –which fields up to a staggering 100,000 calls each year.
NINA FIX.ADOPT.SAVE.THROUGHCOMMUNITYLEGACYPULLIAM’SMASONIMPACTS
June marked a momentous milestone for us as we celebrated 20 transformative years and a legacy of compassion at our Nina Mason Pulliam South Mountain Campus. Looking back on all that we’ve accomplished during that time, we’re proud to acknowledge that we have helped take Maricopa County from one of the worst places to be a homeless pet to one of the best.
THE NINA MASON PULLIAM SOUTH MOUNTAIN CAMPUS TURNS 20!
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Not only did Karen form an unexpected connection with AHS, she and her husband, Tony, also adopted their “perfect” dog through AHS, Murray, a Dachshund/Mini Doodle mix. To ensure the new family’s success, Karen and Tony enrolled Murray in AHS’ behavior training, where he graduated with honors (a certificate of completion!). Today, she says that they cannot imagine their lives without this amazing, perfect boy by their sides.
In 1989, Karen Zelenak first donated to the Arizona Humane Society. But her generosity didn’t stop there. After years of support from the sidelines, Karen decided it was time to act. So, in 2014, Karen took the leap and became a volunteer for our dogs.
Karen’s
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Now nearly every Saturday, you can find Karen walking dogs at our Sunnyslope Campus. And she doesn’t call it a day until the job is done. Karen makes countless trips (she really gets those steps in!), ensuring that every dog gets the exercise they need. All at the end of a busy full-time work week. But, when she’s on campus, the world melts away, and her focus is solely on enriching the lives of our pets.
Summer camp at the Arizona Humane Society was a barking hit! The kids, staff, animal teachers and our pets had the time of their lives as more than 400 happy campers participated in activities from feeding bottle baby kittens to training pups, playing with bunnies and creating all kinds of toys to enrich the lives of pets. Summer camp may be over, but the fun doesn’t have to end. Check out azhumane.org/youth to learn about all the exciting, year-round options we have for the young animal enthusiast you know.
A SUMMER OF FUN
DONOR, VOLUNTEER, ADOPTER: KAREN ZELENAK DOES IT ALL dog Murray
At AHS, we work tirelessly to advance legislation that protects pets and we advocate to fight against cruelty and neglect. This past legislative session brought great success in this fight with the passage of several key bills. After months of advocating, we are thrilled to announce that SB 1271, a bill to help address a severe shortage of veterinarians in our state, has been approved as part of next year’s state budget. SB 1271 will provide student loan reimbursement of up to $100,000 to new veterinarians, who must work at least two years at a municipal, county, or nonprofit shelter like AHS or in an agricultural practice designated by the USDA. But wait, there’s more great news!
• SB 1275 passed, allowing a city, town or county to prohibit the use of permissible consumer fireworks between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. on all days except the New Year and the Fourth of July holidays. As you know, fireworks can cause extreme stress for pets and may lead to them escaping from homes and yards. We are hopeful that cities will now take appropriate action to help reduce the number of pets who go lost or missing due to the use of fireworks.
• HB 2324 passed. It is now a misdemeanor to bring a child to an animal fight. With all this great news, things are looking brighter than ever for the future of Arizona’s pets. For more information on AHS’ advocacy efforts, visit azhumane.org/advocacy.
• HB 2323 passed and now insurance companies are prohibited from charging additional premiums or denying insurance to homeowners who have certain breeds of dogs that have been mislabeled as dangerous and aggressive.
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VETERINARY HELP IS ON THE WAY
This year’s legislative session also included the following key bills:
1521 W. Dobbins Road Phoenix, AZ azhumane.org85041 U.S.Non-ProfitOrg.Postage PAID Phoenix, AZ Permit456No.
When you purchase a pet-friendly license plate, you will be the driving force against pet overpopulation and homelessness. Pet-friendly Arizona plates are available for only $25 , with $17 from each plate helping to support spay and neuter services for dogs and cats in Arizona. You can order your plates by going to azpetplates.org or by calling the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division office near you.
As temperatures remain hot, now is not the time to be driving around in an unreliable car. If you have an old car or truck that costs more to repair than it’s worth, it is time for an upgrade. Yet, instead of trading it in, donate it to the Arizona Humane Society’s Wheels for Wags program
PUT THE BRAKES ON PET HOMELESSNESS
YES, WE DID IT AGAIN! Our tails are wagging with excitement as we share the exciting news - AHS has been voted PHOENIX Magazine’s top nonprofit and best place to volunteer for the 4th straight year! Thank you for all of your votes, for your dedication to AHS, and for being the BEST!
DONATE IT, DON’T TRADE IT
Our process is easy and we handle everything, including picking the vehicle up right from your door. We skip the middleman so you get a bigger tax write-off and we’re able to save the lives of even more homeless pets with the dollars saved. Simply visit azhumane. org/wheelsforwags. Stay cool out there, and thank you for helping save the lives of our community’s most vulnerable pets with AHS.