Homeless pets once euthanized because of costly health problems are now being saved — and with that comes higher costs for local animal rescue organizations.
About $300,000 was spent on veterinary bills last year for animals helped by 14 Pima County rescue groups, said Leslie Rocco, president of the SaddleBrooke Pet Rescue Network. Rocco’s organization is in its last week of offering a dollar-for-dollar match — for up to $10,000 — for its “Payoff the Vet Debt” campaign. The effort, which ends Friday afternoon, will benefit the 14 participating organizations.
The goal, Rocco said, is to not only to help the organizations pay off debt, but also to help Pima County become a no-kill community.
The rescue network needs about $5,000 more to get to its goal of $20,000, she said.
Rocco said many of the organizations that signed up to help and participate are carrying vet debt, on average about $3,000 worth.
The Pima County Animal Care Center and its affiliates have made great advancements in recent years, she said, and reduced the number of animals euthanized dramatically in the last five years.
The rate of live releases from the facility at 4000 N. Silverbell Road was about 59 percent in 2011 and now is just over 90 percent, said Justin Gallick, PACCC’s executive director of community engagement.
The animals that are still being euthanized are the ones that are sick or injured, or have behavioral issues, she said.
“That’s where the rescues in the last two years have really stepped up and started to take these special needs animals,” she said. “The rescues are able and so the question is, “Is Tucson willing?’ “
One local organization, RUFF Rescue, spent $25,000 to save 183 dogs in 2015, Rocco said.
A particularly bad neglect case involving four dachshunds cost the organization thousands, said Donna Dunham, director of the nonprofit. The dogs had all been living a big crate and had lost all muscle tone by the time they were rescued.
“We have vets that are very generous to us,” she said. “Without that, it would probably have been another $15,000.”
One dog’s jaw was fractured and had to be reconstructed because of a lack of dental care, and two of the four suffered from temporary paralysis were eventually able to run.
“Now, both dogs are up and running and very healthy,” she said.
RUFF Rescue takes in animals that are, generally, under 15 pounds and is not a breed-specific rescue.
“We tend to take a lot of the seniors who might not stand a chance in a shelter,” Dunham said.
She said she is excited about the current fundraiser.
“This a wonderful, wonderful effort and I hope it’s something that can be done on a yearly basis,” she said.
