Most shelters across the country fund their animal shelters yearly out of the county's general funds. Maricopa county currently does not.

We as citizens of Maricopa County and other concerned citizens from around the country are petitioning the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and County Manager and other county lawmakers and officials to allocate more funding to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control shelter system out of the County's General Fund. 

We are aware of ongoing challenges MCACC is having in meeting the needs and expectations of the community and believe appropriate funding is the first issue that must be addressed. Decisions need to be made at the Board of Supervisor and County Manager level.  We believe the ongoing challenges and problems at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control are symptoms of a greater problem: The lack of adequate funding.

Until recently, the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control's official website stated: "MCACC's shelters receive no funding from the Maricopa County general fund. Thus no tax funding is used to care for the animals in our shelters. All shelter operations are funded solely from dog licensing, shelter fees and donations."

The above statement was recently changed to this wording: 

"In 2015, the Board of Supervisors authorized general funds for the express purpose of increasing clinic resources. Beyond this measure, all other shelter operations and services are funded solely from dog licensing, shelter fees, and donations."

While we are glad to see that some funding was allocated in 2015 for clinic resources, much more needs to be allocated in the future to improve overall shelter operations and management. 

We want to fully support the new director of MCACC by increasing the allocation of funds to the shelter from county general fund. Without this monetary support, our new director can only do so much to improve our shelter and meet the needs and expectations of the community.

MCACC needs additional staff.  The ratio of staff to dogs is too low, which prevents staff from spending adequate time with dogs to give good care and accurate evaluations.  This directly contributes to flawed assessments of animals that result in many being needlessly euthanized.  Qualified behaviorists who are trained in conducting assessments, and additional kennel staff are required. Additional funding will improve the live release rates dramatically. 

Providing adequate salaries and training/support programs to staff, improving the programs and staffing in alternative placement departments, and enhancing staff morale will all directly enhance the lives and well-being of the animals in MCACC’s care.

Budget and Funding Proposals to Consider:

1.   Adequately fund MCACC operations. Allocate money from the general fund to be more in line with national standards.

2.  Grant debt forgiveness on the loan to construct the West shelter for 3 to 5 years, with the caveat it would not go against the department’s expenditure limit. (The annual debt payment is $1.4M.)

3.  Consider, allow and support decision-makers in re-evaluating the need for rabies certification for licensing.  A dramatic increase in licensing compliance can be expected if proof of rabies vaccination is no longer required.  This has the added benefit of increasing the return to owners (RTO) rate and easing over-crowding.

4. Evaluate the potential for a bond initiative for a new East valley shelter.

Inadequacies in funding and funding structure have contributed to a crippling budget shortfall, resulting in staffing shortages and a lack of progress in other key strategies prioritized by the Task Force.

The limited funding directly inhibits life-saving programs by limiting marketing & outreach efforts, limiting the medical care provided to animals in MCACC’s care, and limiting adequate number of shelter staff to care for animals, which negatively impacts temperament evaluations, resulting in many dogs being needlessly euthanized.

Our community will continue to press for measures that directly affect and improve live release rates, starting with adequate funding.