Pinal County Animal Care & Control has seen a large influx of abandoned animals over the past few weeks. On September 30th, 2023, a couple was seen dropping off cats in a rural area of Coolidge. A witness to the cats being abandoned was proactive enough to take down the driver's license plate number and call the Pinal County Sheriff's non-emergency line. A PSCO deputy was able to find the owners of the abandoned cats, and they were arrested on multiple counts of Cruelty to Animals.
A few weeks later, a family was caught on camera pulling into the shelter parking lot and leaving three fearful dogs in a yard meant for meet-and-greets. One of the dogs was also injured. The owners of the dogs were later found & and billed.
Thankfully, the abandoned cats have all been adopted, and the three dogs are currently coming around to staff and will hopefully be adopted soon.
Due to the high influx of surrendered pets, the shelter is at capacity and is working diligently to prevent the euthanasia of healthy pets for space. Adoption Coordinators encourage pet owners to utilize all available resources, such as pet rehoming websites, boarding facilities, low-cost mobile vets, and contacting local rescues.
Pinal County Animal Care and Control encourages pet owners to surrender pets responsibly should they be faced with that difficult decision. The shelter accepts owner surrenders with a fee and appointment and offers pet retention assistance. Owners who abandon their pets or bring in a pet as a stray that is legally theirs can be subject to fees, citations, and even arrest.
View a video on Facebook and hear a message from Sheriff Lamb regarding a recent abandoned animal case.