100+ Animals Rescued From Hoarding Situation In Tucson Home

TUCSON, AZ — More than 100 animals spent their lives crammed into small wire crates with barely enough food or water to survive. Now they need homes.

Pima Animal Care Center's Animal Protection Services officers seized the animals from a residence southwest of Tucson after finding them in what the shelter described as life-threatening conditions.

The group included dozens of small breeds—pugs, yorkies and a few larger livestock-guardian dogs—along with three cats and one Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like rodent native to Argentina.

The owners surrendered the animals, which means they won't face legal barriers to adoption. Once PACC's clinical staff clears them medically, they will be available to the public, officials said.

PACC Director Steve Kozachik credited his staff for handling an intake that pushed an already-full shelter to its limits.

"We could not turn a blind eye to the life-threatening conditions these animals were being kept in," Kozachik said. "We're fortunate to have a hoard facility where we can provide temporary housing and care for these animals, but now we need the public to help us rehome them."

Most dogs are being housed at the Animal Restoration Kennels, known as ARK, near PACC's shelter on Silverbell Road. Others will go to the Eastside PACC Adoption Center when it opens June 1.

Kozachik made clear the ask extends beyond just the newly seized animals.

"It takes a village, and we're calling on the village to give these pups a chance," he said. "We're calling on the community for help getting not only these pups into homes, but the large number of dogs we already have at PACC."

The Patagonian mara has already found placement. PACC said it is asking the public to foster medium to large dogs and donate through Friends of Pima Animal Care Center.

All dogs at the shelter currently carry no adoption fee, meaning that adopters pay only a $20 licensing fee.

The timing makes the need more pressing. Memorial Day weekend marked the start of what PACC describes as its busiest season, with stray intake rising sharply and typically peaking around the Fourth of July.

The shelter is encouraging Tucson pet owners to check gates and fences now and make quiet plans for pets ahead of fireworks season.

PACC is also offering free collar tags to any Pima County pet owner, available at the Central Pet store in the adoption lobby and at Friends Pet Clinic, 2661 N. 1st Ave.

The shelter is open noon to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday; and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.