In recent years, Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC) has transformed its operations to better accommodate and care for a large number of dogs. Previously, the shelter was overrun with more than 1,000 dogs, leading to cramped conditions and temporary solutions like crates and additional kennels. Now, the organization maintains a more sustainable population of around 750 to 800 dogs during the summer months.
MCACC’s efforts have focused on optimizing their operations to improve the overall experience for both the animals and the staff. These changes are part of a long-term strategy to increase efficiency and ensure that more dogs receive the care they need while maintaining a high save rate.
Streamlining Processes for Better Care
To enhance service accessibility, MCACC has reduced wait times for stray intakes. Most stray dogs can now be brought in without an appointment, facilitating quicker reunions with their owners and improving return-to-owner outcomes. Additionally, high-volume owner surrender events have been organized to accommodate more dogs without compromising care standards.
Veterinary services have also been optimized, allowing more dogs to be spayed or neutered before adoption, thereby shortening their stay. Streamlined behavioral evaluations further contribute to faster and more suitable outcomes for the dogs.
Fostering a Team-Oriented Approach
MCACC has restructured its workforce into specialized teams focusing on adoptions and evaluation/enrichment. This approach allows the adoption teams to connect dogs with families effectively, while evaluation teams address behavioral needs and provide necessary interventions.
The foster program has also been expanded, enabling more dogs to find temporary homes while awaiting adoption. This initiative has led to significant achievements, including going nearly 11 months without euthanizing dogs due to behavioral issues within the shelter.
Enhancing Adoption Opportunities
Efforts to boost adoptions include extended adoption hours and a more welcoming marketing strategy. These initiatives have successfully reduced the time dogs spend in the shelter while connecting more pets with loving families.
Evaluating Results and Sharing Success
MCACC monitors various metrics such as intake, stay duration, adoptions, and save rates to ensure their system’s efficacy. The Priority Placement Portal has seen decreased urgent placement requests, indicating improved regular shelter processes. The shelter maintains an impressive save rate above 90%.
The team has shared these successful strategies with organizations like the BISSELL Pet Alliance group and will present at the Humane World for Animals Conference. Insights from their journey are also available in a two-part podcast series.
Listen to Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2eE5IHjv9E
Listen to Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwNvN6TfvQ8
Through ongoing adjustments and commitment, MCACC has demonstrated that effective capacity management is achievable without limiting access or merely increasing kennel space. Their approach focuses on operational enhancements and efficient animal care, showcasing a model for other shelters to emulate.
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