Economic Downturn Affects Injured Homeless Pets

If you see an injured dog on the side of the road while driving home, be aware that we may not be able to help.

Beginning today, we are cutting the hours of operation for our Emergency Animal Medical Technicians (EAMTs™). They will now answer emergency and animal cruelty calls between 8am and 7pm daily, 365 days a year. The change comes as a result of the economic downturn that is affecting many other nonprofit organizations.

"While we have experienced increases in total calls and responses, we have seen a 91% jump in abandonment calls alone," said Andy Starr, director of field operations for the Arizona Humane Society. "These increases in calls and subsequent responses, some of which require multiple visits to resolve the situation, consume more of our limited resources."

Be sure to scroll down to view some of our EAMT rescue stories and a video about the program.

Like many other nonprofit organizations today, the Arizona Humane Society is feeling the effects of the economic situation that affects everyone.

"In a perfect world, we would make this service available 24 hours a day, but as a 501(c) 3 charitable organization, we rely on the generosity of our community to make our EAMT and other vital services and programs available. Unfortunately, our already limited resources are unable to accommodate these increases in calls," said Ann Harwood, interim executive director of the nonprofit. "Rather than eliminating this vital, life-saving service completely, we have opted to reduce our EAMT hours."

So what can you do if you see that injured stray dog limping on the side of the road or that helpless stray cat stuck between a rock and a hard place after hours? Calls that come in after EAMT hours will be referred to local law enforcement agencies, as well as emergency animal hospitals. We also suggests keeping a kit consisting of a leash and a blanket or towel in the trunk of your car. Once the animal is out of harm’s way, you can take him or her to a nearby animal emergency clinic, as we also will not have intake services available after hours. Remember to always use caution when attempting to help an injured, homeless pet – you never know how he or she might respond while in a frightened or injured state.

You can also make a donation to the Arizona Humane Society to help keep the EAMT program, as well as its many other vital programs available to homeless pets.

View 3TV News Coverage

The facts when comparing this year over last:

• 91% increase in abandonment calls
• Total number of animals impounded are up 28%
• Investigative cases are up 15% and 52% of these calls require multiple visits
• We're driving 18% more miles this year over last
  

View some of our Rescue Stories

The pictures of how these animals came to us are graphic and may be upsetting.

We appreciate your desire to learn more about these heart-wrenching tales. Your donation will help us to provide HOPE to homeless pets in our community.

Jessie A 9-week-old Mastiff puppy covered in ticks and suffering from dehydration and anemia	Chico Found tied to a tree with a severe leg injury, bone exposed and dehydrated	Cat Hoarder More than 40 cats living in filth with trash, feces, urine and insects everywhere

Watch our EAMT™ Video for More Information

View more videos here

About the EAMT™ Program

To request an ambulance for a sick or injured stray animal or an animal in distress, call 602.997.7585 ext. 2073. Services are free and available daily from 8am to 7pm.

Ever see a frightened stray dog dodging traffic? A cat stuck in a vending machine? Or maybe you suspect a case of animal cruelty nearby? These are the kinds of situations for our Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™ (EAMTs™).

Our dedicated EAMTs™ are trained to handle all aspects of providing animal rescue and triaging animal victims, regardless of the nature of their injuries. They respond to dozens of calls each day and about 18,000 calls annually. They provide life-saving care on the scene and then transport the distressed animals to our Second Chance Animal Hospital for full veterinary care.

As the only program of its kind in the state of Arizona, we maintain the only radio-equipped emergency ambulance fleet just for sick and injured stray animals in the Valley. And our EAMT™ program is endorsed by the Phoenix Police Department, the Phoenix Fire Department, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and VTEC, the state’s leading provider of veterinary technician education courses.