21/10/2025
It's about time.
Rodeo has been justifiably disappointed, and even embarrassed as a witness to Pima Animal Care Center Advisory Committee's lack of participation for many years
in what is a privilege to serve.
From SteveK:
Paying tribute to our community partners
This week’s Scoop is to highlight the great work our community partners play in reviewing and offering input on PACC-related policies. The group is the Pima Animal Care Center Advisory Committee (PACCAC).
PACCAC comprises 10 community members who represent various aspects of the animal welfare world. Those include the veterinary community, PACC volunteers, the Board of Health, Friends of PACC and representatives appointed by Board of Supervisor District offices and the County Administrator. Together this group brings a wealth of experience, from varied angles. Since my appointment as PACC Director, I have leaned into this group to get their thoughts on several important issues.
Some of those issues include our census challenge, redemption fees, establishing the volunteer parks unit (we are still recruiting members for this – email me at [email protected] if you’d like to join,) the east side adoptions center, and a host of others. The committee is in place to offer community thoughts on PACC policy. I’m happy to have them alongside.
One example of how committed this group is to our work came through during our recent discussions about the PACC census. PACC was constructed with 233 public facing kennels for dogs. If you assume we can co-house about half of the dogs who come in, we can comfortably have 350 dogs at PACC. Since the first of the year when I arrived, we have not been below 450, and more commonly the number is 500+ dogs in the shelter.
I asked PACCAC to study the issue and make recommendations on census reduction. In response, they formed a subcommittee that studied our internal policies, asked questions of PACC management staff, explored what we are experiencing out in the community that’s affecting our census and — after six weeks of those exercises — brought back some recommendations. Spoiler alert: There is no silver bullet that’ll solves our challenges. The answer is a massive community education and involvement effort revolving around spay/neuter, microchipping, confining animals properly and licensing. It was nice to have that validated by the committee.
PACCAC meets the second Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. The meetings are virtual and you can find the link on the PACCAC webpage. Each agenda includes an opportunity for members of the public to address the committee. Agendas are posted online prior to each meeting.
I’ve said plenty of times that we cannot do our work at PACC in a vacuum. It has to include community involvement. PACCAC is one vehicle to gain insights. I’m grateful to the group for their dedication to our mission.
With thanks,
Steve Kozachik, PACC Director
Rodeo: Here is the website that Steve could have added to welcome your participation in viewing and speaking.
https://www.pima.gov/2756/Animal-Care-Advisory-Committee-Agendas-M
Committee info link comments. Please. reach out to your Pima County Supervisors that appointment most of this committee to express concerns / questions.
The link above is to past meetings and NOTE 2025 is sadly out of date. two agendas were posted same day, minutes missing, sloppy records keeping.
Arizona and Pima County OPEN meeting laws and policies have been and still are ignored by Tamara Barrick
County Administrator appointed.
We had hoped SteveK would require better, much better.
