PACC to continue providing pet care support to Spanish speakers

Pima Animal Care Center will continue an outreach campaign targeted to Spanish-speaking households in the new year.

On Wednesday the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to award Friends of PACC,
the government agency’s nonprofit fundraising partner, a second
$120,000 grant to continue its Spanish-language marketing campaign.

En español: PACC continuará apoyando el cuidado de mascotas para hispanohablantes

“When
we designed this campaign, we wanted to acknowledge the profound role
language plays in our lives,” said Pima County Communications Deputy
Director José Merino, project manager of the campaign, in a release.
“What we have found in the last year is that our Spanish-speaking
community is incredibly grateful to receive resources in the language in
which they are most comfortable speaking.”

The second phase of
the campaign, set to begin in January 2025, will target
majority-Hispanic ZIP codes 85705, 85746 and 85756, which PACC says have more pets entering the shelter than adopted out.

Spanish
marketing efforts will continue in ZIP codes 85706 and 85713, which
make up South Tucson, and where PACC says it has served 2,705 residents
with pet care supplies such as food, beds and crates and 1,286 dogs with
free microchips, collars and tags in the year since the campaign began.

Officials said the program “used language, idioms and graphics that resonate with Spanish-speakers.”

“It
breaks our hearts when we see pets come into the shelter without an ID
tag or microchip, two easy things that would quickly reunite pets with
their families,” said Friends of PACC Operations Manager Laura O’Brien.
“This campaign has already made great strides in getting resources to
folks who need them. We’re thrilled to be partnering again with County
Communications to reach additional ZIP codes with families who could use
a little extra assistance.”

Steve Kozachik,
PACC’s interim director with the departure of Monica Dangler, said the
grant is “critical for PACC, the county and Friends of PACC to continue
building relationships in what have previously been underserved areas of
the community.”

The yearlong effort resulted in monthly events in
those two targeted zip codes that served 2,705 constituents with
resources like beds, food, crates and more. In addition, 1,286 dogs
received free microchips, collars and tags, which is critical to
returning lost pets safely to their homes.