MCACC Earns No Kill Award, Saving Lives and Inspiring Change

Photo bySuzy Jacobson Cherry

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) reported on Friday that the facility has received a no-kill recognition award from Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters in 2025.

According to Best Friends Animal Society, in 2023 alone 415,000 dogs and cats were killed in the 3,964 shelters across the United States. Best Friends reports that of the 4.76 million cats and dogs entering shelters in 2023, 3.97 million were saved.

Shelters which received the no-kill recognition award were those that were in brick-and-mortar buildings, could provide twelve months of 2023 data as of April 2024, and saved more than 90% of the dogs and cats in their care in calendar year 2023. MCACC had a live-release rate of 95% for the 2023 calendar year.

“This award represents extraordinary leadership, both within [the] organization and the broader animal welfare movement,” said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society.

According to MCACC Director Debbie McKnight, MCACC has achieved a 90% or above save-rate seven years in a row. McKnight says she “…couldn’t be prouder of how hard all these individuals work to care for the thousands of animals that come into our care each year.”

Best Friends

Best Friends Animal Society was founded in 1984 by a group of friends from the US and Britain. The friends banded together to purchase 3,300 acres of raw land in a red-rock canyon in Kanab, Utah. They, along with about 200 rescued dogs and cats, a few bunnies and birds, and a couple of burros created a shelter with the goal of housing and healing homeless pets. “What has happened here is not because of any one of us but because all of us who have very different visions and personalities have managed to set that aside in the quest for the greater thing,” writes co-founder Jana de Peyer on the organization’s website. This teamwork and dedication have helped Best Friends become a unique and effective shelter dedicated to saving every shelter pet in the United States.

MCACC focusing on saving more lives

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control reports an increase in overall animal intake numbers while also succeeding in adopting out or relocating a high percentage of the animals that come through their doors. MCACC has been maintaining an average annual save rate of 94% or higher since 2017. According to Director McKnight, MCACC is on track to have an above-90% save-rate for 2024 as well.

Because of these positive trends, MCACC can reevaluate and adjust their approaches to focus on saving more lives and finding homes for the animals in their care. MCACC is also working to provide more support services to help pet owners keep their pets in their homes instead of surrendering them due to hardships.

July Dog Adoption Event

MCACC is waiving adoption fees for dogs 6 months and older for the rest of July. The "Empty the Shelters" Adoption Event is sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation. Dogs can be adopted at the East Shelter at 1920 S. Lewis in Mesa, the West Shelter at 2500 S. 27th Avenue in Phoenix, and Heidi's Village at 600 N. 40th Street in Phoenix. You can learn more at the Maricopa County website.