After more than a decade as a convener for the Southern Arizona animal welfare community, the Pima Alliance for Animal Welfare (PAAW), an initiative of Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA), will officially sunset in July 2025.
Founded in 2012, PAAW brought together animal welfare leaders, shelter and rescue organizations, veterinarians, and community advocates with a shared vision to improve pet welfare in Pima County, reduce rates of euthanasia, and increase rates of adoption and fostering. That vision has been realized.
Over the years, PAAW convened dozens of organizations, hosted educational workshops, promoted collaboration, and launched Adopt Love, Adopt Local, inviting local adoption organizations to a public annual adoption fair to increase local pet adoptions. What was once a system that euthanized 15,000 pets each year now saves over 90% of the pets it serves.
In 2018, PAAW worked to embed animal welfare into the assistance activities provided by local social service organizations. As a result of this work, several local nonprofits incorporated pet food into meal delivery programs, ensuring that disadvantaged community residents did not have to choose between their welfare and that of their beloved companion animals.
“Change can happen. It takes dedicated people allied by a common cause who work tirelessly together to achieve a goal. PAAW is the epitome of that. Hundreds of thousands of pets over the past 13 years received another chance to live their best lives in loving homes because of the wonderful people and organizations who came together in 2012 to create change. I congratulate them all,” said Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher.
While PAAW as a formal coalition is concluding, its impact lives on through the strong relationships it helped build, the systems it supported, and the progress made for companion animals in our community. Programs and partnerships that began under PAAW, such as resource sharing through No Kill Pima County and continued community adoption events, will continue through the ongoing work of other local organizations.
To carry forward this important work, CFSA invites community members to support the Animal Welfare Impact Fund, which provides general operating support to local animal shelters and rescues. Donations help fund adoption events, spay and neuter efforts, pet food banks, respite care, and more. These efforts help ensure pets in our region have access to loving homes and humane care.
CFSA thanks all the volunteers, partners, and donors who helped make PAAW a lasting success.
To make a gift or learn more about CFSA’s Animal Welfare Impact Fund, visit cfsaz.org/impact.