How We Do It

Community Issue:

In South Phoenix, systemic barriers prevent many families from accessing vital pet care services. Institutional disparities, rooted in racism and socioeconomic inequality, create unfair obstacles for pet owners, particularly those of color and non-English speakers.

Why It Matters:

As a community-based organization, we recognize that every family deserves equal access to resources (including to care for their beloved pets!)

We listened to South Phoenix residents, learned about their challenges, and gained a deeper understanding of their needs. As it turned out, language was a significant barrier for many families trying to receive care. Notably, 26.43% of Maricopa County residents, including 20.07% who speak Spanish, face language barriers that can limit their access to essential services (World Population Review).

As a result, we’re working to dismantle systemic barriers and bring equitable care for people and their pets to the community.

Our Responsive Solution:

We’re tackling these barriers through two powerful initiatives:

‣ Our Bilingual Resource Center: In response to the needs in South Phoenix, The Arizona Pet Project opened a first-of-its-kind, bilingual Resource Center in South Phoenix. A welcoming space offering easy access to people and pet care services, no appointment needed, and support for language, economic, and cultural barriers.

‣ Pets for Life: Our door-to-door outreach program, Pets for Life, in partnership with The Humane Society of the United States, connects low-income families facing institutional barriers with vital resources and supplies, ensuring pet families have access to the care they need to be happy and healthy.

The Result:

The Arizona Pet Project Resource Center has become a vital hub for South Phoenix residents, providing a safe and supportive environment for pet owners to access essential services.

By connecting families with services, we’re helping pet families be happy and healthy!

Community Issue:

Families in crisis, including those experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, or hardship, face significant challenges in caring for their pets.

This often forces difficult choices between seeking help and keeping their beloved companions.

Why It Matters:

Pets provide crucial emotional support, companionship, and continuity for families during times of crisis.

Recognizing this, UMOM New Day Centers allow residents to keep their pets on site, but the growing number of pet families needing their help (up to 250 on any given day) created a need for dedicated pet services.

Our Responsive Solution:

The Arizona Pet Project (AZPP) and UMOM New Day Centers (UMOM) launched a first-of-its-kind onsite pet services program. AZPP provides:

• A dedicated social worker for case management
• Veterinary care
• Pet food and supplies
• Housing assistance after completing UMOM’s program

This partnership ensures families can access essential services without sacrificing their pets’ well-being.

The Result:

This innovative collaboration enables:

• Families to maintain continuity and companionship during crisis
• Increased access to healthcare, housing, and social services
• Removal of barriers to care for both humans and pets
• A scalable model for communities nationwide, promoting a holistic approach to supporting families in need

AZPP and UMOM promote a healthier, safer, and more compassionate community by keeping families and pets together.

Community Issue:

Arizona faces a severe homelessness crisis, with over 14,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County alone. For those with pets, the challenges are even greater.

• Pets are often a barrier to vital services, forcing tough choices between seeking help and preserving family unity.
• Traditional work schedules and appointments are impossible to maintain when pets can’t come along.
• Existing social services frequently exclude animals, often leading unhoused pet owners to have to choose between receiving care or remaining with their pet
• Health inequities and increased mortality rates devastate Arizona’s unhoused population.

Why It Matters:

For people experiencing homelessness, pets are more than companions – they’re family.

• Pets provide purpose, love, and comfort in the darkest times.
• They offer mental and physical health benefits, reducing stress and anxiety.
• Research shows that individuals prioritize their pets’ well-being, often above their own.

Our Responsive Solution:

To address these challenges, The Arizona Pet Project employed a new role: Homeless Community Counselor. This social worker is dedicated to supporting pet families facing homelessness:

• Provides pet-related services to reassure unhoused pet owners that we’re happy to help their furry family member, and as a result, build trust with clients (who are often seen as “service resistant”) so they feel seen, safe, and ready to pursue getting care for themselves
• Reduces barriers to shelter, housing, and medical care
• Offers veterinary care, food, supplies, and temporary boarding
• Connects people and pets with safe shelter, housing, and services

The Result:

By bridging the gap between human and animal services, The Arizona Pet Project helps Arizonans experiencing homelessness:

• Access vital services and resources
• Stabilize their lives and secure housing
• Prioritize their own needs without sacrificing their pets’
• Experience improved overall well-being

Our clients have shared how difficult experiencing homelessness can be and the challenges that come with regaining stable housing. That’s why our work not only helps pet owners experiencing homelessness but also prevents homelessness from happening in the first place!

Wayne and Shadow’s story is just one example of how our team aids families in staying safe and sound and allowing them to prioritize housing costs instead of critical vet costs.

The Arizona Pet Project is making a difference in the lives of Arizonans and their pets, one pet family at a time.

Community Issue:

Imagine having to choose between medicine and meals, or between your own well-being and the loving companionship of your pet.

For many Arizona seniors, this heartbreaking decision is a harsh reality. Rising costs, transportation barriers, and health challenges make everyday life – and pet care – a daunting task.

These struggles have severe consequences, forcing seniors to:

• Delay necessary medical care, compromising their health
• Face eviction or housing insecurity
• Put off moving to assisted living, even when it’s essential

Why It Matters:

Pets are more than just companions – they’re family. They bring joy, comfort, and purpose to seniors’ lives.

Studies show that seniors with pets experience:

• Better health and well-being
• Reduced loneliness and isolation
• Slower cognitive decline

Our Responsive Solution:

The Arizona Pet Project helps seniors keep their pets by providing:

• Food and supplies delivery for pets
• Temporary boarding and urgent vet care
• Help with pet deposits and licenses
• Emergency shelter support
• Thanks to support from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, we’re partnering with the Foundation for Senior Living (FSL) to:
  • Provide compassionate care for vulnerable seniors and their pets in Maricopa County
  • Conduct a gap analysis to better understand the impact of pets on seniors’ lives and identify services promoting healthier, happier living

  The Result:

  By helping seniors care for their pets, The Arizona Pet Project ensures they:

  • Don’t have to choose between their own well-being and their pet’s
  • Stay healthy and happy
  • Keep their independence
  • Avoid homelessness and housing insecurity
  • Maintain the dignity of self-directed care

  The Arizona Pet Project is a lifeline for seniors and their beloved pets, helping them stay together and thrive!

Community Issue:

Low-income veterans face significant barriers in accessing resources to care for their service and emotional support animals.

In Arizona, an estimated 22,000 low-income or unhoused veterans live with pets, but struggle to access basic necessities like safe shelter, housing, medical care, and mental health treatment due to pet-related restrictions.

Why It Matters:

Veterans benefit greatly from animal companionship, which can improve quality of life and reduce PTSD symptoms, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. For unhoused veterans, pets provide crucial companionship, assistance, and safety. Moreover, the human-animal bond significantly influences help-seeking behaviors, with many veterans prioritizing their pet’s safety over their own needs.

Our Responsive Solution:

The Arizona Pet Project addresses this gap by providing comprehensive support. Our social workers connect veterans with essential services, including:

• Shelter and housing
• Healthcare
• Veterinary care
• Pet food and supplies
• Training for Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) thanks to a grant from Lulu’s Fund
• Advocacy for pet-inclusive policy reform

By ensuring the safety and well-being of their pets, we empower veterans to seek help without hesitation.

The Result:

By providing adequate support and resources, The Arizona Pet Project helps low-income veterans:

• Improve mental and physical well-being
• Reduce PTSD symptoms
• Increase stability in their lives
• Maintain meaningful relationships with their pets
• Access critical services, such as surgery and accommodation, without worrying about their pet’s safety

Through our intervention, veterans can overcome barriers, prioritize their health and well-being alongside their beloved companions.

Community Issue:

Many Arizonans are just one paycheck away from homelessness. With cost of living increases, the most vulnerable families in Arizona are those with low or fixed incomes.

With 7 out of 10 households sharing their home with at least one pet, the potential threat of eviction, or financial hardship, can mean losing more than just a roof over their heads. More than half of Arizona’s residents are “rent-burdened,” meaning after their rent is paid, they struggle to afford other necessities.

Why It Matters:

For families facing poverty, and people experiencing a crisis, pets are more than just companions—they’re a source of comfort, love, and stability. But, because many programs aren’t designed to address the needs of people and their furry family members, an unexpected expense or sudden change in circumstances can lead to devastating choices.

What are some examples of the challenges, you ask? Great question!

• A lack of access to veterinary care. Resource deserts, lack of affordable veterinary care (60% increase in costs over the past decade), and limited access to pet supplies create barriers to keeping pets healthy and happy.
• Barriers to safe shelter and housing programs. This challenge is especially true for survivors of domestic violence, who often face an impossible choice: flee abuse or protect their pets. Research from RedRover found that 48% of domestic violence survivors delay leaving dangerous situations due to fears for their pets’ safety (Purple Leash Project)
• Delays in medical, mental health, or substance use treatment.
• Affordable housing that is pet-inclusive. Pet-Inclusive Housing Institute (part of Michelson Found Animals Foundation) found that 72% of residents report that pet-friendly housing is hard to find (Pets and Housing). And 76% of rental housing is “pet-friendly”, although 50% of rental housing restricts breeds and 50% restrict the size of dogs. Tragically, 14% have surrendered their pet as a result of their housing situation.

We understand the critical role pets play in our lives and believe all families should have access to care that allows them to keep their family (pets included) together!

Our Responsive Solution:

Our social workers assist low and fixed-income families, along with families facing hardship.

We bridge the gaps between struggle and stability through:

• Connecting families with vital resources: food, veterinary care, and housing support
• Providing personalized guidance and advocacy
• Offering temporary housing solutions for people and pets
• Assisting with housing requirements (vaccinations, licenses, etc.)
• Providing specialized support for domestic violence survivors, including:
  • Reassurance through pet sheltering
  • Assistance in cases of co-housing for people and pets in crisis
  • Collaboration with domestic violence shelters and services to help families on their way to safety, stability, and starting their next chapter

The Result:

By helping these loving pet families, we:

• Keep more Arizona families together, preserving love and connection
• Improve overall well-being and health for people and pets
• Foster a more compassionate Arizona community where no one has to choose between their pet and a safe home
• Support families on the path to a better life

Together, we can keep Arizona families – pets and all – healthy, safe, and together.

Community Issue:

Imagine having to choose between getting the help you need and keeping your beloved pet.

For many low-income and vulnerable individuals, this heartbreaking decision is a harsh reality.

Often, people feel they have nowhere else to turn and consider surrendering their pet to a shelter, unaware of available resources that could help.

Why It Matters:

Pets are more than just companions – they’re family. They provide love, comfort, and support during tough times.

Forcing people to choose between their own well-being and their pets can make crisis situations even harder.

And, if that’s not bad enough, it causes an influx of animals being brought to shelters that are often already at capacity and cannot afford to bring in and care for more cats and dogs.

Our Responsive Solution:

We take referrals from all Arizona shelters and veterinarians, ensuring those in need receive critical support.

In addition, we partner with animal shelters like Lost Our Home Pet Rescue (LOH) and Arizona Animal Welfare League (AAWL), embedding trained social workers on-site to provide:

• Personalized support from trained social workers
• Essentials like pet food, supplies, and urgent vet care
• Access to medical, mental health, and substance use treatment (through pet boarding)
• Safe, temporary housing for people and pets
• Help with housing requirements (vaccinations, licenses, etc.)

The Result:

• More pet families stay together – pets and people alike
• Fewer animals entering shelters
• People can get the help they need without sacrificing their pet’s well-being
• Lives are stabilized, and health improves
• Our community becomes a kinder, more compassionate place

We’ve touched the lives of THOUSANDS of pet families through our connection with Arizona animal shelters–just like how our team partnered with AAWL to help Firus’ family! And how we worked with LOH to keep Taydra and her dog, Whinny, together when she was facing jail time.

We believe no one should have to choose between their own well-being and their pet’s. That’s why The Arizona Pet Project is here to help!