2 shelters in Arizona save more dogs than ever before

Historically, calling someone a "hoss" is an affectionate way to describe a guy who's big, strong, and dependable. In rural Navajo County, Arizona, Big Hoss is that guy. He's big. He's strong. And you can always depend on him for the best, most slobbery smooches in the West.

Big Hoss came to Holbrook Animal Care & Control, a Best Friends Network Partner, with a goofy grin and extra-cuddly nature that matched his extra-large stature. But kennels at the shelter weren't built to handle a dog of almost 100 pounds for extended periods of time.

“He could barely turn around,” says MK Roney, a volunteer with Friends of the Holbrook Animal Shelter — a nonprofit organization and network partner that helps support both Holbrook Animal Care & Control and Snowflake-Taylor Police Department Animal Control, also a network partner. After a few weeks in the shelter, Big Hoss’ health began to decline, and the extra-large dog’s name went on the euthanasia list.

But don't worry; Big Hoss' story has a happy ending. With support from a Rachael Ray Save Them All Grant from Best Friends, a new program helps connect dogs like him with rescue groups across Arizona.

Dogs like Big Hoss highlighted a growing problem for the county's two small shelters. The town of Holbrook has a population of under 5,000 while Snowflake-Taylor has fewer than 4,000 residents.

“The shelters are built to handle that population size,” explains MK. “But because of how things work in Navajo County, every dog that animal services officers pick up goes to one of those two shelters. Snowflake-Taylor has about 15 kennels with one employee, and Holbrook has around 20 kennels with two employees, yet they're serving a county of roughly 110,000 people. They take in approximately 500 to 600 animals every year.”

Big wins for big dogs at an Arizona shelter

Because these shelters have very limited foot traffic, getting pets adopted or into foster homes is challenging, especially large dogs like Big Hoss. Oftentimes, employees had to make heartbreaking decisions.

“Snowflake-Taylor is a closed shelter,” adds MK. “No dogs are allowed to be adopted or fostered due to the city's rules. The only way they get out is if they're reclaimed by their owners or transferred (to rescue groups).”

Animal services officers from Holbrook and Snowflake-Taylor and the Friends of the Holbrook Animal Shelter team knew something had to change to make it possible to save more lives. So they teamed up with Best Friends to move more dogs out of the shelters and into new homes.

Friends of the Holbrook Animal Shelter was recently awarded a $20,000 Rachael Ray Save Them All Grant from Best Friends — just one of the ways Best Friends is helping shelters nationwide reach no-kill. The grant supports the newly established Navajo County Transport Program, which helps rescue groups across Arizona bring dogs and puppies from the two shelters into their care. Stipends offset costs such as veterinary care, temporary boarding, and placement into new homes.

How a small but mighty Arizona shelter saves pets

“This Rachael Ray Save Them All Grant means transforming and boosting our connections to rescue programs to create more opportunities to save more animals,” says Rachel Dorsey, Friends of the Holbrook Animal Shelter president. “Every animal is worth saving.”

In just the first five months of the program, 92 dogs and puppies moved out of the shelters and into rescue groups, while the number of rescue partners nearly doubled. The Holbrook shelter’s save rate (the percentage of animals who leave a shelter alive or are still there waiting for an outcome) rose from 91% to 93% while Snowflake-Taylor's jumped from 68% to 91%.

One of those 92 dogs was Big Hoss. MK personally drove the lovably large goofball to Alone No More Dog Rescue in Phoenix, where he was adopted within two weeks.

“He liked to lean into me when I was driving,” laughs MK. “He’s super friendly and just an amazing dog.”

This extra-large pooch who once didn't fit comfortably in a kennel now fits just right at home with his new family and canine bestie, Missy. The teams at the Holbrook and Snowflake-Taylor shelters regularly hear updates from Big Hoss' adopters, and they're happy to report that he’s “just loving life.”

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.