Seeking summer substitutes

Bud at Pinal Animal Shelter

A special opportunity exists for two or more people that would like to contribute time and talent to support the dogs at the Pinal County Animal Care and Control Shelter (PCACC) without having to interact directly with the shelter’s dogs.

Residents of SaddleBrooke, which is located in Pinal County, successfully funded and built nearly 90 elevated dog beds for PCACC in 2018. The beds have allowed many of the dogs at our county shelter to sleep on mesh-covered beds about four inches above the concrete floors in the kennels. The beds were designed to allow simple replacement of the mesh covers as they became torn.

The Shelter keeps the PCV frames as the beds are worn and a few SaddleBrooke residents have been picking up the torn beds, removing the worn covers and attaching new ones, then returning the renewed beds to the Shelter for continued use. These residents will be leaving the area for the summer months, so they are seeking someone willing to continue this volunteer effort in May until their return in the fall.

The replacement process requires at least two people working together, but requires no special skills. Old covers are removed with a battery-powered drill bit. New covers are stretched on the existing frames, using a drill to make the holes and then using a drill to screw the new covers onto the frame. Each replacement takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes, and there is an average of four to five beds needing repair each week. Training can be provided! All materials required, except for drills, will be supplied. Persons willing to occasionally pick up and return the beds to the Shelter near Casa Grande may also volunteer.

If you’d like to volunteer your time to this project, please contact Joy Wegner, a SaddleBrooke resident in SaddleBrooke One, at 619-971-4225.