The Problem of Animal Over-Population and Neglect in Phoenix

Animal over-population and neglect is a growing problem in Phoenix. The number of animals in shelters has increased, and so has the percentage of euthanasia cases. The issue is exacerbated by the lack of accountability in enforcing animal cruelty and neglect ordinances, especially in underserved neighborhoods.

The Problem

Animal over-population has continued to grow, and it has accelerated during the pandemic. The average annual growth in animal population within shelters and percentage of capacity has increased significantly. This increase is directly correlated with increased animal abuse and neglect cases. The number of annual live euthanasia cases and annual growth is also on the rise, and Phoenix ranks high on this list. The problem is magnified in lower-income and underserved neighborhoods. These communities are at a much higher risk of dog bites and dog attacks from homeless dogs roaming these areas due to uncontrolled over-population as a result of unenforced animal cruelty/neglect ordinances in our city. This is a community health and safety issue that continues to expand in magnitude as our city’s population grows. Animal over-population predominately impacts lower income neighborhoods and underserved communities within the city. Backyard breeding without any law enforcement/licensing accountability continues to exacerbate the problem within underserved communities.

No organization, law enforcement, or owner accountability has clear responsibility for animal cruelty, neglect, or backyard breeding, leaving the problem unchecked, and perpetuating a cycle of animal suffering. The lack of accountability in enforcing animal cruelty and neglect ordinances is a significant concern, especially in underserved neighborhoods. The City of Phoenix is under a contract with the AZ Humane Society (AZHS), a third-party contractor, to provide support for city-led animal abuse and neglect investigations. However, AZHS has no contractual responsibility to enforce animal cruelty/neglect ordinances. They are only obligated to act when directed by the City of Phoenix PD. Similarly, the Phoenix Police Department is responsible for investigating animal abuse and neglect ordinance violations. But when they receive calls from the public, they direct animal abuse reporters to report their complaints to AZHS.

Maricopa County Animal Care & Control also provides animal sheltering facilities and services. However, it points to the city when citizens raise directing animal cruelty and neglect complaints. It seemingly has no enforcement of animal licensing ordinances. This creates an endless Bermuda Triangle of preventable animal abuse and neglect cases in our city.

Why is this happening?

The lack of accountability in enforcing animal cruelty and neglect ordinances is a significant concern, especially in underserved neighborhoods. The City of Phoenix is under a contract with the AZ Humane Society (AZHS), a third-party contractor, to provide support for city-led animal abuse and neglect investigations. However, AZHS has no contractual responsibility to enforce animal cruelty/neglect ordinances. They are only obligated to act when directed by the City of Phoenix PD. Similarly, the Phoenix Police Department is responsible for investigating animal abuse and neglect ordinance violations. But when they receive calls from the public, they direct animal abuse reporters to report their complaints to AZHS.

AZHS applies “discretion” when assessing animal cruelty or neglect complaints. AZHS is not obligated to take action on a concerned citizen's call. AZHS is motivated to show high adoption rates and lower euthanasia rates to incentivizee donations. AZHS rarely, if ever, takes action on abused/neglected dogs considered “unadoptable” to control costs and limit the number of animals within their shelters. Yet, there does not appear to be oversight or transparency with respect to any metrics or data collected by AZHS on City of Phoenix animal abuse and neglect complaints. As a result, the magnitude of the problem within our community is ignored. AZHS typically rejects sheltering of “unadoptable” animals to protect their metrics. Animal abuse and neglect cases in low-income neighborhoods and underserved communities remain unaddressed. The abusers continue to abuse because there is no enforced owner accountability.

The Proposal

The City of Phoenix needs to take immediate action to enforce animal cruelty and neglect ordinances. The following solutions are proposed to address the problem:

1. Update Animal Neglect Ordinances to Improve Enforceability

The city needs to identify and present more specific language for PHX City Code Section 8-3.08 defining restraint of a dog and define/put parameters around “extreme weather conditions.” Clearer descriptions will improve enforceability, including a clear definition of “shelter.”

2. Expand the Scope of Neighborhood Services to Enforce Animal Licensing Ordinances

Animal Neglect Ordinance complaints should be investigated by Neighborhood Services instead of the police. These are feet on the ground already in these neighborhoods. The current Neighborhood Services “Tell the City About” functionality on the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services webpage should be modified to allow citizens to report animal abuse and neglect. These complaints can be managed by the following steps: a notice sent identifying the consequences of non-compliance with animal neglect ordinances (fines, prosecution, etc.); a notice sent informing the owner of licensing requirements and penalties for not licensing animals per city ordinance; referring owners to non-profit services providing adoption and spay/neuter services in the area; partnering with non-profits as needed to collect additional evidence/data regarding complaints; requiring owners to provide confirmation of compliance to City regarding neglect/abuse and licensing requirements; imposing fines for non-compliance and/or repeat offenders; and escalating to Phoenix Police as needed. Initiating each investigation, they will request pet license documentation from pet owner. If not licensed properly, property information will be submitted to send violation notice and fine warnings.

3. Establish Inter-Governmental Agreement Between Phoenix Neighborhood Services and Maricopa County Animal Care and Control

The city should establish an inter-governmental agreement between Phoenix Neighborhood Services and Maricopa County Animal Care and Control to collect information on animal licensing compliance in response to an animal abuse or neglect complaint. Maricopa County Animal Care and Control should provide resources to investigate repeat animal cruelty/neglect complaints. They should work with City Neighborhood Services to enforce animal licensing ordinances in response to an animal cruelty or neglect complaint. Enforcing Animal Licensing Ordinances increases pet owner accountability in our neighborhoods, underserved communities, and disincentivizes unregulated backyard breeding.

4. Update AZHS Contract to Increase Transparency of Animal Abuse/Neglect Cases

AZHS is only contractually obligated to address animal welfare complaints when explicitly directed to do so by the Phoenix PD, not when coming from concerned citizens. AZHS should share info on all calls received regarding animal neglect/abuse complaints with Maricopa County Animal & Care and Control and Neighborhood Services so they may follow-up on licensing. The language should be updated so as not to create a conflict by allowing citizens to report animal abuse & neglect through the “Tell the City About” functionality of the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services webpage. These complaints can be managed by the same method used to manage other reported property concerns.

Call to Action

The issue of animal over-population and neglect in Phoenix is a community health and safety concern that continues to expand in magnitude as the city's population grows. The problem is magnified in lower-income and underserved neighborhoods, and many animals suffer needlessly. The City of Phoenix needs to take immediate action to enforce animal cruelty and neglect ordinances, expand the scope of Neighborhood Services, and partner with non-profits to incentivize spay and neutering services. It is the responsibility of the city to ensure the safety and well-being of all animals in Phoenix. Let us work together to end this cycle of neglect and abuse.