A surgical team operates on a canine patient at the Friends of PACC Community Pet Clinic.
A new non-profit pet clinic will soon open its doors in Tucson, with the goal of helping owners keep their animals when they face serious veterinary costs. It’s run by the non-profit “Friends of PACC,” which supports the county-owned Pima Animal Care Center.
Gary Zimnoch is the former CEO of a veterinary hospital in Tucson, who came out of retirement to help the clinic get started.
As a long-time manager of veterinary facilities, Zimnoch knows just how costly pet care can be.
“Whether (an animal is) hit by car or rattlesnake bite, some of these fees can be more than $2,000 at a local practice,” Zimnoch said.
Faced with a catastrophic vet bill that they cannot afford, families often choose to give up a pet, surrendering it to PACC or another shelter. The family grieves the loss of a member, while the shelter must deal with an animal that's expensive to treat.
The Community Pet Clinic offers a better choice: providing pet care at low or no cost, depending on the owner's ability to pay.
“Our sole mission here is to save the pets and treat the pets that would normally go to PACC or be surrendered at PACC, to keep those families together,” Zimnoch said.
The clinic is not in competition with for-profit veterinarians, Zimnoch says. Instead, it offers hope to pet owners who have nowhere else to turn.
A Friends of PACC news release states "The Clinic will be accessible to families who adopted pets from PACC after January 1, 2025; families receiving assistance from PACC’s Pet Support Center; and families on public assistance needing spay/neuter services."
Friends of PACC says 30 percent of families who surrender a pet cite the high cost of veterinary care as a reason.
When a pet is brought to the Community Pet Clinic, their human will receive a bill, but they might not have to pay it. Zimnoch says the clinic's costs will be lower because it operates as a non-profit, and donations may be used to pay some bills, based on the client's financial circumstances.
A formal grand opening and open house will be held sometime in April.
The Friends of PACC Community Pet Clinic is housed in a former commercial animal hospital on North 1st Ave. in Tucson
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