Pima County Animal Shelter, Control & Adoption 2026
If you are trying to adopt a dog, find a missing pet, report an injured stray or get help keeping an animal at home, the most useful name to know is Pima Animal Care Center (PACC). The main county shelter is at 4000 N Silverbell Road, Tucson, AZ 85745.
PACC is not just an adoption building. It also handles Animal Protection, lost/found pets, pet-support requests, dog licensing, community-cat services and county animal-welfare programs. The correct phone route depends on what is happening, so this page separates routine shelter questions from urgent Animal Protection, law-enforcement and rabies contacts.
Verified September 23, 2026
Main shelter details, Eastside Adoption Center information, Ajo substation hours, adoption fees, licensing, Animal Protection, surrender help, public-health rabies contact and veterinary resources were checked against current Pima County or other official sources.
Pima County is not one single service desk
PACC has the main Silverbell shelter, the Eastside PACC Adoption Center in Tucson and an Ajo substation. Lost pets, surrender support and Animal Protection also use different phone routes.
Independent guide
Animal-Shelter.org is not Pima County, PACC, the Sheriff’s Department, a veterinary clinic or an emergency dispatcher. Use the official county links for final live instructions.
Choose the Correct PACC Route First
Calling the right number matters. Adoption, lost pets, surrender, complaints and urgent animal response are not all handled through the same queue.
Pima Animal Care Center Locations in 2026
One easy mistake is assuming every PACC service happens at the Silverbell shelter. Adoption services now also operate through Eastside PACC, while Ajo has a separate county substation.
Main PACC — Silverbell
4000 N Silverbell Road
Tucson, AZ 85745
Phone: 520-724-5900
Main county shelter for adoptions, admissions, lost/found support and animal-care services.
Eastside PACC Adoption Center
7225 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite #140
Tucson, AZ 85710
Phone: 520-724-5940
Adoption-focused eastside location. Do not use EPAC as a substitute for routine stray intake or Animal Protection dispatch.
PACC Ajo Substation
1249 N Well Rd.
Ajo, AZ 85321
Phone: 520-387-7502
Official county substation serving the Ajo area with a separate limited public schedule.
Main PACC Adoption & Public Hours
PACC’s official 2026 pages use a 6:30 p.m. weekday closing time and a 4:30 p.m. weekend closing time. Older county pages may still display the former 7 p.m. / 5 p.m. schedule, so use the current site.
| Day | Main PACC hours | Important visitor note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00–6:30 p.m. | Adoption/admission check-in must be completed 45 minutes before closing. |
| Tuesday | 12:00–6:30 p.m. | Do not arrive at 6:25 p.m. expecting to begin an adoption. |
| Wednesday | 1:30–6:30 p.m. | Wednesday opens later than other weekdays. |
| Thursday | 12:00–6:30 p.m. | Check holiday and special-event changes before driving. |
| Friday | 12:00–6:30 p.m. | Pet availability can change during the day. |
| Saturday | 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | Weekend check-in cutoff arrives earlier than many visitors expect. |
| Sunday | 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | Check PACC’s calendar for holiday closures or adjusted hours. |
How PACC Adoption Works in 2026
PACC’s online animal list is a useful starting point, not a reservation system. The county says listings update about every 15 minutes but do not guarantee that the same pet will still be available when you arrive.
Search dogs, cats or other pets
Use PACC’s current adoption listings and note the animal ID. Check whether the pet is at the main shelter, Eastside PACC or in foster care.
Confirm the location before driving
A Tucson eastside pet may be at EPAC rather than the Silverbell shelter. Driving to the wrong location costs time.
Enter through the adoption lobby
At the main PACC campus, official instructions direct adopters to the adoption lobby—the first double doors on the left in the main breezeway.
Join the adoption waitlist
The same line handles adoption and foster meet-and-greets. An adoption counselor will call you when it is your turn.
Meet the pet and ask real-life questions
Ask about energy level, children, other pets, medical history, kennel stress, training needs and what the first week at home may look like.
Complete the paperwork and prepare transport
Bring a secure carrier for cats and small animals or a safe leash / vehicle plan for a dog. Ask which vaccines or follow-up appointments are still due.
Eastside PACC Adoption Center: Hours & Cat Fees
Eastside PACC Adoption Center (EPAC) gives Tucson’s east side a separate PACC adoption location. It should not be confused with the main Silverbell intake / Animal Protection facility.
| EPAC item | Current detail | Visitor note |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 7225 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite #140, Tucson, AZ 85710 | Confirm the pet is actually housed at EPAC before driving. |
| Phone | 520-724-5940 | Useful for Eastside adoption-location questions. |
| Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri | 12:00–6:30 p.m. | Adoption-center schedule. |
| Wednesday | 1:30–6:30 p.m. | Later opening. |
| Saturday & Sunday | 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | Weekend adoption access. |
Current EPAC adoption fees
| Pet | Current listed EPAC fee | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | Free | $20 licensing applies to dogs 4+ months for Pima County residents where applicable. |
| Kittens under 4 months | $50 | Ask about vaccine boosters, diet and kitten-safe setup. |
| Cats 4 months–4 years | $30 | Confirm personality, litter habits and home-transition needs. |
| Cats 5+ years | Fee waived | Ask about senior health notes and ongoing care. |
| Cats available more than 2 weeks | Fee waived | Long-stay status may reduce the adoption fee. |
| Reservation | $50 may apply | EPAC says the reservation payment is applied toward adoption fees when applicable. |
Lost or Found Pet in Pima County
A missing pet is one of the situations where waiting hurts. PACC’s Pet Support / Lost & Found number is 520-724-7222, but searching around the last-seen area remains important because many lost pets stay surprisingly close to home.
If your pet is missing
- Call 520-724-7222 for PACC lost/found help.
- Search PACC’s current stray / found-animal listings.
- Update the pet’s microchip contact information immediately.
- Search nearby streets, shade, garages, washes, yards and other quiet hiding areas.
- Prepare current photos, tag number, microchip number, veterinary records and proof of ownership.
- Continue checking listings; animals may be added after your first search.
If you found a pet
- Safely check for a collar or ID tag.
- If the pet is friendly and healthy, try reasonable local reunification steps before moving it far from the found area.
- For a sick or injured stray, PACC says you can bring the animal during open hours or call 520-724-5900 ext. 4 for immediate Animal Protection response.
- Ask a shelter or veterinary clinic to scan for a microchip when safe.
- Keep an unfamiliar animal separated from your own pets and young children.
Found Kittens, Outdoor Cats & TNR
Pima County does not treat every outdoor cat as an abandoned shelter-intake case. For healthy community cats, Trap-Neuter-Return can be a better welfare route than moving the cat into a stressful shelter environment.
Do not automatically move young kittens
Their mother may be nearby looking for food. If kittens are warm, quiet and safe, observe before assuming they have been abandoned.
Community cats
PACC provides free spay/neuter help for qualifying outdoor, unowned community cats through its TNR program and participating clinics.
Look for an ear tip
PACC explains that an ear-tipped community cat has already been sterilized and vaccinated as part of a TNR program.
Need to Surrender a Pet? Call for Support First
Giving up a pet can be painful, and PACC explicitly describes shelter surrender as a last resort. Its Pet Support Center may be able to help with the underlying problem instead.
Food and basic supplies
PACC says the Pet Support Center may provide food, collars, leashes, crates and other basic supplies when available.
Veterinary-cost crisis
If medical cost is the reason you may surrender, call 520-724-7222. PACC says funding assistance may be available in some cases.
Housing or temporary hardship
PACC lists housing resources, rehoming help and a Safety Net foster program for some owners facing temporary hardship.
Pima County Animal Protection Services
PACC’s Animal Protection Officers handle more than loose dogs. County pages list cruelty, neglect, biting animals, potentially dangerous animals, injured animals, leash-law enforcement, rabies concerns, noise and waste complaints among their duties.
Animal Protection dispatch
Call 520-724-5900 and use extension / option 4.
Highest-priority calls
Police assists, cruelty/neglect, bites, potentially dangerous animals and injured animals receive priority response.
Enforcement and complaints
Officers enforce leash and licensing rules and investigate animal cruelty, bite complaints and public-safety concerns.
Emergency & Important Contacts
These numbers are intentionally separated by purpose. A routine shelter phone is not automatically an emergency line, and one police department does not cover every city inside Pima County.
| Contact | Number | Verified purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Pima Animal Care Center | 520-724-5900 | Main shelter / department line. Use for general PACC questions and routing. |
| Animal Protection Services Dispatch |
520-724-5900 ext. / option 4 |
Urgent animal-protection response, injured animals, cruelty, potentially dangerous animals and field assistance. |
| Lost / Found / Pet Support / Surrender | 520-724-7222 | Lost/found pets, owner assistance, medical-cost support and surrender guidance. |
| Pima County Health Department — Rabies | 520-724-7797 | Phone rabies-risk assessment for people who may have been exposed to rabies. |
| Emergency | 911 | Immediate life-threatening emergency. Pima County Health also instructs the public to call 911 first for certain dangerous/injured wildlife situations. |
| Pima County Sheriff’s Department — Non-Emergency | 520-351-4900 | Sheriff’s Department non-emergency line. Use for sheriff-jurisdiction law-enforcement matters, not as a replacement for routine PACC Animal Protection. |
Animal Bite or Possible Rabies Exposure
Rabies is one issue where waiting for symptoms is dangerous. Pima County Health Department says human rabies is preventable when appropriate medical care is obtained quickly, but fatal once symptoms begin.
Rabies assessment
Call Pima County Health Department at 520-724-7797 if you are unsure whether an exposure creates a rabies risk.
Report animal bites
Pima County pet-owner guidance says animal bites must be reported to Pima Animal Care Center.
Do not “wait and see”
Seek appropriate medical care promptly after a meaningful bite, scratch or saliva exposure involving a potentially rabid animal.
Pima County Dog Licensing Fees
Pima County uses DocuPet for licensing. A standard county license tag is available without an added designer-tag charge; optional designer tags cost more.
| License type | Current listed fee | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Altered dog | $20 | Standard Pima County altered-dog fee. |
| Altered dog — low-income owner | $13 | Limit 4 per household; county page says this discount applies only to unincorporated Pima County residents. |
| Altered dog — senior / disabled owner | $15 | Limit 4 per household. |
| Unaltered dog | $65 | Higher than the altered-dog fee. |
| Duplicate / transfer of ownership | $10 | Use the county/DocuPet route for current documentation requirements. |
| Dangerous-animal license | $105 | Separate regulated license category. |
Low-Cost Veterinary Help Around PACC
This is an important distinction: PACC’s on-site shelter clinic is not a public walk-in veterinary hospital. Pima County says the on-site clinic treats animals that are still in PACC’s system. Community pet owners are directed to mobile programs, partner clinics and Pet Support resources instead.
Karen’s Karing Van
PACC’s mobile medical unit holds community events offering services such as free spay/neuter, vaccines, microchips and wellness exams when scheduled.
Event dates and locations change, so use PACC’s current events information rather than assuming a permanent schedule.
Friends of PACC Community Pet Clinic
2661 N. 1st Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719
Phone:
520-748-6068
Pima County lists this clinic for low-cost community veterinary care, including low-cost spay/neuter.
Cannot afford needed care?
Call PACC’s Pet Support Center at 520-724-7222 . PACC says assistance through its Keeping Families Together resources may be available for some medical needs.
PACC Veterinary Leadership: Jennifer Wilcox
Jennifer Wilcox
A Pima County newsroom update published in April 2026 identifies Jennifer Wilcox as PACC’s Director of Veterinary Services and head veterinarian.
The county quoted her while warning residents about a sharp increase in Parvovirus cases and urging puppy vaccination.
Do not confuse shelter medical leadership with a public appointment roster
The county source confirms Wilcox’s leadership role but does not publish a schedule saying she personally sees community-owned pets at a public PACC clinic.
For privately owned pets, use PACC’s community veterinary resources and participating clinics instead.
Veterinary Help After a PACC Adoption
A new pet can look healthy at pickup and still need follow-up care, vaccine boosters, medication review or help adjusting. PACC maintains a list of participating veterinary clinics that offer a free or reduced-cost initial visit within a clinic-specific period after adoption.
Call immediately after adoption
PACC’s partner-clinic page says adopters should call promptly after adoption to claim the clinic’s free or low-cost visit.
Each clinic can use a different time limit
Do not assume every participating veterinary clinic gives the same number of days. Ask the clinic directly when the offer expires.
Bring shelter medical records
Bring adoption paperwork, vaccination history and any medical notes so the veterinarian can see what PACC has already provided.
PACC Ajo Substation Hours
Pima County’s current staff directory lists a separate schedule for the Ajo substation at 1249 N Well Rd.
| Day | Ajo hours | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Call 520-387-7502 before a special trip. |
| Tuesday | Closed | No regular public window listed. |
| Wednesday | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4:30–6:30 p.m. | Split schedule. |
| Thursday | Closed | No regular public window listed. |
| Friday | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Short public window. |
| Holidays | Closed | Verify county holiday schedule. |
Before You Leave Home
Adoption visit
- Recheck the pet listing shortly before you leave.
- Save the animal ID and location.
- Arrive before the main PACC 45-minute check-in cutoff.
- Bring a safe carrier or leash / vehicle plan.
- Budget for any applicable dog license or reservation fee.
Lost-pet / reclaim visit
- Bring government-issued identification.
- Bring photos proving ownership.
- Bring microchip and license information if available.
- Bring veterinary records and rabies documentation.
- Bring a leash or secure carrier for the trip home.
Map: Pima Animal Care Center — Main Silverbell Shelter
This map is for the main county shelter at 4000 N Silverbell Road, Tucson, AZ 85745. Check the animal’s listing before driving because an adoptable pet may instead be at EPAC or in foster care.
Related Animal-Shelter.org Guides
These four existing guides are useful when comparing Arizona county shelters or planning adoption and shelter searches. They do not replace Pima County’s official live instructions.
Official Pima County Resources
Use these county and public-safety pages for current pets, changing hours, forms, events and live service instructions.
Pima County Animal Shelter FAQ
What is the official Pima County animal shelter?
The county shelter is Pima Animal Care Center, usually called PACC. Its main facility is at 4000 N Silverbell Road, Tucson, AZ 85745.
What is the PACC phone number?
The main Pima Animal Care Center phone number is 520-724-5900.
What are PACC hours in 2026?
PACC lists Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What is the adoption check-in cutoff?
PACC says visitors at the main shelter must be checked in 45 minutes before closing for adoption and admission service.
Are dogs free to adopt at PACC?
Yes. Current PACC pages say all dogs and puppies are free to adopt. A $20 dog licensing fee may apply in qualifying Pima County cases.
What are cat adoption fees at Eastside PACC?
EPAC currently lists kittens under 4 months at $50, cats 4 months to 4 years at $30, cats 5 years and older with fees waived, and cats available longer than two weeks with fees waived.
Can I reserve a PACC pet that is still on stray hold?
PACC currently allows in-person first-come reservations on eligible stray-hold pets for a $50 non-refundable reservation fee. The pet cannot leave until the hold and required medical steps are complete.
What number do I call for Animal Protection?
Call PACC at 520-724-5900 and use extension / option 4 for Animal Protection Services dispatch.
Who do I call for a lost pet or surrender help?
PACC lists 520-724-7222 for lost/found pets, owner assistance and surrender support.
What should I do if I find a sick or injured stray?
PACC says the animal may be brought to the shelter during open hours, or you can call 520-724-5900 ext. 4 for immediate Animal Protection response.
What is the Pima County rabies phone number?
Pima County Health Department lists 520-724-7797 for a telephone rabies-risk assessment.
What is the Pima County Sheriff’s non-emergency number?
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department lists 520-351-4900 as its non-emergency number and 911 for emergencies.
Does PACC have a veterinary clinic for the public?
PACC says its on-site shelter clinic treats animals that are currently in the PACC system rather than serving as a normal public veterinary hospital. Community pet owners are directed to resources such as Karen’s Karing Van, Friends Pet Clinic, partner clinics and Pet Support.
Who leads PACC veterinary services?
A Pima County newsroom update from April 2026 identifies Jennifer Wilcox as PACC’s Director of Veterinary Services and head veterinarian.
Where is Eastside PACC Adoption Center?
EPAC is at 7225 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite #140, Tucson, AZ 85710. Its phone number is 520-724-5940.
Where is the PACC Ajo substation?
The Ajo substation is at 1249 N Well Rd., Ajo, AZ 85321, phone 520-387-7502. It has a limited weekday schedule and is closed on holidays.
Is Animal-Shelter.org the official Pima Animal Care Center website?
No. Animal-Shelter.org is an independent informational resource. Pima County’s official website controls live hours, pet availability, forms, policies and emergency routing.
Animal Shelter Action Planner: Lost Pet, Found Pet, Adoption, Reclaim & Surrender Helper
Use this free tool to create a practical next-step plan before visiting or contacting an animal shelter, humane society, rescue, or animal control agency. It does not search a live shelter database, but it helps you prepare the right documents, questions, safety steps, and official-source searches.
Build a USA-wide shelter action plan
Select your situation and location. The tool will create a general action plan, search links, call questions, and a copyable checklist.
Lost pet recovery checklist
Check the steps you have completed. This helps you stay organized during the first urgent hours and days.
Found pet safety decision helper
Use this when you find a stray or loose pet and need a safe next step.
Adoption readiness checker
This helps adopters prepare before visiting a shelter or rescue. It is not a guarantee of approval.
Pet reclaim document checklist
If your pet may be at a shelter, prepare proof before visiting. Exact requirements and fees vary by agency.
Owner surrender preparation helper
Surrender rules vary. Many shelters require appointments, proof of residence, behavior/medical information, and may offer alternatives.
Animal control contact decision helper
Choose the situation and get a general USA-wide contact path. Local rules may differ.
Adoption and first-month budget planner
This is a planning guide, not a shelter fee database. Always confirm adoption fees and included services with the shelter.
Your generated shelter plan
Your action plan, search links, call script, checklist, or budget guide will appear here.
Start with the Planner tab
Select your state, city/county/ZIP, pet type, and goal. The tool will create a practical USA-wide shelter action plan.
Privacy note: this tool runs in your browser. It does not send your entries to animal-shelter.org.