Douglas Animal Shelter

Last updated Jan. 29, 2020 

The Douglas Animal Shelter takes in an average of 112 animals a month. These animals, exclusively dogs and cats in 2019, live in the shelter until they are adopted, rescued or euthanized. The city of Douglas maintains the shelter, which the Police Department Humane Division oversees. The city Municipal Code’s 14-page ordinance on “Animals” (PDF) covers everything from pet vaccination laws to public nuisance determinations. 

How to contact or visit the shelter 

  • Douglas Animal Shelter
    2017 Rogers Avenue
    Douglas, AZ 85607
    Phone: (520) 417-7567
  • A humane officer is available from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.
  • Shelter hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday and Sunday by appointment. 
  • You can like the shelter on Facebook for information about countywide resources.

Who runs the shelter? 

  • The city of Douglas owns and maintains the shelter, and the Douglas Police Department Humane Division oversees it.
  • “The Humane Division of the Douglas Police Department is responsible for the enforcement of state law and city ordinance for the lawful and humane treatment of all animals within the city limits. They also manage the Douglas Animal Shelter and strive to reunite animals with their owners, facilitate adoptions for turn-ins and suitable strays, and network with area rescues and shelters to find placement for animals that might otherwise face euthanasia.” City of Douglas website  
  • The shelter is staffed by two animal control officers (PDF). These officers are responsible for day-to-day operations that include picking up live, injured or dead animals, investigating reports of animal bites, animal cruelty and animal nuisance, issuing and enforcing city dog licenses and citations, and administering euthanasia.

How is the shelter funded?

  • The Animal Shelter is funded through the city’s General Fund, under Police: Humane Division.
  • The division allocated $173,889 for the shelter in the 2019 budget, which runs from June 2019 to July 2020. By Jan. 31, 2020 only $93,988 in personnel and operating expenses were incurred. 
  • The shelter creates revenue by leasing space to Cochise County, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and veterinarians who occasionally hold vaccination and neuter/spay clinics on site. 

Kill vs. no-kill shelters

  • The Douglas shelter is one of several kill shelters in Cochise County, meaning that animals that are not rescued, claimed or adopted will be humanely killed via animal euthanasia. 
  • The amount of time an animal may spend  in the shelter before being euthanized is not set. Animals are typically only killed when capacity is reached at the facility. 
  • Animal rescues, or no-kill shelters, do not administer euthanasia and will often rescue animals from kill shelters or take in unwanted or stray animals. These animals are typically put into foster programs until they are adopted. 
  • The nearest no-kill animal rescue to Douglas does not have a physical address. The Border Animal Rescue is based in Bisbee and can be contacted at (520) 432-7964 or [email protected].
    • The mission of the Border Animal Rescue is “to reduce overpopulation through spay and neuter programs and to promote the adoption of unwanted, homeless pets in Cochise County by caring for them in foster homes and providing medical care, if needed, until they are placed in permanent homes; the promotion of population control of free-roaming cats through a trap/neuter/return (TNR) program; and the promotion of the health and humane treatment of all animals.”

By the numbers 

The Douglas Animal Shelter has a capacity for 27 dog kennels; 10 of which are leased to Cochise County. Kennels are typically single but can hold double capacity. There are six cat cages that can hold a number of cats each.

In 2019 at the shelter …

112

Average of animals taken in each month 

571

Dogs taken in by shelter

523

Cats taken in by shelter

Municipal Code 

Sources