BB Bear’s Remarkable Story
By now you have probably heard the horrifying yet heart-warming story about the 2-month-old white husky puppy named BB Bear, found next to a dumpster in Phoenix with his skull bashed in by something thought to be either a baseball bat or tire iron. He was unconscious and comatose. He was brought to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) then rushed to Phoenix/Dog/Cat/Bird Hospital where it was confirmed that both the top and bottom of his skull were broken.
Three top neurologists from around the country have reviewed BB Bear’s records and all have stated that because of where the injury to the skull is, it appears there is no damage to the brain stem. The area of the brain that is affected, given his age, has the ability to rejuvenate over time.
His story has been heard around the world. MCACC has received calls, emails, letters and donations from as far away as Germany, France, and Canada.
MCACC officials say Bear is still in recovery and will be for a while: he’s eating and drinking on his own and getting more stable on his feet. They are not sure about his vision but believe he can smell and taste.
Arizona Animal Rescue Mission (AARM) – the fundraising arm for MCACC- and Two Pups Wellness Fund have partnered up to cover the medical costs for the puppy which has exceeded $30,000 and is still rising. You can help by visiting AARM’s web site and making a donation. There is a specific link on the page for donations to Bear’s medical expenses and 100-percent of all funds raised will go directly towards his care.
Phoenix police are actively looking for the person who did this to Bear and it is an ongoing investigation. The person who found Bear and brought him to MCACC is not a suspect and is being hailed for doing the right thing by finding an injured puppy and bringing him to the shelter for help.
“This is one of those cases that illustrate how precious each animal’s life is and how compassionate the public can be. Without help and donations from all over the world, there is no way Bear could have been saved,” says Mary Martin the director of MCACC.
Maricopa County Animal Care and Control
There are literally thousands of homeless dogs and cats at MCACC. It takes in about 35,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, yet it only receives 5-percent of its 10-million-dollar yearly budget from the county. The rest must come from donations.
Sometimes as many as 125 dogs will either be found or dropped off at MCACC in a single day leaving employees and volunteers to care for about 700 dogs every day. Can you imagine the amount of work that takes, the money it requires and the time? It’s an astronomical task and requires the care and compassion of many employees and volunteers.
Arizona Animal Rescue Mission
AARM is a non-profit founded in 2015 by Courtney Zoellner and Lisa Klimczak in Scottsdale, Arizona. Initially, AARM began as a foster-based animal rescue.
“In our countless trips to the East & West shelters, we saw first-hand the overwhelming challenges that MCACC faces every day. We also learned that MCACC receives less than 5-percent of taxpayer support and must raise its own funds to care for over 35,000 animals that find their way to the shelters. We experienced first-hand the need for significant additional funding to make sure our community shelter serves homeless animals in a way we can all be proud of,” says Lisa Klimczak.
“Shortly after that realization, we met Mary Martin and her innovative and passionate vision was contagious. She ignited and inspired us. We knew we could have a greater impact on the animal rescue community by evolving our mission to become a partner to MCACC dedicating all of our efforts to fill the many financial gaps that MCACC faces every day,” says Klimczak.
Together Saving Lives
In December of last year, Martin launched a transport program sending up to 40 dogs at a time to shelters across the country that are at a low capacity and have plenty of space to care for the dogs.
MCACC and AARM have so far transported more than 1000 dogs to shelters in California, Utah, New Mexico, and Montana just to name a few of the places. The dogs are only shipped to shelters that have a live release rate of 95-percent or better.
This year MCACC had a live release rate of 94-percent or better at both of its locations. The transport program is being funded entirely by donations collected from AARM.
“In January of 2017, we formally became a partner of Maricopa County Animal Care and Control to provide them with 100-percent of our financial support. We are raising funds to ensure every animal in our county’s shelter receives quality care and the best possible opportunity for finding a new and loving home,” says Klimczak.
Adoptions
Martin is doing other measures to save the lives of the animals in her care. Once East and West shelters have reached capacity, a euthanasia list is created. Having space is critical to keeping the euthanasia list down.
The county holds free adoptions when it reaches its capacity to try and avoid having to euthanize animals.
“We are not going to euthanize our way out of overcrowding, not under my watch. We are going to do everything and anything we can to find these dogs homes because, for one dog that goes home, it saves the lives of two others,” says Martin.
How We Are Helping
Puppies ‘N Love, Animal Kingdom, and Trendy Pet & Rescue pet stores are teaming-up with MCACC to raise money for the same cause – to reduce the number of pets in the shelters and to decrease the euthanasia rate.
We are collecting donations at all five of our Valley pet stores and we’re adding a donation option at the point-of-sale so every new puppy owner will have the option to contribute to MCACC. We are giving 100-percent of the money to MCACC.
How You Can Help
Donate! Become part of the solution. Your donations go to critical things such as:
- Vaccinations
- Spay/neuter
- Medical care for the pets who come into the shelters abused or inured
- Leashes so the dogs can be walked and socialized
- Blankets so the dogs and cats can stay warm
- Flea and tick control
We believe the bond that exists between people and their pets is one of life’s greatest experiences. Help give homeless pets the opportunity to find that out for themselves.
