This week, meet adoptables, Bessie and Blaze, and learn more about how you can make a difference in lives of shelter pets here in our own backyard AND across the country by donating to this year's March Muttness Tournament.
This week, meet adoptables, Nia and Mesa, and learn more about how you can follow along with the excitement of this year's March Muttness 2022 tournament.
"Hi there, my name is Queenie! I am a fawn colored, two year old Pit Bull. I'm large and in charge, but my friends at HSSA have me on a special diet so that I can be medium and in charge. I hope that no matter how I look you'll be able to love me all the same. I also have a big personality you're sure to fall in love with! I'm eager to join a forever home where I can be someone's true best friend; just you and me taking on the world together. What do you think? Could we be a perfect match?"
Come meet me at 635 W Roger Rd, and call an adoptions counselor at 520-327-6088 ext 173 to learn more about me!
This week, meet adoptables Hazel and bonded pair, Colby & Jack, and learn more about how your dog can shine in the limelight they deserve by entering them into our Cover Dog Contest 2022 happening NOW!
This week, meet adoptables Midnight and Barb, and learn more about how you can make your a cover model by submitting their photo for the HSSA Cover Dog Contest 2022!
Cover Dog is back and in full swing! Yes, your chance to let your dog shine as they grace the cover of Tucson Lifestyle Magazine has come around once again, and we know you are excited. Any chance to give your dog the spotlight they so greatly deserve right?!
There is a unique purity about dogs. They give us 100% of themselves and their love unconditionally, all the time, and that is truly the rarest magic you can find on earth. All dog parents can attest to that, and the desire to capture that rarity to keep is a goal of every dog parent. Let’s be honest, most of us take more photos of our dogs than anything else! Getting that perfect photo that shows their personality through-and-through can be a hard challenge. Well, worry not, because we are here to help! Follow these few simple tips to get professional-level photos of your dog, fit for the cover of a magazine.
Submit your best photos and you and your dog’s story here to enter the 2022 Cover Dog Contest! Entries are $25 and that will get you 25 votes -- each additional vote is only $1, and every dollar supports HSSA, so encourage people to vote often.
By having your dog’s favorite toys and treats, you are able to use them as a focusing point for your dog to keep their attention on you and your camera. This gives you the best chance at snapping a photo with their direct gaze.
Taking your mini photoshoot outside gives you the best lighting for the most incredible photos. Natural light is always the best in capturing your dog’s natural features and highlighting them.
Starting your photo session with a little fetch or tug-of-war will get your dog’s energy up, and get them panting a little bit, which will bring out their natural smile when it comes to taking the photo.
Don’t be afraid to use a little bribery to get that perfect shot! Hold your dog’s favorite treat just above the top of your camera. They will lock their eyes on that delicious morsel, unknowingly looking directly at the camera, and give you the perfect shot. Squeaky toys also help attract your dog’s glaze and can even get you the coveted head tilt shot!
Changing the angle of your photos from looking down on your dog versus at their level, allows you to change the perspective of the shot from a human one to a dog one - sharing the world from their angle.
Know where your pet’s favorite places are and catch them in their natural element. You'll capture better emotion and fill your photo with a sense of relatability.
The best way to capture your dog is taking photos in a portrait format. This means holding your camera in a way that when the photo is taken it’s vertical instead of landscape.
This week, meet adoptables Midnight and Irma, and learn more about how you can continue to honor legendary actress and animal advocate, Betty White by donating to HSSA in her honor.
The holidays are behind us, but the frigid winter weather is only just beginning. While our winters here in the desert may not be swirling with snow storms and intense freezes, we still get below freezing temperatures and winter rains that can have a devastating effect on pets who are left outside.
The winter weather can be a tough time for pet parents to navigate because there is so much information out there on what is right and what is wrong. It’s overwhelming, and we understand that! We want to help make it more simple by giving you 3 simple tips on how you can keep your pets warm and healthy this winter.
Winter Pet Clothing
Pet sweaters and jackets are really coming into the limelight these days, but they are far more than just fashion for pets. These items give your pet an extra layer of protection from the cold, and keeps them warm while outside on winter walks. Apart from items like jackets and sweaters, many pet supply stores (including HSSA’s PAWSH Park Place) also sell pet boots that are incredibly important in protecting your pets paws on cold surfaces.
Keep your Pets Indoors
One of the most important things you can do to protect your pet during winter weather is to bring them indoors. If you would be uncomfortable and freezing staying outdoors for a long period of time, so would your pet. Many believe that because our pets are animals they have an innate ability to withstand harsh weather without being affected, similar to their wild ancestors, however, that is hardly the case. Domesticated animals have been genetically adapted over many generations to live alongside humans as they do. The earliest evidence of dog domestication began with wolves sometime between 33,000 and 11,000 years ago. As you can imagine, over that vast period of time, the biological survival instincts inherent within these distant wild ancestors has diminished - making today’s pets incapable of enduring harsh weather of the same caliber. Long story short, please bring your pets indoors in freezing weather. It can be a matter of life and death.
Cozy Up their Space
Every pet likely has a special place in the home that is all their own. During cold temperatures, it can be helpful to make their place snug and full of warmth by incorporating extra pillows and blankets. Additionally, if you have a space in your home that is generally warmer than others, consider adding an extra sleeping place in that spot to give them a more comfortable space to keep warm.
Keeping your pets safe this winter doesn’t have to be overwhelming. All it takes is a little bit of extra love and care, and your pets will thank you deeply for keeping them warm and safe this winter season.
This week, discover the unmatched joy and fulfillment of becoming a HSSA Volunteer. Whether it's helping exercise and give love to shelter dogs and cats, fostering, or heling out at the incredible HSSA Thrift Store, becoming a HSSA Volunteer will welcome you into a family unlike any you've had before.
This week, meet adoptables, Rosalie and Angel, and learn more about HSSA's Jog-a-Dog program, a volunteer initiative built to help provide enrichment for shelter dogs and give them a better chance at finding their forever homes.
Take a look back at the year behind us, and see all of the amazing things HSSA has been able to accomplish because of incredible supporters like you. Your year end gifts help all of the programs and services here at HSSA and give us the resources to save more lives. Help us continue to make a difference in the lives of shelter pets by giving a year end gift this year!
This week, meet adoptables, Queenie and Riley, and learn more about how you can gift the children in your life with a present that will inspire them and grow their imagination all while having fun at the same time with a Hand in Paw Kids Club Membership!
This week, meet adoptables, Barb and Tenay, and learn about how you can get a kick start to your holiday gift-giving and give back to shelter pets with HSSA's Holiday PAWction.
This week, we want to show you the impact you have made by being a part of our Giving Tuesday event and donating life-saving funds. Whether you donated $5.00 or $500, your support made a huge difference. Meet two special pets who's lives were saved here at HSSA, Malakai and Margo, thanks to contributions like yours.
This week, meet two special pets who's lives were saved here at HSSA, Barb and Cosette, and learn more about how you can be a part of the incredible and heart-warming transformations of sick, injured, and homeless pets here at HSSA by giving a charitable donation to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona on Giving Tuesday, November 30th.
This week, meet adoptables, Wanda and Oreo, and learn more about how you can give yourself the payday of a lifetime and help save homeless pets with HSSA's 5050 Raffle.
This week, meet adoptables, Jarhead and Marvin, and learn more about how you can help us provide some relief to struggling families by helping them feed their pets this holiday season with our Wish for a Full Dish pet food donation drive.
On the evening of October 16th, 2021, caring hearts from all over the Southern Arizona region came together in one space to support an organization near and dear to their hearts, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA). Not only was this event one that would give back to HSSA, but it also doubled as an event that allowed HSSA to pay a special recognition and gratitude to all of its incredible donors who have unwaveringly supported it throughout the years.
As the commencement of the event approached, guests began arriving and the anticipation of what fun was to come was palpable, filling every crevice of the space. Donning vibrant, festive, floral outfits representative of tropical wear, you could most definitely say each guest was embracing the theme of the evening in full fashion, literally.
The evening began with mingling, hors d'oeuvres, and cocktails out on the stunning luau-styled patio. The energy was high, the drinks were flowing, and the atmosphere was overflowing with laughter and chatter. There was a recognizable relief among everyone to simply be surrounded by people once again.
The guests were more than happy to continue mingling, but HSSA had a little something up it’s sleeve to bring the event up to a whole different level, Polynesian dancers! The incredible Halau Hula O Ualani’s group of Polynesian dancers transported every single one of our guests to the white sandy beaches of Hawai’i during their performance, emitting the true Aloha Spirit throughout the room and sharing their beautiful culture flawlessly.
Once the performance had ended, concluding with a resounding, “Aloha!” to and from the dancers, our guests were antsy to get the bidding started on the extravagant, grand live auction items ready for them. Auctioneer, Bobby D. of Call to Auction, appeared and the energy in the room tripled as he began. There was laughter, excitement, and fun! With each passing auction item paddles were going up left and right, front and center, bidding wars ensued as guests tried their best to win the item that had caught their attention, all the while recognizing that with every raise of the paddle, more life-saving funds would be headed to the homeless pets at HSSA to aid in their care and comfort.
After all was said and done, the live auction over, the golden ticket drawn, the silent auction complete, and the bar closed, it was clear to all that this event had accomplished precisely what it set out to do. (1) Raise funds to support the homeless pets and unique programs and services at HSSA, (2) bring together and show gratitude to HSSA’s second-to-none supporters, and (3) give people a good time. With each objective completed, HSSA raised around $156,000 through the events of the evening. Incredible!
We here at HSSA want to extend a heart-felt thank you to all who participated in Puttin’ on the Dog Sunset Luau 2021. It is undeniably clear that it would not have been the success it was without the kind and giving hearts of each of you. The funds you made possible will save countless lives and give each homeless pet in our shelter a fighting chance at a truly happy life, the life they undoubtedly deserve. Thank you for coming together and supporting our cause. We are unwaveringly grateful for all you do for us. Until next year!
"Hi there, I'm Flipper! I'm a very handsome 5 year old boy. As soon as you meet me, I'll be rubbing my head against you to solicit some pets! Yup, I'm a snuggle bug through and through. Fluffy blankets and squishy pillows are my favorite places to relax - put one in your lap and I could stay there all bundled up for a loooong time. I can't wait to meet my forever family so I can share all of my love and affection with them! Come meet me at 635 W Roger Road, and call an adoptions counselor at 520-327-6088 ext 173 to learn more about me!"
This week, meet adoptables, Jordan and Blue, and learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of homeless pets by becoming a HSSA Volunteer.
