On Tuesday, March 6, 2018, Citizens for a No-Kill Philadelphia expanded it's Community Pet Help Desk by adding two paid positions located at Philly's animal control shelter, ACCT Philly to help pet owners navigate area resources and keep their beloved pets during times of hardship.
CNKP launched it's 100% volunteer-based Community Pet Help Desk in 2013 with the belief that families should not have to surrender or re-home their beloved furry family members when experiencing times of hardship. The Help Desk helps city residents learn about and utilize low-cost veterinary care, lost/found pets, pet-friendly housing, and emergency preparedness resources available in Philadelphia and it's surrounding areas. As a branch of its Help Desk, CNKP hosts a free pet food pantry in a different Philadelphia neighborhood every 4-6 weeks to provide low-income Philadelphians with free pet food and supplies.
As an added bonus of the Help Desk, CNKP helps prevent surrenders to ACCT Philly which saw 5,683 owner surrendered dogs and cats in 2017, a 38% decrease since the 9,228 intaked in 2013.
ACCT Philly accepts owner surrenders by appointment only. It is important to understand that this method of managed-intake gives pets the best possible chance of a live exit and avoid euthanasia. The Help Desk staff will be on-site 6 days a week during ACCT Philly's front desk operating hours. Pet owners inquiring about surrendering their pets will be referred to the Help Desk where they will be provided resources to match their individual situation and help keep their pets, including cases of veterinary medical emergencies, behavioral issues, housing troubles, and more. If a pet owner is unable to keep their dog or cat a surrender appointment will be made while the Help Desk staff assists them in safely re-homing or surrendering their pet to a rescue in the meantime.
The Help Desk position is funded by a grant provided by PetSmart Charities to the newly launched Philadelphia No-Kill Coalition, a collective of animal welfare agencies working together to end the killing of savable pets in shelters.