The nonprofit intends to meet the requirements of the Latino community in Maricopa County when it comes to pet care.

The Arizona Animal Welfare League is launching a research with PetSmart Charities to better understand the pet care requirements of Maricopa County's Latino community. The research is part of a larger campaign to reduce the number of pets from underserved areas accepted to animal shelters.

We want to make sure we can keep these animals in their homes, AAWL president and CEO Alessandra Navidad said. To do so, we need to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of pet owners who live and work in our communities.

According to Navidad, the lack of access to pet care services and information has disproportionately impacted the Latino population, which is why the organization joins with PetSmart charities to hold monthly pet clinics that serve roughly 150 pet owners every third Saturday of the month.

The clinics provide low-cost services to everyone who comes, as well as free vaccines to pet owners who live in Maricopa County's four targeted Latino-majority zip codes: 85034, 85006, 85008, and 85009 — the same zip codes that the study is focusing on, according to Navidad.

At the Arizona Animal Welfare League, veterinarians and veterinary nurses prepare vaccines just before a vaccination clinic that delivers free or low-cost vaccines for dogs every third Saturday.
We know these are underserved low-income areas, and they don't get many services that other communities do, Navidad explained.  This has an impact on animals and pets.

The targeted locations are also among Maricopa's top ten zip codes for pet surrendering, according to Navidad.

Sergio Delgado is a resident of one of the four zip codes targeted. He stated the services were more accessible than at traditional veterinary clinics when he went to the pet clinic on Saturday.

Delgado arrived at the clinic with his two daughters and their pets, Tiny and Flower. Both pets received free rabies, Parvo, and Bordetella vaccinations.

(The vaccine deadline) had passed, and we were having trouble finding appointments,  Delgado told The Arizona Republic. I honestly had no idea how much I'd have to pay today, but they claimed it was covered.

Ziggie, Freddie Lerma's 5-year-old dog, was also vaccinated against rabies, distemper, and Bordetella at the clinic. Lerma was charged $45 for his visit since he resided outside of the permitted zip codes.

Which is incredible, Lerma remarked. Many individuals are deterred from receiving (the service) because of the expense, which is quite high, especially now that people's budgets are tighter. So getting your pet's immunizations at a cheap price is fantastic.

For Spanish-speaking customers, the pop-up pet clinic provides translation services.

Pet owners must register in order to attend a clinic. Appointments can be made at aawl.org/vaccineclinic or by calling 480-618-1637 for the next clinic on March 19.

Access to pet care for Latinos is hampered by financial and linguistic constraints.
Natalia Kusiak visits the Arizona Animal Welfare League's vaccination clinic with her golden retriever, Oatmeal.
Even though the organizations currently provide affordable resources to the community, Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities, believes it is important to continue studying the underlying needs of the community so that their efforts can be better directed at overcoming the barriers that pet owners face.

Financial hurdles are tremendous, and they are the principal barrier for many individuals seeking pet care, she added. However, they are not the only ones.

Language and faith in the system, according to Navidad, are two of the most significant impediments to the community's access to resources and information.

We (Latinos) don't know who to call, where to get that information, or which groups can assist us, Navidad explained. I believe that access to information and trust are both missing for us (Latinos).

Navidad believes the community is frequently denied representation in the government and system, which she believes might lead to a lack of faith in the services provided by organizations.

With this study, we hope to improve the relationship between our organization, the shelter, and the Latino community so that we can better assist them, she explained.

AAWL intends to collaborate with a Phoenix-based research firm to undertake a multilingual community survey of at least 600 people. Individual surveys, bilingual focus groups, and in-person interviews with Latino community leaders will be part of the study, according to an AAWL press release.

The organizations intend this to be a long-term effort to adequately examine the needs of pet owners, according to Navidad. A $167,000 grant from PetSmart Charities will finance the research stage as well as the following problem-solving projects.

It's critical for us that Latinos understand that we are here, that we are offering them veterinary services... that may assist them with all of their pet-related issues, Navidad added.

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