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MCACC's New Hope Program
What is the New Hope Program?
MCACC's New Hope Program is another innovative way we work with our community to find permanent outlets for our special needs shelter pets.
This program allows us to coordinate life-saving efforts with other reputable animal rescue organizations that share the same vision for the pets of Maricopa County.
New Hope Partner Application Process
A New Hope Partner is an organization or entity that has completed the MCACC New Hope Partner application and contract process and has been approved by the Maricopa County Board Supervisors to take shelter animals into their program. Animal rescue organizations, animal shelters, animal welfare organizations, and veterinary hospitals are all welcome to apply to become a New Hope Partner with MCACC.
Getting Started
- Review and download the New Hope Partner Application.
- Review all documents in the below Resources tab carefully to determine if participation as a New Hope Partner is a good fit for your organization.
- Return the completed application, along with all requested documents, via email or mail to the attention of Crystal Enojos - New Hope at MCACC 2500 S 27th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009.
- Once received, the completed application packet will be reviewed. MCACC may conduct a site visit as part of the initial approval process.
- Upon department approval, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment to review and Docusign the New Hope Program Contract. The contract must be signed by the Director/President of your organization.
- As the final step in the application process, MCACC will add your contract to the agenda for the next available public meeting of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
- After we have received the fully executed contract from the Board, you will be provided with a signed copy for your records, and your organization will be officially considered a New Hope Program Partner!
Your patience and cooperation are appreciated as the full application process may take up to 8 to 12 weeks to complete.
Contact Us
If your organization is interested in partnering with MCACC, please email our Alternative Placement Team at ACCNewHope@maricopa.gov. Responses are normally sent within 24-48 hours from time of receipt.
The following resources are available to help you decide if the New Hope Program is for you and once you have become a New Hope Partner, they can help improve your overall experience.
Healthy dogs over the age of three (3) months are given a rabies vaccine and issued a license in the New Hope Partner’s name at the time the animal is removed from MCACC. There is no cost to the New Hope Partner for this service. If a license expires during a New Hope Partner’s ownership of the animal, it is the responsibility of the New Hope Partner to provide a current rabies vaccination certificate and purchase a license renewal at the current licensing fee.
Transfer of Ownership
New Hope Partners are responsible for transferring the license ownership for each MCACC dog that is adopted or rehomed through the Partner’s organization and must be completed by the New Hope Partner within fifteen (15) days of adoption or transfer of ownership.
- First License Transfer of a New Hoped Dog - In addition to the initial license provided to you, MCACC will provide one (1) license transfer to a new owner at no cost, providing that transfer occurs while the initial license is still valid. This initial license transfer must be done through the New Hope License Transfer Portal.
Visit our Dog License webpage for the most current dog licensing fees.
Note: It is your responsibility as a New Hope Partner to obtain the license transfer, as outlined above, once you adopt out or accept a returned animal. New dog owners cannot go through the New Hope Licensing Portal or our website to complete a license transfer for an adopted New Hope animal.
MCACC created a New Hope Portal to highlight the animals in MCACC shelters that would benefit from the resources and support of our New Hope Partners (contracted animal welfare organizations). The portal designations below are used to indicate the availability and overall needs of the shelter animals listed on the portal. Animals listed as Urgent and/or New Hope Only (only available to be released to New Hope Partners) on the portal are given priority for our New Hope Partners as our shelter has limited resources to provide them with what they need as these animals require an urgent outlet.
Urgent Medical New Hope Only / Urgent Behavior New Hope Only - Animals with this designation typically have not met adoptability criteria, but present as potentially manageable or treatable with specialized behavior interventions. These animals may also present as needing further medical or behavior assessment outside the shelter setting before determining appropriate options. New Hope Only animals may also have additional concerning behaviors documented in a home setting or before intake that are determined not suitable for adoption; but these animals have the potential to be manageable/treatable with medical and/or behavior intervention provided by a New Hope Partner.
Urgent Medical - These animals may need immediate medical attention and/or surgical intervention beyond what MCACC can provide. This can include injured animals we cannot keep comfortable and/or pain-free at MCACC but whose prognosis with offsite treatment modalities (e.g., epidural catheters, O2 chambers, hyperbaric chambers, etc.) does not warrant euthanasia. This designation can also include animals who likely need lifelong treatment and/or pain management for suspected systemic diseases or orthopedic conditions. In most cases, Urgent Medical animals require additional diagnostics and immediate care of an offsite veterinarian upon leaving the shelter.
Urgent Behavior - This designation highlights animals who are exhibiting deteriorating behaviors and/or behaviors that are not suitable for adoption to the general public. These animals may be available for adoption to appropriate adopters or may need support from an animal welfare organization that is able to provide appropriate behavior assessment, intervention, and support. MCACC does not have the resources to safely maintain these animals. These animals need urgent outlets for the safety and well-being of the animals, staff, volunteers, and shelter visitors.
Medical - This designation highlights animals who need medical attention and/or lifelong care and management, but their condition is not necessarily life-threatening. These animals typically have conditions that are manageable while sheltered and in most cases are manageable by an appropriate outlet, provided they obtain proper follow-up care by an offsite veterinarian.
Behavior - This designation highlights animals who need behavior intervention that are currently manageable at the shelter with a fair-to-good prognosis for improvement. Although these animals do not need urgent outlets, they would benefit from placement outside a shelter setting soon.