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MCACC's New Hope Program
What is the New Hope Program?
MCACC's New Hope Program is another innovative way for us to work with our community and try to find permanent homes for animals that may not be adoptable under regular shelter circumstances.
This program allows us to acknowledge, cooperate with, and support the efforts of other reputable animal rescue organizations within the community who share our same goals of finding forever homes for shelter pets and saving more lives. Our New Hope Partners take animals from MCACC that may need additional medical and/or behavioral attention beyond the scope of what MCACC can provide in the shelter.
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 been approved by the Maricopa County Board Supervisors to take shelter animals needing additional care and support on their way to finding forever homes. Animal rescue organizations, animal shelters, animal welfare organizations, and veterinary hospitals are all welcome to apply to become a New Hope Partner with MCACC.
Step-by-Step Process
- Download the New Hope Partner Application.
- Review all documents in the below Resources tab carefully to ensure that participation as a New Hope Partner is a good fit for your organization and you can meet the requirements of this program.
- Return the completed application, along with all requested documents, via email or mail to the attention of Alex Rozenberg - New Hope at MCACC 2500 S 27th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009.
- Once received, your 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 in-person appointment to review and sign the New Hope Program Contract. The contract must be signed by the Director/President of the 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 an original 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.
The initial New Hope Program Partner Contract term is for a one (1) year period with the option to renew in one-year intervals, based on mutual interest and eligibility verification.
Your organization, as a New Hope Partner, is responsible for advising MCACC in writing of any changes within your organization (e.g. changes to address, President/Director, etc.) within 15 days of the change.
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 has created a special portal that allows us to highlight the animals in our shelter that would benefit most from the resources and support of our New Hope Partners. There are several animal designations for the New Hope Portal which indicate the availability and overall needs of the shelter pets listed on the portal. We ask that animals listed as Urgent Medical, Urgent Behavior, and/or Urgent Medical / Urgent Behavior New Hope Only on the portal be given priority by our Partners as our shelter has limited resources to provide them with what they need and these animals require an immediate outlet.
Urgent Medical New Hope Only / Urgent Behavior New Hope Only - Animals with this designation typically have not met adoptability criteria on the kennel, leash, handling, and/or dog-dog tests, but present as possibly manageable or treatable with specialized behavior interventions that can be provided outside the shelter setting. These dogs may also present as needing further medical or behavior assessment outside the shelter setting before being determined appropriate to place in a new home. New Hope Only dogs may also have aggravating circumstances documented in the home setting or before intake that are determined not suitable for adoption; but these dogs have the potential to be manageable/treatable with medical and/or behavior intervention provided by a New Hope Partner.
Urgent Medical - Animals who need immediate medical attention and/or surgical intervention beyond what the shelter can provide. This can include injured animals we cannot keep comfortable and/or pain-free at the shelter 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 a rescue or New Hope Partner that is able to provide behavior assessment, intervention, and support outside the shelter. MCACC does not have the resources to safely house these animals and provide them with the attention and care that they need. These animals need immediate 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 at the shelter and in most cases are manageable by an adopter or rescue, provided they obtain proper follow-up care by their offsite veterinarian.
Behavior - This designation highlights animals who need behavior intervention and support that could be provided while in the shelter setting. These animals have behaviors that are manageable at the shelter with a fair-to-good prognosis for improvement. Although these animals do not need immediate outlets, they would benefit from placement outside the shelter setting.
LOS 60+ Days - Animals with this designation have been at the shelter for 60 or more days. Dogs and cats with a length of stay longer than 60 days are added to the portal regardless of their current behavior and/or medical status. We highlight these animals here to increase their chances of being seen by our valued partners.
Contact Us
For more information or assistance, please email our Alternative Placement Program at ACCNewHope@maricopa.gov. Responses are normally sent within 24-48 hours from time of receipt.