Joy Wegner, PCACC volunteer
It sometimes takes a community of committed volunteers to make things happen. In January 2023, just such a group came together in SaddleBrooke to build 125 customized dog beds for our county’s animal shelter, Pinal County Animal Care and Control (PCACC).
It sometimes takes a spark of imagination to begin such a project. In 2018, Bud and Joy Wegner responded to a request for dog beds that could be used at the Pinal County shelter. After visiting the shelter, they realized too many dogs were sleeping on hard, cold, sometimes damp concrete floors, and needed elevated beds for safety and comfort. The spark for a community project was lit!
Bud worked with the shelter’s staff to design an economical bed that was sized for the kennels, sturdy for the wear and tear of the kennel environment, cool for the Arizona summers, washable, and easily repairable. The imagination stage led to the designing, testing, building, and delivery of 100 dog beds in early 2019 to PCACC.
Fast forward to 2022, and discussions with the shelter’s staff resulted in the 2023 Dog Bed Project that was completed in January 2023—125 additional dog beds for the shelter!
The community of donors and volunteers made this project a reality! Donors from around Pinal County, including members of the SaddleBrooke Dog Park and more than 30 individuals contributed funds for the materials.
The Home Depot of Casa Grande provided a generous discount on PVC materials and screws used for the bed frames. This generosity allowed the project to expand from the original plan of 100 beds to a total of 125 dog beds.
The week of Jan. 9, 30 volunteers worked in shifts in the Wegner’s garage in SaddleBrooke to cut PVC materials, assemble the frames, and secure the mesh covers to the frames with screws. While distance to the shelter, located near Casa Grande, precludes many of these volunteers from visiting PCACC, their commitment, care, and concern for dogs at the shelter is apparent in their contribution of time, energy, and enthusiasm for this project.
By the end of the week, the kennel manager for the Pinal County shelter picked up 125 beds, with legs to be attached as they are placed in the kennels. This new supply will supplement the 65 beds from the 2019 delivery that are still in use at the shelter. Tim Daviess, of SaddleBrooke Ranch, has been repairing these beds by replacing torn covers and keeping them available for kennel use.
The 2023 project was coordinated through Friends of Pinal County Animal Shelter & Rescues. This local nonprofit organization supports PCACC with funding for medical equipment, veterinary care, and general health and well-being of shelter animals. For more information about the efforts and focus of Friends of Pinal, visit their website at www.friendsofpinal.org.