About Us: Accomplishments

Free Vaccine Clinics at Casa Maria in South Tucson

AWASA is best known for free spay and neuter services.

As part of our commitment to the community, AWASA provide biannual clinics administering free vaccines and mini exams for Tucson animals in need. Our inaugural vaccine clinic was September 2010.  Casa Maria Vaccination Clinics have grown in volume and we are seeing 150-200 animals per clinic. 

This effort was made possible by volunteer veterinarians from Sunrise Pet Clinic -- Janet Forrer, DVM; Sally Rademaker, DVM; and Rhonda Vasilopulos, DVM.  Since then, Acacia Animal Hospital, Northwest Clinic and Pima Medical Institute have joined forces to help us with this important work.

Volunteer veterinary techs, AWASA Board members, and friends all tirelessly worked at the clinic days to help organize the owners, take health information on the animals, and assist the vets. Information on spay and neuter plus free pet food are given to participants.

AWASA would like to thank all of the volunteers, especially the veterinarians and staff of Sunrise Pet Clinic for generously sharing their time for such a worthwhile cause.

AWASA hopes to be able to continue to provide free clinics in the spring and fall of each year. We need volunteer veterinarians, vet techs, workers, and bilingual speakers. We also need funds to purchase vaccines and supplies.

Please contact us to volunteerand/or donate.

Animal Welfare Challenge

Southern Arizona teens were challenged to produce a short video on how spay/neuter, shelter pet adoptions, or TNR (trap, neuter, return) help save animals' lives. On June 3, 2010 a ceremony was held for the winners at Pima Animal Care Center. The two top-rated videos received $500.00 and all participants received a certificate of merit.

The best video by the panel of judges is Make a Dogs Dream Come Trueby Leann Parker from Pusch Ridge Christian Academy. The public chose Adopt a Friendby Sam Farley and Manny Vinas-Barreras from Mountain View High School as their favorite video.

AWASA congratulates all the teens who helped to spread the word and raise awareness for homeless animals in our community.

Thank you so much to our judges: Sheena Stewart of The Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Michael Bolchalk with Bolchalk-Frey Marketing, Bob Lee from Fox Channel 11, Ralph Score with Valley Telecom Group, and Angela Dyson from AWASA.

Pet Food Program 

Since 2010 AWASA has worked with the Community Food Bankn to distribute food to the Southern Arizona pet community. Pet food has  been donated by Fry’s, other stores, and anonymous manufacturers through Feeding America.

The first delivery of 7,000 pounds of food and litter arrived in March 2010 and was distributed to 15 nonprofit organizations from Tucson and Southern Arizona for distribution to the animals. In 2011, two more shipments were distributed to those in need.  In the winter of 2015 a large donation of food came from Best Friends through a collaboration with Pima Animal Care Center and Spay Neuter Solutions.  This food was made available to the community.  We continue to distribute food provided available to our organization. 

AWASA would like to thank the Community Food Bank and Feeding America and the businesses who donated the food. Ferguson Plumbing provided storage space, the equipment, and staff to move the food.

AWASA is proud to be an affiliate agency of the Community Food Bank and we are very grateful to all our partners and volunteers who worked on this vital program.