The Humane Society of Southern Arizona opened a new in-shelter emergency medical wing designed to provide immediate, life-saving care for vulnerable animals.
The facility, named Max’s MASH Unit, held its ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday at the organization’s headquarters on Roger Road near Oracle Road in Tucson. The unit serves as an on-site emergency room, offering urgent triage and critical care for pets arriving with severe illnesses or traumatic injuries.
The unit was funded by local donor Denise Cahalane and a Giving Tuesday campaign in November. Cahalane’s rescue dog, Max, inspired the unit’s name.
Kristin Barney, the Humane Society’s CEO, said the opening supports the organization’s ability to handle complex medical cases that might have previously been beyond the scope of a standard shelter.
“It’s a space that allows us to treat acute medical issues with dogs, cats and small animals to make sure that we don't have to say no to pets that come to our facility," said Barney.
While the organization has long operated a spay and neuter clinic, it was not originally equipped for the high-stakes triage required for trauma patients, such as animals hit by cars or those with severe wounds from fights.
The new unit consolidates all necessary medical tools into a single space, allowing staff to work on multiple pets simultaneously and improve response times, Barney said.
The humane society’s chief veterinarian, Dr. Karyn Carlson, described the new space as "life-changing" for both the staff and the animals. Prior to the unit’s completion, the medical team had to operate out of a small, fragmented space where workstations, lab equipment and treatment areas were located in separate rooms.
"This has allowed us to be in the same room as our patients to provide observation, to give them treatments right in the moment," Carlson said.
Carlson said the unit is outfitted with new technology, including in-house lab equipment for blood counts and heartworm testing, surgery lights for sedated procedures, fluid pumps and an anesthesia monitor.
The dog behind the name
Cahalane said Max’s story is a testament to the resilience of shelter animals; he was originally surrendered to animal care, adopted and then found wandering the streets of Tucson four months later before Cahalane adopted him three years ago.
Through HSSA’s Pet VIP program, Max was certified as a therapy dog and now provides comfort to patients at local hospitals, including Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita and Oro Valley Hospital.
"The human-animal companion bond is a very strong healer," Cahalane said. "I don't think there's anything that duplicates this.”
Carlson said that there is an abundance of animals in Pima County in need of adoption. Pets available for adoption are featured on the Humane Society’s Adopt a Pet webpage.
