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Ride along with the Valley's Emergency Animal Rescue Trucks

The Arizona Humane Society has roughly five or six Emergency Animal Rescue trucks operating in the Valley 365 days a year.

Emergency Animal Medical Technicians, or EAMTs, are much busier than you might think.

The Arizona Humane Society has five or six Emergency Animal Rescue trucks operating in the Valley 365 days a year.

“Many of the animals that we run into are in pretty critical condition," said EAMT Katie MaGowan, who said each technician responds to around 50 to 60 calls per week.

The society takes calls from residents and police at its dispatch center, who stay in radio contact with an EAMT.

12 News shadowed McGowan Sunday to her first call for help, after someone reported that a woman with a small trailer was housing 20 dogs.

“We’re coming out to kind of do a welfare check. Make sure we know how many animals she has, what condition they’re in, and speak to her about what her options are,” she said.

The woman had multiple pregnant dogs in a pack of Chihuahuas, including a litter that was only days old.

“I’m kind of making sure that their living conditions in here are going to be acceptable for them so that they stay in good weight and that they stay healthy,” MaGowan​​​​​​​ said as she examined the woman's Phoenix property.

The owner agreed to surrender the puppies and their mother, but there’s no legal limit in Phoenix on how many dogs a person can own.

MaGowan​​​​​​​ gave the woman a free voucher to spay and neuter her animals and said they’ll be checking-up on her from now on.

“She was very willing to comply, that always goes a long way. She let you in the house. A lot of times if they don’t let us in the house, there’s something they don’t want us to see,” she said.

The call turned out to be a friendly one, but others aren’t as easy. Whether an animal is critically injured, or an owner is acting hostile, a call to police isn’t rare. The technicians work with local officials, but have no real legal authority.

MaGowan admitted that she sometimes worries about her safety.

"Occasionally you have someone that … they believe that we might be a threat, so they might get upset at us," she said.

Meantime, the program is funded exclusively by donations, and the society is always seeking financial support and volunteers.

“We want you and your pets to be happy and healthy, so any way we can help would be great," MaGowan​​​​​​​ said.

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