Much of what we hear about what is going wrong at local animal shelters comes from people like you, people who have seen first-hand shelter mismanagement or mistreatment of animals. Unfortunately, unless these accounts are documented, they do little to help in making substantive change for animals. We need to record these facts and make them public, which will help give us the evidence we need to put pressure on elected officials and local agencies.

Documentation of your experiences with local animal shelters can help develop the case for building a no-kill community. We have set up an easy process for you to write down this information, have it notarized and submit it to us. The original affidavits will be kept on file, and a redacted copy will be published on our website, removing any of your identifying information to protect your privacy.

How to Submit an Affidavit

If you have had a personal experience with a local animal shelter and would like to share this information, please consider completing a written affidavit. Affidavits should include only that which you personally have witnessed or experienced first-hand. Your original affidavit will be kept confidentially on file, and all personal identifying information will be redacted when posted on our website.

AFFIDAVIT BASICS

An affidavit is a sworn, written statement made under oath by the person signing the statement. The identity of the person making the statement and the contents of the statement comprising the affidavit are verified by a public notary, who will place his/her notary seal on the written statement. By making an affidavit, you are promising that the information contained therein is true and correct, and it is the equivalent of testimony before a court.

Affidavits are statements of fact. It is appropriate to include an opinion on a matter for which you are qualified to speak on, but conjecture and emotion should be left out.

There are 5 basic elements in an affidavit:

1. A statement setting forth your identity
2. A statement of why/how you have personal knowledge of what happened
3. A statement of the facts of the events
4. Your signature with a date (signed in front of the notary)
5. The notary’s sworn statement, signature, and seal

An affidavit should be written as close in time to the events as possible - the longer you wait, the more unreliable and inaccurate the statement could be. However, the affidavit can be notarized at a later date, if it is more convenient to do so. Most business will have at least one employee that is a notary and will notarize non-work related documents. Additionally, many banks provide the service for free to their customers and to non-customers for a small fee.

To ensure readability, it is recommended that you type your affidavit, but hand-written affidavits can be submitted if you do not have access to a computer or typewriter.

If you have made a complaint to the shelter or other public officials directly and received a response, please include copies of this correspondence as well.

Sample Affidavit
Sample Affidavit (as redacted)

If you would like to submit an affidavit or need assistance putting your affidavit together, please contact us at info@nokilltucson.org.