With the donation of a new air conditioning unit, HVAC entrepreneur Ken Goodrich and his team at Goettl Air Conditioning gave the gift of cool air to the Arizona Animal Welfare League giving the shelter’s dogs, cats and staff ongoing respite from the desert heat.  

The AC unit donation is part of a larger renovation and remodel at the AAWL’s central Phoenix location. The nonprofit AAWL is Arizona’s oldest and largest no-kill shelter.

“We are so thankful for outstanding community members like Goettl Air Conditioning,” said Judith Gardner, AAWL’s president and CEO. “This donation is incredibly generous and will help our animals and our staff work in a much more hospitable environment. It’s great to know we have good people and businesses like Goettl in our community helping when there is need.”

Ken Goodrich, CEO and owner at Goettl Air Conditioning, said he and his is team loves helping the community, especially when animals and the elderly are involved.

“We enjoy supporting the community and were happy to donate to the Arizona Animal Welfare League,” said Goodrich. “Their work is so vital to our community, our pets and animals that if we can help them stay comfortable in the heat, it is something we are more than happy to do.”

Goodrich is no stranger to the friendship and love pets can bring. His Wheaton Terrier, Sadie, is a star in her own right. Sadie serves as the official HR ambassador and gatekeeper at Goettl Air Conditioning. Whenever new employees are considered for hire, they must meet Sadie and pass the “Sadie Sniff Test.” If Sadie likes the employee, they pass the test and join the company.

“Sadie is the perfect bridge to my home and work life,” added Goodrich. “That’s why donations like the Animal Welfare League mean so much to us.”

Scottsdale-based Double AA Builders, the general contractor at AAWL’s Phoenix facility, installed the new unit on Tuesday. Double AA Builders has helped AAWL with construction and remodeling projects for several years.

The recent expansion and renovation at AAWL is of its low-cost clinic, MDPet Care, which has helped more than 7,000 clients since opening to the public in 2013. The clinic also performs thousands of surgeries every year, helping to end the suffering of pets whose owners cannot afford full-price vet services.

In fall, the clinic will re-open with additional exam rooms, state-of-the-art equipment and two full-time veterinarians which will enable it to be open six days per week. The entire cost of construction and equipment was completed with the help of monetary donations as well as in-kind ones, including the generous gift from Goettl, and a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.