The world-renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum recently acquired a state-of-the-art ultrasound machine for its veterinary clinic, thanks, in part, to funding from Tucson Electric Power.

The new technology is already transforming care for the 700-plus animals under the Museum’s care.

Previously, when animals needed an ultrasound exam, staff had to transport them off-site. This required sedating each animal and driving into town, adding stress to the animals and additional time for staff.

Now ultrasounds can be performed quickly right on site. Eliminating travel removes risk for vulnerable wildlife, while faster diagnostics means more timely care for animals in distress.

The Desert Museum set a fundraising goal of $20,000 for the new equipment and kicked off the fundraising campaign at its 2023 Desert Gala in April. TEP offered to match all donations up to $5,000 and by evening’s end, more than $15,000 had been raised for the project. The remaining funding came from social media outreach campaigns.

The unit was put into service last summer.

“Having this technology on-site has been transformational for the vet team,” said Lynnae Wenker, Director of Philanthropy for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. “TEP made such a significant difference in allowing the Museum to acquire this top-quality technology to make veterinary care much easier for our animals. We’re so grateful for the many ways TEP supports the Desert Museum.”

Wendy Erica Werden, Community Investment Manager for TEP, said the donation supports our commitment to ensuring a vibrant quality of life in the place we live.  “As a company, we’re accelerating the transition to a cleaner energy future to support a more sustainable environment. That focus is really in alignment with the Desert Museum’s work to preserve and protect natural resources and animals in our unique environment and to ensure a brighter future for this special region.”