Maricopa County shelter, nonprofit offering dog and cat adoption, fix deals for holidays
Dec 12, 2016, 4:27 PM | Updated: Dec 13, 2016, 11:23 am
(Facebook Photo)
(Facebook Photo)
PHOENIX — For some people, the holidays might be the perfect time to add a furry friend to the family.
To encourage people to adopt a dog or cat, the Maricopa County Animal Control shelters are offering an adoption deal while a local nonprofit is making getting animals fixed much more affordable.
Melissa Gable with Maricopa County Animal Control said all dogs are available for a $20 adoption fee, along with kittens under 6 months of age. Those over 6 months are free.
“Our plan is to do it through the end of the year and then, at that point, we’re going to reassess and see where we are,” she said.
Gable said the agency’s two shelters have more than 600 animals in them.
“It’s unusual for us to — this late in the year — to continue to be so full,” she said. “We attribute a lot of that to the fact that animals are staying longer. We’ve listened to the community and we’ve really tried to cut back on the number of animals that are euthanized.”
The agency’s adoption fees cover several vaccinations and a spay or neuter.
You can browse a list of adoptable animals on the Maricopa County Animal Control website.
For those who already own a dog or cat, a local nonprofit, Altered Tails, is offering reduced-price fixing service in December and January.
“We want to spread the word that fixing your cats and dogs is very important,” the agency’s executive director, Ellen Clark, said. “It’s a great way to start the new year.”
During December, Altered Tails is fixing and vaccinating all owned cats for $20. In January, the group is neutering all male cats and dogs for the same price.
KTAR’s Lauren Grifo and Ashley Flood contributed to this report.
