Maricopa County Animal Care & Control waives adoption fees this week to free up shelter space
Feb 7, 2024, 4:25 AM | Updated: 3:29 pm
PHOENIX — Dogs six months and older will be free to adopt until Sunday at multiple shelters in Maricopa County, officials said Tuesday.
Maricopa Animal Care and Control’s Empty the Shelters event is sponsored by the Bissell Pet Foundation, which has facilitated 233,896 adoptions since 2016.
The adoption event will take place at both of MCACC’s shelters:
– West Shelter, which is at 2500 S. 27th Avenue, Phoenix.
– East Shelter, which is at 2630 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Mesa.
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MCACC spokesperson Kim Powell hopes hundreds of dogs will find homes during the Empty the Shelters event.
The event is also going on at Heidi’s Village, which is near Van Buren and 40th streets. The shelter’s website says it only has five dogs up for adoption, but in reality, there are many more in need of homes.
“We are currently housing 44 dogs at Heidi’s Village due to our capacity,” Powell told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “These specific dogs at Heidi’s Village are part of the waived fee event. To find them on the adoptable page, type in ‘EFOS’ on the kennel# filter.”
Empty the Shelters event hopes to find homes for 800 dogs
Both of MCACC’s locations house hundreds of dogs, from puppies to 10-year-old dogs in need of forever homes.
In fact, over 1,600 animals have arrived at MCACC since January. Currently, there are more than 800 dogs waiting to find new homes, Powell said.
However, the website currently says there are only 555 available for adoption. There are a few reasons for that, Powell said.
“This number changes throughout the day. Some dogs in our care are on bite quarantine or are on their stray hold (minimum of 72 hours) and are awaiting an evaluation,” she added. “Dogs on stray hold may be able to be pre-selected by adopters but they won’t show on our Adoptable Pets page just yet.”
An affordable way for Maricopa County families to adopt a dog
All adoption fees will be waived, which means families who adopt dogs won’t have to pay for:
– Spay and neuter surgery.
– Vaccinations.
– Microchips.
– A Maricopa County dog license.
Bissell Pet Foundation is paying for all of the above.
“We’re excited to start the new year with an adoption special that will help our animals find loving homes just in time for Valentine’s Day,” Powell said. “We’re thankful to the Bissell Pet Foundation for partnering with us again to combat pet homelessness.”
