Public Support Needed for Homeless Pet Crisis
June 2021
The days around the Fourth of July holiday are the busiest time of the year for Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) due to the increase in strays and lost pets that get loose during holiday festivities.
MCACC is already at critical capacity at our West Animal Care Center, and is requesting help from the community to adopt or become a foster now so that space can be created for upcoming July intakes, which is estimated to be in the hundreds.
MCACC is already caring for nearly 500 dogs and cats at both the West and East shelter locations, with an additional 200 pets temporarily placed with foster families.
“MCACC is at maximum capacity. We are utilizing every kennel we have, some with two or even three pets,” said MCACC Director Robyn Jaynes, DVM. “Although we have generous families who foster and many active partnerships to place pets in homes, we still have rising populations in our shelters. We are now asking the public for their help to adopt or foster so we can, in turn, help save the lives of even more pets that we know will be coming with Independence Day celebrations.”
Adoption Fees Waived
To help encourage those families who are thinking about adopting a pet we’re hosting a special event to waive adoption fees. From June 26–30, the Bissell Pet Foundation will be sponsoring adoptions at both shelters. This means that all costs are waived for the adoption of pets with the exception of puppies, kittens and shelter superheroes. Families can view adoptable pets online and make an appointment to adopt at pets.maricopa.gov.
Lost Pets
If a pet is lost, we encourage people to visit our lost pet web page where they can post the last known location of the pet to help aid in a joyful reunification. The posting will remain active on the map for a period of five days. Lost pets can become available to the public for adoption after 72 hours, so it is important to act quickly.
Found Pets
If a pet is found with a Maricopa County license, please call 602–506-PETS to aid in the pet’s safe reunification. Pets can also be scanned for a microchip at a veterinarian’s office or shelter. With the volume of pets in County shelters at a critical level, MCACC will ask finders of stray dogs to house them for up to five days while the intake request is processed. This time may vary due to the current available capacity at the shelter.
Pet Surrenders
Anyone considering surrendering a pet is asked to wait until mid-July or later to help manage the influx of animals into MCACC. This is an important step to help prevent overcrowding and decrease euthanasia.
