Info on this page:

Register your pet through our neighborhood pet registration project.

Adopt a Pet

Why support questionable breeders and puppy mills when there are hundreds of sweet and loving pure and mixed-breed dogs and cats available for adoption from numerous shelters and rescue groups in the metro Phoenix area and the state of Arizona. You can make a difference.

Save one life.

		Animal	All Bird Cat Dog Horse Pig Rabbit Reptile Small&Furry	Breed		Zip Code

We now have a link to Petfinder, a national database for adoptable pets. Where it says zip code, you can enter a state abbreviation instead. Also featured below is a pet from an Arizona shelter.

Liberty Wildlife

Liberty Wildlife provides for orphan care of nestlings/fledglings or adult birds that are found and/or injured. They are funded to take in Native Arizona birds; however, no bird is ever left behind. They also help certain other Arizona wild mammals. They are a wonderful organization and are in need of help, whether it be monetary, supplies or even volunteering. You can find them on the web at: www.libertywildlife.org.

An FYI about dealing with found pets:

This info was submitted by neighbor Valerie--
AAWL (Arizona Animal Welfare League) which is Arizona's oldest "No Kill" shelter doesn't take in strays. They take in dogs/cats off the euthanasia lists from the county shelters. They sometimes take appts and evaluate owned animals but there's no guarantee they will accept them. They do extensive behavior evaluations. Arizona Humane Society doesn't take in strays either just owned animals. If someone takes them a stray dog/cat and the person won't drive the animal to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, AHS takes the canine/feline down to the county within a day or two themselves.

If pets do end up at county (MC AC & C) I can find out which kennels they're in (if someone from FQ can tell me which shelter they're at) and talk to the dog rescues in town to see if anyone can pull them into their rescue group. I used to work at the main county shelter on Durango and keep in daily contact with 60 plus rescue groups. In the summer, most rescues are full since thousands of people dump their dogs/cats to move, go on vacation, etc. and adoptions are generally slower too so they may not be able to help.

Every year, 100,000 dogs/cats end up at the two main animal organizations in Maricopa County. Over 60,000 go to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (AC & C) and 40,000 arrive at the Arizona Humane Society. Both organizations work hard to keep up with the ever increasing influx of canines and felines, but resources are limited and with the continued population growth of the Phoenix metro area, things are likely to get worse before they get better. Currently, half of the 100K dogs/cats are euthanized yearly. 10,000 of those euthanized are put to death simply due to lack of space in the shelter. Shamelessplug: If you love companion pets, there are numerous rescue groups including AC & C and AHS, that would welcome whatever you have to offer: time, money, supplies like towels, blankets, dog/cat food, etc. If you have a specific breed you would love to help, just ask.

Here are some things to know before you find that next stray dog on your doorstep or running down Willetta. If you find a loose dog, the best thing to do first is contact Pat on Lynwood and see if the dog is registered on the F. Q. Story pet list. If the dog isn’t listed, then post signs in the neighborhood, call Pets 911 or get on their website to report the found animal – pets911.com or 1-888-pets911. Get a digital picture if at all possible.

If you are able to hold onto the dog at your home while you search for the owner that would be best; however, if the dog must go to the AC & C then ask to be listed immediately as the “finder adopter” of the dog. The most important thing is to ask for an “activity number” so the animal can be tracked. I can explain individually when needed or in another “animal news brief” what “finder adopter” entails as it’s a lengthy explanation.

There are several possible shelter stay timelines for an animal depending upon their health and whether they have an I.D. tag and/or microchip. If a stray comes in, the shelter worker scans the dog for a microchip. If the dog has a microchip or tags, the animal is placed on “Hold/Notify” status and the front office begins to research the info. Sadly, most dogs come in with outdated phone/address info and the info leads nowhere.  These “Hold/Notifies” are held for 7 days – sometimes longer if the circumstances warrant additional time. Without a tag or microchip, the dog is only on stray status for 72 hours.

Here’s how it works for non ID’d animals: Dog comes in to shelter, the first partial 24 hour day doesn’t count. Dog stays 3 solid days as a stray. On the afternoon of the 3rd solid day the dog is evaluated to determine adoptability. Dogs that are ill or temperamental will not be placed up for adoption. (Some are sent to rescue and many are euthanized depending upon each animal’s situation.) As the finder adopter you would need to let your intentions be known to the county shelter on the 4th day. If you wait til the 5th day, the dog could already be gone. Dogs are euthanized early in the morning so you must call on the 4th day before closing. Communication with AC & C is key. They deal with 300-400 animal intakes on many days and dogs can not sit around waiting for someone to make a decision. Again, sad to say but it’s the reality of a large growing metro area. In the summer, space is at a premium and dogs can not be up for adoption endlessly. An eternity for a dog at the county shelter in the summer is 10-14 days (I’m being generous here.) In the winter they have more space and 3-6 weeks is more likely the dog’s time frame for getting out the front door as an adopted dog.

FYI -  If you have been taking care (providing food/water) of an animal for 6 days, the dog/cat is now classified as yours. If you turn into the shelter, they will require a $20 owner surrender fee. Both AC & C and AHS do this to offset the costs of caring for the animal (which is MUCH more than $20 – more like $150 each.) The good part about this is the dog will now go up for adoption immediately if he/she is physically well and good tempered. If you have tried to find the owner for a week, it could be the owner isn’t looking for the dog and maybe finding Fido/Fluffy another home is the best thing that could happen. If you do choose to hold the animal for 6 days while trying to find the owner, you can now turn in the dog to AHS as an owner surrender rather than a stray.

If the animal appears sick or injured when you find him, the Arizona Humane Society should be called – 602-997-7585. They have 9 vets and are better prepared by far to deal with situations such as broken limbs. Maricopa County has only 2 vets (one at each main shelter) and doesn’t even have an x-ray room. If an injured animal is brought to county, it will either be euthanized or sent to AHS if at all possible. Sometimes kennel space and transportation problems prevent such transfers. A brand spanking new option for injured animals is to call the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) at 602-246-8280. They have just started a partnership with AAWL (Arizona Animal Welfare League – Arizona’s oldest “no kill” shelter.)

If you do locate an animal and can confine him/her, call Animal Care and Control to come out. They have a limited number of trucks/officers so it sometimes takes several hours, though not always. 602-506-PETS (7387)

Final Plea to Everyone: If you choose to find homes for dogs/cats you find, PLEASE get the animals spayed or neutered prior to releasing to adopters.  There are several low cost spay/neuter programs in the valley. Sterilization is the biggest gift you can give the animals for MANY reasons. Also, always charge an adoption fee – keeps the animal abusers at bay.

If you would like more info about dog/cat rescues, spay/neuter programs, feel free to contact me and I can refer you to someone who can help – Valerie U . Highly recommend reading the Newsweek article in the “My Turn” section written by Ed Boks, former director of MC AC & C, June 27, 2005.