Whether you already own a pet or have been searching for the perfect companion for a while, now may be the perfect moment to pounce on adopting a new fuzzy addition to your family.
Because Maricopa County in Arizona has seen a dramatic increase in dogs and cats since early summer, it has reduced its pet adoption rate by half. Instead of paying the original $34 to take home a pet, you can now walk out the door with Spot or Garfield for a mere $17.
According to an AZCentral.com report, that $17 adoption fee includes either spaying or neutering, vaccinations based on the animal's age and health. The fee also covers the Arizona costs for a dog license on all dogs that are over the age of three months.
The report also states the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control facility currently provides shelter for about 1,100 animals. Unfortunately, the facility only has 700 kennels, making it uncomfortably crammed for pets. To ensure all animals have a kennel, sometimes two or even three animals are assigned to the same one.
Aprille Hollis, a spokeswoman for the facility, says they usually have several hundred animals at the shelter at any given time throughout the year. However, the summer months are their busiest time of year.
This could be a result of various reasons, including the fact it's dangerously hot and dry in the summer and animals cannot survive long without adequate shade, food and water. It's possible that the good citizens are more likely to bring a stray pet to the pound in order to protect it.
If you're not in the market for a new pet, consider fostering an animal for a few months until the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control facility has reduced the number of animals in the shelter. Foster families are allowed to take in animals that are either too young to be adoption, those with medical or behavioral conditions that deter others from adopting them.
Typically, the facility has room for such animals, but during the busy summer season they do not. In fact, the facility is only required by law to hold each animal for 72 hours after they've come to the shelter.
If you must bring your pet or a stray to the facility, they ask that you hold off until the summer influx has passed.
Interested in adopting a pet or simply want to research a little bit further? Visit the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control website at or give the animal shelter a call at (602) 506-7387.
Wendy Rose Gould is a freelance journalist who resides in Phoenix. Her work has appeared both online and in print for Hearst, Conde Nast, AOL, USA Today and other publications. Gould is an avid traveler who has lived abroad and traveled the world extensively. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and another in Philosophy.
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