Animal care centers in the East and West Valley will drop adoption fees on all large adult dogs Sunday, March 8, 2020, in an effort to ease shelter space, shelter officials announced.
The special adoption event, dubbed Save A Life Sunday, is just one way the community shelter is dealing with an influx of homeless dogs so early in the year, said Mary Martin, the shelter’s director. All adoption fees will be waived on adult dogs who weigh 20 pounds or more (the special does not cover Shelter Super Heroes.)
“We have been enjoying a brief respite from being at capacity this winter,” Martin said, “but we know we it doesn’t last long. We went from comfortable space to capacity quite quickly. This kind of adoption specials should help us gain some breathing room.”
The shelter offered an emergency one-day fee-waived adoption event at its East Valley shelter in Mesa on Saturday, Martin noted. Sunday’s event aims to double the impact.
“The community understands our needs and responds,” Martin said. “We have wonderful dogs just waiting for homes. Unfortunately, the number of homeless dogs is often daunting for the public.”
Martin urged potential adopters to check out dogs on the shelter’s website to help narrow the choice and to visit the dogs at their kennels before meeting them individually. She also encouraged people who already have dogs to bring them to the shelter to meet potential new buddies.
In addition to adoption specials, the shelter has several other programs to help ease overcrowding, including fostering and transport programs with local, state and national partners.
The shelters are open for adoptions from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Visit the East Valley Animal Care Center at 2630 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Mesa, 85201; 2500 S. 27th Ave., Phoenix, 85009.
Check out adoptable pets at pets.maricopa.gov.