A Police and Paws Project Adoption Event set for Saturday, October 26, at the shelter’s West Valley location, 2500 S. 27th Ave., is the second adoption event of this very unique and blossoming partnership. Officers will arrive before the shelter opens to walk dogs and get them ready for the adoption. Many of the dogs will be available for a fee-waived adoption thanks to sponsoring businesses and individuals. Many businesses that stepped up to supply the sponsored dogs with the essential supplies a dog would need for free or at a discounted rate. Dogs will be going home with a collar, leash, tags, treats, food, toys and even a bed until supplies run out.
“I am so proud of how this event has come together. I am truly privileged to be able to organize and run this incredible program. I am truly touched by all the sponsors, businesses, volunteers and officers that have stepped up to support us. This event is a great way for our community to show support to not only the officers who serve our city but also the homeless dogs and the shelter that protects them,” said Kim Morgan a shelter volunteer who is a co-founder of the Police and Paws Project. “We are hoping to find homes for as many dogs as we possibly can. Our goal for this event is 100 dogs! I feel truly blessed to have the privilege of working with so many wonderful people. This program has become something much bigger than Alex Ruiz and I had ever imagined. We are thankful for the support of both the Phoenix Police Department and Maricopa Animal Care and Control which has been given us as we have built this unique partnership. We are very excited to continue to grow and to see what the future holds.”
The event, which is a county fair themed, features many businesses who want to support our goal of getting dogs into their “fur” ever home. Attendees to the event will be able to play some county fair games; including a kissing booth of an adoptable dog, as well as interact with vendors, officers, dogs, and volunteers; it runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The dogs will be available for a “free” adoption until they find a new home. There also will be information about the Phoenix Police Department and shelter programs.
“Partnerships like this really help to get the word out about our homeless dogs and our programs for the community,” said Mary Martin, the shelter’s director. “Many of our dogs are simply overlooked, so having officers here to showcase them is exciting.”
The shelter, with facilities in the East and West Valley, is currently pushing at capacity, with 465 dogs at its west facility and 323 dogs at its east facility. Adoption sponsorships make a difference in helping get dogs adopted, Martin noted, and research shows people who adopt dogs and cats with waived fees had the same degree of attachment as those who paid fees. In addition, studies show that eliminating fee does not devalue the pets in the eyes of the adopters.
All adopted dogs are altered, vaccinated and microchipped and a one year license. Arizona Elevator Solutions, ASAP Professional Maintenance, Summit Insurance Advisors, Heather Bennett at Hunt Real Estate and individual donors are sponsoring the adoption fees of more than 60 dogs at the west shelter.
To view adoptable dogs, visit www.pets.maricopa.gov.