The Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) in Arizona was met by outrage after their euthanasia rates were discovered by the public. The dog loving community came together to demand that all dogs be given a 24 hour grace, after their mandatory stray holding period, before being put on the “euth list.” This would give dogs a chance to find new homes, instead of being killed as soon as they become available to the public for adoption.
On September 1, 2016, the MCACC changed their practice in order to accommodate these demands, but are now suffering from over-crowding.
On September 9, the MCACC announced that the shelters have reached critical capacity levels. One of their locations is currently housing 550 animals.
In a recent media release, the MCACC had this to say:
We need the same community to step up and help adopt or rescue these pets. It’s easy to sit back and criticize, but what we need is for these folks to now take action and support the shelter.
What many people don’t understand is that over-crowding can be just as dangerous to the animals as the “euth list.” When animals become sick in the shelter, they are automatically added to the list. This means that, if there is an outbreak of kennel Cough or another virus due to an infected dog staying an extra 24 hours, many more will die.
In order to reduce euthanasia rates and overcrowding at the shelters, the MCACC is promoting $20 adoption fees for all animals in the shelters. The adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery, county licensing and rabies vaccines.
If you are interested in adopting an animal from the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, you can view the adoptable animals on their website.
Please share and help these animals find homes!
