Twenty pets, including 10 dogs, are available for adoption in Maricopa County as shelters work to place animals during the coronavirus pandemic. During this challenging time, Arizona saw a surge in pet adoptions, especially in 2020, with the Arizona Humane Society reporting thousands of animals adopted between March 1 and December 31, 2020.

The animals are being offered by Maricopa County Animal Care and Control and the Arizona Humane Society as part of an effort to connect more pets with homes while public health restrictions reshape how adoptions are arranged. The group of 20 includes a mix of dogs and cats with a range of ages and temperaments.

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control and the Arizona Humane Society are both named as the organizations offering the animals; the county’s animal services pages provide information on available pets and adoption procedures. The list circulated in local coverage highlights individual animals by name and description to give potential adopters a sense of character and medical background. Potential adopters can prepare their homes by pet-proofing and securing hazards like exposed electrical cords and toxic plants.

Among the dogs featured is Big Tuna, an AM PIT BULL TER described as a neutered male brindle/white about 3 years old. Matilda is listed as an AM PIT BULL TER spayed female brown/white, about 2 years old. Kallie appears as a PLOTT HOUND/CHINESE SHARPEI spayed female brindle, about 3 years old, and Humphrey is an AMER BULLDOG/MIX neutered male white/brown, about 2 years old.

Smaller and mixed breeds are represented as well: Crumb is a CHIHUAHUA LH/POMERANIAN unaltered male tricolor about 5 years old, and Rolex is described as a Labrador Retriever mix neutered male, black, about 1 year and 1 month old. Toby appears as a LABRADOR RETR/AM PIT BULL TER neutered male brown about 2 years old. Cloud is listed as a GERM SHEPHERD/SIBERIAN HUSKY spayed female tan/cream about 8 years old, while Lexi is an AM PIT BULL TER spayed female white/brown about 6 years old.

The feature also highlights Ginger, a seven-year-old Domestic Mediumhair who arrived as a stray and had a wound on her neck that needed attention. The Arizona Humane Society captured the cat’s gentle presence: “Everything just always seems better when Ginger is around!” AHS said. The story describes Ginger as laid back and likely to suit a family that prefers a calm companion.

One animal on the list already has an outcome noted: Fran, a CHOW CHOW/BORDER COLLIE spayed female black about 8 years old, is recorded as being placed in foster care. The remaining animals include several with limited public descriptions — Gretel, Juliann, Mushroom, Goob, Atlas and Abe appear on the roster without further breed details in the published list.

Shelters and humane societies in Maricopa County have continued to publicize adoptable animals while adjusting operations for the pandemic; common challenges during such crises include staffing shortages and serious funding shortfalls due to the restrictions on in-person fundraising. Local resources for shelter information can be found through the county’s animal care pages. Broader discussions about shelter operations and capacity during public-health emergencies have been raised by animal-welfare organizations, which have documented challenges and changing adoption patterns for shelters nationwide.

Officials and shelter staff encourage people interested in adoption to consult the listed organizations for current availability and next steps. For those who cannot adopt, shelters often rely on foster volunteers and other forms of community support to reduce shelter stays and give animals time in home settings. Here’s how much the pet adoption rate went up during pandemic.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.