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Maricopa County waiving adoption fees July 1 and 2

Posted at 3:20 PM, Jun 26, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-02 10:27:35-04

In anticipation of an influx of animals, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control will waive adoption fees this coming weekend.   

Officials say the time around the Fourth of July is their busiest time of year, with the shelter taking in 635 stray dogs and cats during the first seven days of July 2016. Most of those animals were found wandering the streets, likely after they were spooked by fireworks on Independence Day. 

PHOTOS: 35 pets up for adoption in the Valley

The county says it will waive adoption fees for all dogs and cats more than six months old on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2 as a way to free up space ahead of the busy period.

The county will also provide a $5 microchip for any animal adopted over the weekend, as many of the strays collected around the Fourth of July have no collar, tag or microchip. 

For those looking to help their pets make it through what can be a very stressful holiday, MCACC recommends not taking pets to fireworks displays and instead leaving them indoors, preferably in a quiet room with some of their favorite toys. Dogs should also have a current license tag attached to their collar, and cats should be wearing an appropriate identification tag, officials said.