Shelters are making major moves, and also asking for help, this weekend as Valley temperatures continue to climb.
Looking to adopt a furry friend on Sunday? You won't be able to at the state's largest and oldest no-kill shelter. The reason? The heat.
The Arizona Animal Welfare League will send as many dogs as possible home with volunteers and staff members for a couple of days due to the extreme heat that's expected to hit the Valley this weekend.
The shelter will be closed on Sunday, June 19, which is normally a busy day for adoptions. On Friday and Saturday, the shelter will be running an adoption special in hopes of finding homes for several pets.
AAWL will be renting more cooling units for the animals; the shelter is also asking the public for donations of cooling mats, portable swamp coolers, large fans and other items that can help keep the animals cool. More information is available here or by calling (602) 273-6852.
The Maricopa County Animal Care and Control is also asking for donations to help keep the animals cool from the heat.
Cooling bandanas, vests and mats as well as kennel fans and small pools are a few of the items on the shelter's Amazon wish list. The items would help the more than 800 animals housed in the east and west shelter locations.
The shelter said the Ice Wagon in Laveen is also donating 5 to 8 tons of ice for the animals in the shelter on both Sunday and Monday. The ice will be placed inside the kennels. Shelter officials said they're keeping an extra eye on older dogs and breeds with snub-noses, like pugs, bulldogs and boxers.
Items from the wish list can be purchased online via Amazon or at local pet supply stores, which can then be dropped off in person at the west or east locations.
