‘Empty the Shelters’ free pet adoptions, through April 7

Waiving adoption fees helps find homes for animals that traditionally might spend a longer time [at] our shelter, and it ultimately helps us save more lives.”

Kimberly Vermillion, Arizona Animal Welfare League marketing and communications director

By Delarita Ford
Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia

Due to philanthropic efforts of the Bissell Pet Foundation, dogs over 6 months old at certain shelters will have a better chance to find permanent homes in the Valley.

The organization is hosting its "Empty the Shelters" event for the Arizona Animal Welfare League and Maricopa County Animal Care & Control through April 7, providing free adoptions for pets over 6 months old at designated locations.

The foundation offers grant funding twice a year, in spring and fall, to organizations participating in its Partners for Pets program. Empty the Shelters has helped nearly 190,000 pets find loving families at participating shelters in 49 states and Canada since 2016.

Events are held quarterly, according to the Bissell Pet Foundation website at bissellpetfoundation.org. The foundation helps support animal welfare organizations by offering grant funding to shelters and rescues across the country, and spearheads “the nation’s largest funded adoption event,” as noted on the site.

"Shelters across the country, including AAWL, are struggling with capacity issues and longer length of stays, specifically for larger breed dogs, because of the rising costs of everything. Waiving adoption fees helps find homes for animals that traditionally might spend a longer time (at) our shelter, and it ultimately helps us save more lives," said Kimberly Vermillion, AAWL marketing and communications director.

"The more animals we adopt this week, the more animals we are able to take in from our partners and from community members who can no longer afford to care for their pets," Vermillion said.

AAWL has more than 120 cats and dogs available for adoption, with fees waived through Sunday for all pets over 6 months old at the rescue’s Main Shelter Adoption Center and Chandler Adoption Center, Vermillion said.

In addition to “no hidden costs,” pets are up to date on vaccines, spayed/neutered, microchipped, and “have access to our behavior hotline and our adoption support coordinator for the lifetime of your pet” from AAWL. View all AAWL’s adoptable pets at aawl.org.

“We partner with Bissell Pet Foundation multiple times a year for their national 'Empty the Shelter' event, but they graciously offered to help us host an emergency empty the shelter event to help find as many pets as possible their forever homes this week as our kennels are at capacity and we aren’t able to assist our rural rescue partners until we make room at our shelter,” Vermillion added.

Likewise, MCACC is participating in the "Empty the Shelters" event since resuming normal operations after facilities shut down for several days, in March, following a disease outbreak.

Starting Wednesday, MCACC expects many dogs to arrive at the shelter, according to a press release stating the organization’s excitement for another Bissell Pet Foundation-sponsoredadoption event.

“This adoption event couldn’t have come at a better time,” said MCACC Communications Supervisor Kim Powell. “There is a backlog of dogs waiting to come to MCACC and adoptions are crucial to help us make space for them.”

All adoption fees are waived for dogs 6 months and older until Sunday, April 7, at the following MCACC sites:

• West Shelter at 2500 S. 27th Ave., Phoenix;
• East Shelter at 2630 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Mesa.

Puppies 5 months and younger are $150.

MCACC, a municipal shelter, took in more than 23,000 animals since January 2022 and more than 14,000 were adopted. Almost 3,000 were transferred to rescue organizations, and 3,200 were returned to their owners, the release said, adding MCACC has an average 94% save rate.

For more information about MCACC, visit Maricopa.gov/Pets.

Delarita Ford
Lead Reporter | Surprise

dford@iniusa.org

Meet Delarita
Delarita Ford originally joined Independent Newspapers Incorporated, now Independent Newsmedia, Inc. USA in 1997, as a general assignment reporter for the Delaware State News daily paper after starting her journalism career in Maryland in 1994, where she honed her skills by writing obituaries, covering community news from births to deaths, education to legislation and more. As a reporter, she has had the opportunity to cover sitting and former U.S. presidential visits in Baltimore, Delaware, and Arizona.

Community: One of the few seasoned journalists who still enjoys covering community events, she can be found with a reporter’s pad taking notes, her phone taking pictures while capturing life’s moments to memorialize them in print for the local newspapers and for the active-adult community where she lives. She maintains a presence with the Black media and the National Association of Black Journalists to encourage peers, socialize, and mentor younger writers.

Education: Life learner who learns from life. Aside from the collegiate education received, she got the best training from on-the-job experience with former editors who went through copy with a red pen and demanded the best writing for hard news and feature stories. 

Random Fact: While a Delaware State News reporter, she could call then Sen. Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, usually late at night if a quote or input was needed for varying topics, including legislation and education.

Hobbies: Adopt rescue dogs and give them a nice home. Continuously read and critique news stories from various platforms.