Adopt, Don't Shop. Want A New Workout? 5 Animal Shelters To Volunteer At In AZ

ACROSS AZ — The famous jazz pianist Nat King Cole once sang in "L-O-V-E," "L is for the way you look at me."

Everyone who's ever rescued an animal from a shelter knows what that looks like.

That look can be staring you in the face every day when you walk in the door. National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day was Saturday, but plenty of animals in shelters still wait for their forever family to choose them.

Different times of the year spark different challenges for animal shelters, such as rabbits given as Easter gifts who are then neglected and surrendered to animal shelters, where they are the most likely to be euthanized. No matter the season, shelter animals are waiting for you.

READ MORE:

• Easter Rabbits And Chickens: 5 Sure-Fire Ways To Talk Kids Out Of Them
• Rabbits Given As Easter Gifts Often Suffer From Neglect: GA Expert

We listed some of the best animal rescues and shelters in Arizona that provide the most compassionate care. Remember: Adopt, don't shop.

Don't fret if you aren't in a place to adopt a shelter animal. The organizations all need help from volunteers to keep everything running smoothly and to provide amazing services to the animals. Beyond volunteering at the shelter, you can foster animals and allow shelters to continue accepting animals. Fostering also allows animals to socialize and learn skills.

If the organization you want to help is too far away or volunteering is not feasible for you, check an organization's wish list for supplies or make a donation.

The Best Animal Shelters To Adopt From And To Support In Arizona

Lost Our Home Pet Rescue

• This no-kill shelter is dedicated not only to helping pets in need but also ensuring that families in need receive support when pet parents must surrender animals because they cannot care for them any longer.
• Find more information on Lost Our Home here. Here's more information on adopting, volunteering, fostering or making donations.
• Find resources for families in need here.

"Lost Our Home is a multifaceted organization with programs geared toward rescue and intake, pet food bank, and temporary care. What sets Lost Our Home apart from other pet shelters is our dedication to a holistic approach to both pets and people. While we are passionate about the pets in our care and determined to find them a loving home, we are also passionate about families and determined to do all we can to keep pets with their families."

Circle L Ranch Animal Rescue And Sanctuary

• Circle L accepts more types of animals than the standard dog and cat shelter, including goats, pigs, sheep and horses. Its mission is to provide a home for animals who have nowhere else to go and who may not be considered adoptable.
• Find more information on Circle L Ranch here. Here's more information on dog adoption, volunteering or making donations.

“Dogs. Cats. Horses. Goats. Chickens. Pigs. Rabbits. A baby pigeon. It doesn’t matter how many legs they have. It doesn’t matter whether or not they are adoptable. It doesn’t matter how much care they need. Many of the animals that we rescue have been neglected, mistreated, abandoned, or destined for slaughterhouses. Many of the animals here were truly loved, but their owners couldn’t care for them anymore. And all of the animals here are full of life, full of joy, and deserve a sanctuary where they can be free, happy, and bond with their fellow animals and caregivers.”

Arizona Small Dog Rescue

• This Phoenix rescue facility is a nonprofit and a no-kill shelter that rescues animals throughout the entire Valley, often directly from kill shelters and crowded facilities. It is primarily a shelter for small dogs but will take in medium or large dogs if it has the facilities to do so.
• Find more information on Arizona Small Dog Rescue here. Get more information on adopting, volunteering, fostering or donating.

“Most of our animals are saved from kill shelters around the Valley, and some come from owner surrenders or stray surrenders. Each dog that comes into rescue is spayed/neutered, fully vaccinated, and medically examined. We also socialize all of the dogs in our care.”

Pima Animal Care Center

• The center is part of the Pima County government and relies heavily on volunteers to be able to care for the animals. The care center has age-appropriate opportunities for children to volunteer as well, which may or may not need to include a parent or guardian, depending on age. The center also offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. It has a program for working cats and offers pet resources to families in need (food, leashes, booties, etc.).

• Find more information on Pima County Care Center here. Get more information on adopting, volunteering, fostering or donating.

“Join the largest group of lifesavers in Pima County and volunteer to help PACC pets! At PACC, we rely on 775-1,000 volunteers who contribute a whopping 62,000-80,000 hours of volunteer service annually. That’s the equivalent of 30-40, full-time staff members. We could not save more than 92% of the pets who come through our doors without our incredible volunteer team.”

The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter and Sanctuary

• Hermitage often shelters cats who are considered unadoptable by other organizations and acts as a long-term sanctuary in addition to an adoption facility. It provides in-house medical treatment through a medical suite to reduce the stress for the cats and treats each cat as an individual. Hermitage also advocates no-kill philosophies to become the standard.

• Find more information on The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter and Sanctuary here. Get more information on adoption, volunteering, fostering or donating.

"Our 9000-sq-ft, cage-free shelter houses 200+ cats at a time and we rescue about 700 cats annually. All of our cats roam freely in their designated sections of the shelter, including outdoor, enclosed ‘catios’. We are one of a very small number of accredited sanctuaries in the entire United States which shelters cats with FIV (Feline Immune-Deficiency Virus) and FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus)."

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