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| - over the past few weeks i've made several visits to the shelter to pick out the right pet for me. my first visit here i was sure i wanted a cat - and found one to take home. a beautiful tortoiseshell longhaired 3 year old lady. the cat turned out to be a total bitch, and a week later we returned her and were offered an even exchange for another cat. we took a look around, and found nothing. a week later we returned and found the perfect animal for us - an adorable 3 year old champagne-colored miniature poodle. we only had to pay a difference of $16 and they spayed and gave her a rabies shot. we were also given a free vet voucher to get her checked up on. she is a wonderful addition to the family.
as far as the facilities go, two times i went in there and saw many puppies covered in flies and lying in their own shit. it was disgusting. many of the animals looked sick and malnourished, but really you can't expect a neglected or stray dog to recover in a weeks time. i just couldn't believe some of the dogs were labeled for "Take home today" in that condition. the cats looked fairly well taken care of. they have a big area in the center that's like a mini park where you can meet and greet your soon-to-be new companion. lots and lots of chihuahua mixes, pitbull mixes, lab mixes, and the occasional purebreds thrown in. we were lucky enough to get an adorable mini poodle with a great temperament. the staff (volunteers) are generally friendly and helpful. the first two times we went in we dealt with a bitch of a woman at the counter, but the third time was a charm and the man up front was very helpful and seemed happy for us to be adopting this adorable bundle of poodleness.
the main problem i see with the shelter (and with what happened with the cat) was that they offer no health or behavioral guarantee - they know nothing about the animals behavior, which can be difficult for a person selecting a dog and deciding if its right for them in the first 10-15 minutes of meeting them. many other shelters (like halo, and humane society) do an evaluation of the pet and its behavior and tell you about it before you adopt it.
if youre looking to adopt a new friend, i'd recommend checking out maricopa county animal care and control on your list of places.
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