Pinal County animal shelters now open on Saturdays

To help celebrate Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month, Pinal County Animal Care and Control announces new Saturday hours.

Pinal County’s main shelter will be open from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday with the possibility of extended Saturday hours in the future.

The county operates two animal shelters with the main shelter at 764 South Eleven Mile Corner Road in Casa Grande; the San Manuel shelter is open by appointment only.

“We wanted to offer weekend hours that serve the public better, and the County Supervisors were very supportive,” Animal Care and Control Director Ruth Stalter said. “We know that working professionals and families are our prime audience for pet adoptions. Opening on Saturdays will help us find more good homes for the healthy dogs and cats that come to the shelter.”

On Saturdays visitors can take care of licensing their pets and adopt a shelter pet.

“There is a myth that shelter pets are someone else’s problem animal,” Stalter said. “Shelter pets make great family members. Some are turned in because people are moving; others are strays that we pick up or are found by county residents. Some have suffered from neglect, but you can see in their eyes that they have so much love and affection to share…if someone comes along and gives them a chance.”

“Once someone makes the decision to get a family pet, we hope they will think about the consequences of supporting the pet trade versus adopting a shelter pet,” Stalter said. “Regardless of where they acquire their pet, we hope they will also spay or neuter it.”

By nearly all accounts, pet overpopulation has reached near epidemic proportions. The problem is exacerbated when people don’t spay or neuter their animals. One male dog can sire over 750 offspring during a lifetime. Shelters, breed rescue groups and humane societies across the nation have many more animals than they can care for, leading to rising euthanasia rates. As a result, state law requires pets adopted from the shelter to be spayed or neutered.

Visit the shelter at 764 South Eleven Mile Corner Road in Casa Grande weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with adoption hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon. Pinal County Animal Care and Control’s Web site has additional information for people considering pet adoption.