Our Mission:

To rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs, cats, puppies and kittens throughout the State of Arizona that have been surrendered, abandoned, abused and neglected. To help reduce shelter population and the relinquishment of animals by offering affordable veterinary care and dog training to the public. To educate the next generation of animal advocates while teaching compassion for all living things to people of all ages.

Our Vision:

To be the community's leading source for pet adoptions, affordable veterinary services, volunteer opportunities, humane education and expertise in animal welfare.

The Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA (AAWL & SPCA) is the largest and oldest no-kill shelter in Arizona. A "no-kill" shelter is an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals even when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill animals or those considered dangerous to public safety. AAWL is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization, tax ID 23-7149453. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.

AAWL rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes more than 4,000 dogs and cats that are abandoned or that have been surrendered by their owners. We do this primarily by rescuing them from other shelters in Maricopa County where they are likely to be euthanized due to the lack of time and resources to care for them. At any one time our shelter will hold 140 cats and 190 dogs. We also have a foster parent network of approximately 90 families who provide care and shelter in their homes for puppies and kittens that are too young to be adopted, and those animals that are recovering from medical procedures or that need socialization before adoption.

All pets offered for adoption have been spayed or neutered; micro-chipped and are current on all vaccinations. Any medical treatments needed, including surgeries, are provided by our medical team and all animals are evaluated by our behavior department. Learn more about our Phoenix veterinary services and animal clinic.

AAWL not only adopts companion animals into loving homes, we also hold a leadership position in the community in education and animal welfare issues. Please review our Education section to learn about all of our programs (including our school holiday and summer camps) and don't miss our extensive dog and obedience training classes.

Background

The Arizona Animal Welfare League (AAWL) was founded in 1971 by a group of concerned animal lovers. This group was led by Amanda Blake, best known as "Miss Kitty" on the television program, Gunsmoke. Starting out on a small scale, concerned volunteers adopted rescued cats and dogs from foster homes. In the late 1970s, the organization built its first shelter. By the mid 1990s, the AAWL & SPCA began rescuing animals scheduled to be euthanized by the County, and, after rehabilitation, made them available for adoption to the community. Over the past 44 years the organization has grown from adopting a handful of animals each year to a full service animal welfare organization and leader in innovative behavior training, medical care, adoption, education and community outreach programs. Today our shelter has an onsite veterinary clinic, kennels with a separate cattery, a training center and a freestanding infirmary.

In 2005, the Arizona Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) merged into AAWL. The new organization was renamed the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA (AAWL & SPCA).

Adopt a Cat or Dog Today!