Pet overpopulation is such an epidemic that some Phoenix area businesses and malls are severing ties with companies connected to breeders.

Those involved in the efforts said business owners have a responsibility to help put a dent in the number of homeless animals in the Valley.

Macerich, the parent company of Westcor, a developer of several malls in the Valley, recently said it will not renew the leases of existing pet stores selling live animals but will open stores allowing customers to adopt rescued pets instead. In the Northeast Valley, Westcor malls include Kierland Commons, Paradise Valley Mall and Scottsdale Fashion Square.

The policy will give animal shelters and adoption organizations access to shoppers while allowing malls to address a serious social issue, said Bretta Nelson, spokeswoman for the Arizona Humane Society.

"Our desire would definitely be to see more stores devoted to adopting out shelter animals who otherwise would have no one and nowhere to turn," Nelson said. "It is such a mutually beneficial relationship for all involved and it seems everyone is starting to recognize that."

More than half of the 94,000 homeless animals in Valley shelters were euthanized in 2010, because shelter officials could not find homes for them, she said.

The movement also is gaining momentum within the business community.

The North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce hosted its inaugural Tails of the Season adoption event last weekend at Wildfire Elementary School in northeast Phoenix. About 40 animal-rescue organizations talked to the community about pet adoption.

Nohl Rosen, chair of Tails of the Season, said pet overpopulation affects everyone.

"I think business owners really do need to get involved" in the solution, said Rosen, owner of Panther Tek, a northeast Phoenix computer-repair business. "You can't be an island and you can't bury your head in the sand and pretend there is no problem, because there is a big problem."

When people adopt from a no-kill shelter, they can trust that the pet did not come from a puppy mill, Rosen said. Businesses and customers who indirectly support puppy mills are contributing to the overpopulation problem.

"I'm not going to tell a business what they should and should not do, but I would like to see more businesses getting involved and more business are," Rosen said.

Macerich's decision to stop renewing the leases of retailers that sell live animals will affect Frank Mineo, who owns Puppies 'N Love, which includes stores at Paradise Valley Mall and Scottsdale Fashion Square. Mineo said dogs purchased at Puppies 'N Love come from breeders, not from puppy mills.

"We, as a company, have always been very selective as to who we buy our puppies from and it's unfortunate that this decision was made because of the practices of other pet stores," Mineo said. "We never have and never will support any substandard breeders."

Puppies 'N Love has done business with Macerich malls for about 20 years, Mineo said, and he hopes to continue after the developer implements its new policy.

"We are currently in discussions with Macerich about converting some of our locations to a new concept where we will adopt rescue animals," he said. "We, as a company, would have been treated more fairly if Macerich singled out pet stores in specific locations instead of setting a corporate policy. "Now, their best pet-store operators are being punished unjustly."

Kimberly Hastings, spokeswoman for Macerich, said the company would be releasing a statement on the decision soon, but she did not provide further comments.

Macerich already offers shoppers the opportunity to adopt homeless animals at Petique in Biltmore Fashion Park and Petopia in Desert Sky Mall. Both stores are owned and operated by the Arizona Humane Society. More than 1,500 pets have been adopted from the stores in the past two years, Nelson said.

"It was the first time in the Phoenix area that an animal shelter and a retail developer came together for the sake of homeless animals," she said. "Due to that type of success, others are duplicating the concept."

Kierland Commons hosted a pet-adoption event last month with four dogs adopted within the first two hours. It was the shopping center's first partnership with the Arizona Humane Society.

"We want to support the organizations that not only assist in pet adoption and placement but contribute to the greater good," said Alison Goodman, Kierland Commons spokeswoman. "There are so many animals that need great homes and by offering our shoppers the opportunity to see the dogs firsthand, we're able to bring families and pets together in a forum other than a shelter."

Events like the ones spearheaded by Kierland and the North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce are designed to reach out to customers who might not normally visit an animal shelter.

"It also provides an environment that is more comfortable than a shelter setting for people to take part in a meet and greet with pets," Nelson said.