Finding homes for less-adoptable pets

A money saving deal might make it the perfect time to adopt an animal in Maricopa County. Through September 25, Animal Care and Control is running a special to get their less popular pets into good homes. Older pets and certain breeds are often difficult for shelters to have people adopt. Shelter workers say most people look past older cats and dogs and choose kittens or puppies instead. That is why Maricopa County Animal Care and Control began their, "Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable Pet Week.

Cats one year or older are only $20 at the shelter. For dogs, Chihuahua mixes and Pit bull mixes are just $37. The prices include all spay or neuter surgeries, rabies vaccinations, and even carrying cases for some.

"Don't let the name fool you,” said Care and Control Spokeswoman Aprille Hollis. “We basically chose animals that we have an excess of or don't get adopted as often. There is nothing wrong with any of our animals."

At the shelter on 27th Avenue in Phoenix, the new deal brought out dozens of pet buyers in the first couple of days.

Earl "Easy" Ezzell came to the shelter to make a new best friend. The search for his new pet, Rex, did not take him long.

"He kept slipping under the bigger dog’s chin, lifting his head up and pushing him away to get my attention, which he did," Easy said.

Easy just moved into an apartment by himself. As a single senior citizen, he said he wanted someone like Rex for companionship. Easy said it was nice to bring one of the lonely animals home.

"I thought it would be nice not to leave one with a broken heart," he said.

The idea to help all of these hard-to-place pets came from Petfinder.com . The website allows prospective pet owners to search dogs, cats and other animals they might want to adopt.