Black Dog Syndrome: The mysterious, impossible to prove, totally true problem afflicting shelter dogs across the country.

Charlie and Caleb had a tumultuous life before coming to AAWL. A gentle man living in rural California provided a safe haven for dogs he found dumped in the desert near his house for years. As they wandered to his property for food and water, he invited them into his ever-growing pack of abandoned animals. Charlie and Caleb were two of those abandoned animals. They became friends at the small house and looked out for each other like brothers.

Susan has been a foster volunteer at the Arizona Animal Welfare League longer than any other staff member has been around. We didn't even have electronic reporting at the time she started so our reports are a bit off, but we estimate that in the 14+ years she has been a foster volunteer she has fostered more than 600 dogs/puppies with us!

MichThere is nothing we love more than when we get volunteer duos! Duos can be siblings, friends, or in this case, a husband and wife team volunteering at the shelter together. Sherrie M. started volunteering at AAWL in 2014 and 2 years later she convinced her husband, James M., to join the AAWL volunteer family.

Erin has been a volunteer with the Arizona Animal Welfare League for more than 8 years, logging more than 6,000 volunteer hours. She is one of our early morning volunteers, often arriving at the shelter before the sun is up and most of us have even had our first cup of coffee. Erin spends much of her time assisting our staff by yarding dogs for potty breaks – a welcomed sight for our pups first thing in the morning!

Seeing a Mexican hairless dog isn’t terribly rare in shelters, but a full size, not a chihuahua size? Now that’s rare. With his thin fur coat, rubbery skin, and pointy ears, Bolt may be overlooked for his “unique” looks, but people may not know some amazing facts about Bolt’s lineage as “The First Dog Of The Americas.”

Hi, my name is Mr. Noodles. I used to have an awesome life with my dad, we used to go for walks and play all the time. He once bought me this giant fluffy bed that made even me look small! One day he didn't come home. I was so scared and worried, he was my whole life.

The Rural Rescue partners of the Arizona Animal Welfare League rely on our outreach and assistance to help the animals in their communities. When our partners 3 hours south of Phoenix were reaching overpopulation in their shelters, our medical director and intake manager hopped in our transport truck for a road trip! After spending half a day evaluating dogs in three different cities, a text came: “woman bringing puppies to parking lot, can you meet them?”

Dear Santa,

My name is Anna and I wanted to know if you also take Christmas wishes from doggies, too? My friend Wimbledon and I have been really good and are only asking for one thing this year: A family for our last Christmas.