Mutternity Leave

ATR’s vision is an Arizona with more rescue advocates and no more homeless dogs. To achieve this, we can’t just save the dogs that are already homeless. While we work hard to rescue large quantities of dogs, we also invest in programs that stop the problem at the source and prevent dogs from becoming homeless in the first place! We do this by preventing littering! An unspayed dog, her mate, and all of their puppies if none are fixed can add up to 67,000 dogs in just 6 years! That turns into a lot of homeless dogs.

Because of this, we help fix as many dogs in our community as possible – even if we can’t recoup any of our costs through adoption fees. Our donor-funded, ATR program that helps mama dogs stop “littering” is Mutternity Leave! 

Dogs that find themselves pregnant – that already have a good home – are eligible for “Mutternity Leave.” Essentially, ATR takes the mama dog and her pups in until the pups are old enough to wean. Then, mama and pups are fixed, vaccinated, and chipped. While the pups are adopted into loving homes, mama is returned to the loving home already waiting for her.

Not everyone has the resources to spay their dogs, and dogs should never be taken permanently from loving homes because of that. ATR is here to help with donor-funded “Mutternity Leave”.

This program and our collective efforts have a ripple effect on our greater community and our state. With each dog that is spayed or neutered, we proactively act towards ending dog homelessness and the pet overpopulation problem. Together, we can end this cycle and our dream of no more homeless dogs can become a reality!