In one ZIP code in Maryvale, there were 642 pit bulls and Chihuahuas surrendered or found as strays just last year. The area had the highest intake of pit bulls for the fourth year in a row, and the highest of Chihuahuas last year.
So local nonprofit Fix.Adopt.Save. is focusing its efforts there, spreading the word about their free spay and neutering services, vaccines and other treatments.
How do they do that? Well, they do it the best way they can — house by house.
I went to that neighborhood with Jesse Alvarado, who works for Fix.Adopt.Save., knocking on doors and trying to convince people to spay and neuter their pets.
As you can tell, it’s not the easiest job, but the organization has successfully reduced euthanasia rates countywide by 79 percent in the last five years.
And, Alvarado says, when no one answers, he leaves a packet of information on their door and often hears back from those people.
On the day I went out with him, we heard a lot of dogs and he left a lot of fliers.
