PHOENIX — A Valley animal rescue is hoping the community can help them repair their vans after some thieves allegedly vandalized the vehicles to steal gasoline out of the tank.
HALO Animal Rescue in Phoenix claims one of their vans recently had three holes drilled into its gas tank by an unknown vandal. The rescue's staff noticed the gas leak as they were about to drive down to Mexico to pick up 35 dogs HALO was hoping to find homes for in the Valley.
HALO said a similar incident happened last week after another van had one of its hoses removed to siphon gas.
“We know that everyone is overwhelmed with the rising cost of fuel and can sympathize with someone’s feeling of desperation, we just wish they wouldn’t harm others, and in our case, homeless pets and the people who care for them, to get their needs met," said Heather Allen, the rescue's president.
HALO must spend at least $2,500 to repair the van and is asking for donations to help cover the expenses. Information on how to donate can be found here.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Ladrón robó gasolina al perforar agujeros en el tanque de una camioneta que se disponía a realizar rescates de animales
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How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.