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Excessive heat forces Phoenix animal shelter to temporarily close

Arizona Animal Welfare League is closing its shelter Tuesday and Wednesday to the public so staff and volunteers can focus on keeping the animals cool.

PHOENIX — The excessive heat we're enduring here in the Valley is forcing one Phoenix animal shelter to close its doors Tuesday and Wednesday.

Staff members are also getting creative, making tasty ice treats to make the brutal heat bearable for the precious pups.

Extreme temps in the Valley means dangerous levels of heat for homeless animals at the Arizona Animal Welfare League. They are doing everything they possibly can to keep the animals cool. Compared to the outside temperatures, it’s about 20-30 degrees cooler inside.

The AAWL announced it will close its doors to the public this temporarily this week, so its volunteers and employees can focus on distributing cooling mats, ice treats, kennel games and monitoring kennel temperatures between short, supervised bathroom breaks to its dogs.

This is the third time in the shelter’s 47-year history it has closed to the public due to excessive heat.

Staff members are trying to get as many dogs as possible into air-conditioned homes through Wednesday. AAWL volunteers will also take adoptable dogs into their own homes for a few days.

Regular hours will resume on Thursday, when the shelter opens at 11:30 a.m.

In the meantime, anyone looking to adopt a dog through AAWL can do so by going to its Chandler Fashion Center location.

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