HARTT - Humane Animal Rescue and Trapping Team
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Our shelter has wonderful pets for adoption! It’s open Saturday & Sunday (12 to 4) & by appointment. The HARTT shelter has wonderful dogs & cats for adoption!
06/02/2026
Doobie is SAFE and hopefully available for adoption soon! 🐾
This was definitely one of our quicker saves, and we love it when we can make that happen. We thought this would be a good time to explain a little about what happens once a request for help is submitted.
Doobie’s Timeline
11:00 AM: The Southeast Team Lead receives a Help Request email from a resident in Chandler. He is worried about a scared, shaking stray dog hiding under a pile of metal on his commercial property. This is just one of six Help Requests the team received that day.
These requests can include stray dogs, stray cats, injured animals, and beloved pets that go missing every single day. Not to mention the unusual calls we receive about cats trapped in sofas or attics, dogs stuck between walls, and even pigs wandering around high schools.
11:27 AM: After triaging multiple Help Requests, the Team Lead posts the information for the Southeast team, asking if anyone is available to respond. While the whole team sees the request, some volunteers are at their full-time jobs, some are out of town on vacation, and some are sitting in their cars on the other side of town watching humane traps, hoping their target cat or dog will enter so they can move on to the next request. None of them have figured out how to clone themselves so they can be in two places at once.
11:47 AM: On this day, one volunteer was available and answered the call. Well, Facebook Messenger actually, but you get the drift. She headed out to determine whether the dog could be leashed or if a box trap would be needed to secure him. She was hoping for a leashable situation, which is faster and much less complicated, but can also be a bit scarier for both the volunteer and the dog. We have to read each animal to determine the best course of action.
12:53 PM: The next thing the team knows, the volunteer is sending photos of Doobie in her backseat, as content as can be. Safe!
When she arrived at the property, there was Doobie, just hanging out and waiting for her. She leashed him, scooped him up, and placed him in her car without issue. Doobie is the sweetest boy—super friendly, well-trained, and a very happy, very large puppy. He was not wearing a collar, and a later microchip scan revealed no chip.
1:41 PM: The volunteer and Doobie arrived at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control East. This volunteer is not on the short list of approved HARTT volunteers authorized to drop off dogs at County, so another volunteer met her there.
One of the biggest challenges we face when we secure stray animals is deciding where they go next. In a perfect world, they would either return directly to the home they came from or immediately enter a rescue or foster home. But rescues are mostly full, fosters are full, and it’s rarely that simple.
So what option do we have? Should we leave them on the streets, scared and in danger? At risk of being hit by a car, attacked by other animals, starving, dehydrated, or worse?
We think about this every single time we save a stray. We constantly ask ourselves what is best for that animal. That’s why we’re in rescue to begin with—to help animals and do what is in their best interest.
1:54 PM: It was our turn at the County counter. Questions were asked and answered. Another scan confirmed the absence of a microchip. Paperwork was provided for our records, including the ever-important ID number: A5165880.
This is the number anyone can use to locate Doobie at County. It’s also the number we use to follow every animal we bring there. We monitor their status, behavior, and even their names, which often change from the ones we use in our stories. We read notes written by County volunteers. And if a dog becomes at risk, we do everything in our power to help get them out.
Yes, every single one of them.
This alone is a full-time job handled by one dedicated HARTT volunteer. She watches, tracks, and worries about every dog we bring to County. From the wonderful news of an adoption to the moments when it’s time to call every rescue contact she has, hoping someone can make room for an animal in need.
Not all of the strays we secure go to County. Some go to the HARTT shelter if space is available, while others are placed with our amazing rescue partners throughout the state. We work hard to find the best possible outcome for every animal.
2:12 PM: Mission accomplished, and our volunteers walk out the door.
Leaving Doobie—or any animal—is always hard. We’ve already connected with them. We want to take every one of them home.
But Doobie is an adorable, beautiful, sweet, playful puppy who will hopefully be available for adoption soon, and we believe the next chapter of his life is going to be amazing.
Could you be the person who gives him his forever home?
Doobie is currently at MCACC East under ID .
🐾 Adopt, don’t shop.
And if you’d like to volunteer with HARTT, we’d love to have you. We need you! The animals need you!! Your community needs you!
Use azhartt.org to apply!!
💙💛
❣️PHARAOH IS SAFE❣️
HARTT was tagged in a Facebook post on the evening of May 17th about a missing dog in the Camp Verde area—and what began as a simple alert quickly became a deeply emotional search for a beloved companion.
Alma, Pharaoh’s owner, had been traveling from Prescott Valley to Payson with her two dogs, Pharaoh and JC. She pulled over to give them a quick potty break, not realizing that in a moment of distraction while tending to JC, 18-year-old Pharaoh wandered off. Disoriented and unsure of her exact location, Alma suddenly found herself alone, searching desperately for the dog who wasn’t just a pet—but her service dog, her emotional support, her constant companion. Pharaoh still had his leash attached, and as night fell, Alma stayed out there, hoping, calling, refusing to give up… but he was nowhere to be found.
Heartbroken and exhausted, she reached out to her community, and her plea quickly spread.
I immediately contacted Kara Frank, an incredible independent rescuer based in Rimrock, known for her skill in tracking and finding lost dogs. Knowing the terrain and the urgency of the situation, Kara met with Alma the very next day, May 18th, to help retrace her steps. Together, they located the area near milepost 243 off Highway 260. Kara set out food, water, and scent items—small signs of hope placed carefully in a vast and unfamiliar landscape.
I was preparing to head out with a camera and trap to assist further when everything changed.
I received a call from the Humane Society of Central Arizona —Pharaoh had been found. SAFE.
A Deputy with the Gila County Sheriff's Office had picked him up near milepost 245 and brought him in, recognizing he needed help. The relief was overwhelming. After all the fear, the long night, and the uncertainty, Alma’s sweet senior boy was safe and waiting for her.
We quickly contacted Alma, and arrangements were made to reunite them the following day. The joy, the relief, the gratitude—it’s hard to put into words what it means to have a piece of your heart returned to you.
We are beyond thankful for every single person who played a role in bringing Pharaoh home: the community who shared and cared, the deputy who stopped and helped, the Humane Society for keeping him safe, and Kara, who didn’t hesitate to step in and search. Most of all, we are grateful for Alma, whose love for Pharaoh never wavered—even in her most frightening moments.
At 18 years old, Pharaoh is more than just a dog. He is a lifeline, a source of comfort, and a testament to the unbreakable bond between a person and their devoted companion. And against the odds, that bond brought him home.
05/25/2026
🇺🇸 Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
As we reflect on courage, loyalty, and selflessness, we’re also reminded of the incredible devotion animals show to the people they love every single day. ❤️🐾
This Memorial Day, we are grateful for those who served — both human and canine — and we remain committed to giving rescue dogs the safety, care, and second chances they deserve.
Wishing everyone a meaningful and peaceful Memorial Day. 🇺🇸
Copper’s Journey Home
Copper went missing from his yard on April 23, and HARTT received the request for help on the 25th. Flyers were quickly made and posted throughout the neighborhood, and for a while there were frequent sightings. As time went on, Copper became harder and harder to track, moving quietly through the forest and never staying in one place for long.
For weeks, we followed his trail with cameras and food stations, doing everything we could to stay one step ahead of him. Copper proved to be a very elusive boy, traveling under the cover of the trees and changing locations often. When he crossed over Hwy 87 and began showing up near Chaparral Pines, we adjusted our efforts and kept trying to bring him home safely.
There were challenges along the way, but also moments of relief. We were told Copper looked good, alert, and at a healthy weight, though he did have a slight limp. That brought comfort to everyone who had been searching for him.
On May 15, we finally caught Copper on camera at a food station near the fenceline, and for several days we monitored the area closely. Copper continued to keep us guessing, but we stayed hopeful. Then, on the morning of May 20, we received the message we had all been praying for — Copper had made it home on his own.
Copper was definitely one of those special cases that reminded us how unpredictable lost dogs can be. He was a challenge, but a very loved one, and we are so grateful he is safe.
Thank you to the amazing community of Payson for the sightings, prayers, and support, to Chaparral Pines Security for keeping watch, and to Copper’s incredibly patient owners for trusting us through the process.
And of course, Many Thanks to HARTT Volunteers Lori Guymon Walker & Phyllis Wood McGinnes for dedicating many long hours on this journey.
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9235 N 13th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ
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