HARTT - Humane Animal Rescue and Trapping Team

Maximus is home SAFE!

If this story doesn’t show how smart dogs are, nothing will.

Despite his gladiator name, Maximus was actually terrified of the wind. During a storm, he broke through his yard fence and took off on an unexpected adventure. His family was devastated and immediately reached out to the HARTT Southeast Team for help.

From the start, the family did everything right. They printed and hung more than 250 flyers, posted across social media, checked their home security cameras, and asked neighbors to review theirs as well. They spent countless hours driving the area searching for Maximus and walked his canine companion every day, hoping Maximus would come out of hiding. They even hired a drone operator to search the desert where he was last seen running.

Sightings continued coming in from within a two-mile radius of home, and the family responded to every single one with hope and determination. They even spotted Maximus twice themselves running in the desert. HARTT volunteers set up feeding stations and cameras, and Maximus was caught on camera two times. A humane box trap was placed, but Maximus proved just a little too smart. He avoided the trap completely and wouldn’t even touch the food left nearby.

Then, sixteen days after disappearing, Maximus appeared on the family’s home camera at 2 a.m. The owners quickly let out their other dog, hoping he could help bring Maximus home. At first, Maximus was frightened and started to run — until he realized it was his best friend. The two dogs immediately began to play. There’s truly something special about the bond dogs share with each other. Maximus had found his way home and was safe!

HARTT volunteers later visited the family and microchipped all of the pets — Maximus, his two canine siblings, and the family cat. What a wonderful ending for this brave gladiator and the family who never gave up on bringing him home.

Accidents happen. Leaving them behind is a choice. Stop. Help. Call for assistance. 🐾

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!!
💙💛

Big thanks to for her grooming expertise! Annie’s Pet Parlor is top notch and always delivers a great service 🛁✂️ plus you get the added bonus of the cute pictures 🥹

How handsomely majestic is Mr. Calvin?! 👑

💫 He would love a family! Will that be you?!

💫 Come meet him Monday-Friday by appointment or walk in every Saturday/Sunday 12-4p!

💫 Don’t miss out on this hunk of a boy! 🐶💙💛

💫 Use azhartt.org/adopt to fill out your application!!

💫 Meet Calvin, an 80-pound Great Pyrenees with main-character energy and a soft-launch approach to life. At just 2 years old, he’s a gentle giant who believes in taking things slow, thinking them through, and then committing wholeheartedly. Cautiously optimistic? Absolutely. Calvin prefers to call it “strategically hopeful.”

Calvin is a big fan of wide open spaces where he can stretch those long legs and contemplate the meaning of snacks, friendship, and the breeze hitting his magnificent floof. Apartment life with no room to roam? Not exactly his aesthetic. Give this boy some space and he’ll show you how gracefully a cloud can move across the earth.

He’s sweet and social with his trusted circle, though he does take a minute to warm up. Calvin isn’t into love at first sight—he’s more of a slow-burn romance. Once you’re in, though, you’re in. Loyalty, gentle affection, and quiet companionship are his specialties. He’s also currently perfecting his leash-walking skills. At 80 pounds, that’s less a “challenge” and more an opportunity for you to brag about your upper body strength.

Pup Cup walk with Anubis, Simile, and Swish!!

We have the BEST VOLUNTEERS!

We are lucky to have them care so much about our pets! They get up early before work and take them on these walks! Such a blessing and something so precious for the pups to get out of the shelter and know what real life is like 🥹💙💛

All pets are AVAILABLE!

View their bios on our Pet Finder at azhartt.org/adopt

Big boy Corso lost in the desert is 🖤SAFE!!🖤

94-pound Steele found himself all alone at Sycamore Rec parking by the Salt River. We really hate to assume any dog was dumped, but this boy was completely by himself — literally miles from anything. He also needed an XL trap.

Upon arrival, Salt River restoration workers were there to help unload. Steele had been showing some iffy behaviors toward the men on scene, even guarding his food bowl a bit. However, he was very interested in the trap.

The trap was unloaded, and the front door was opened. We laid towels inside and headed around back to start putting the food in. Before we could even get the back door on, Steele walked into the trap and stepped on the trip plate, which shut the door behind him. He started trying to make his way out the back of the trap, but we were able to guide him back in and close it without incident. This was our first time ever trapping without food!

Once Steele realized he was safe, he became soft, wiggly, and sweet. 🥹

Steele is now at Maricopa County Animal Care & Control and is adoptable to the public! Go make Steele your new BFF. He’s big, handsome, and has great notes.
A5163959

Huge thanks to the Salt River restoration crew for the alert — and for the extra muscles 💪

🇺🇸 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. 🇺🇸