Maricopa County has broken ground on a new Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC) facility in the West Valley. Located in Glendale and projected to open in May 2028, the facility has been thoughtfully designed to expand the County’s capacity to care for animals, support staff and volunteers, and increase the rapidly growing region’s access to shelter services.
“I’m honored to help break ground on the new Maricopa County Animal Care & Control facility,” said Chair Kate Brophy McGee, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, District 3. “This state-of-the-art campus will expand our capacity to shelter animals humanely, support adoptions, and serve West Valley families. It reflects Maricopa County’s commitment to animal welfare and public health.”
The project advances MCACC’s mission to serve the people and pets of Maricopa County by providing sheltering services, veterinary care, spay and neutering, licensing, adoptions, volunteer and foster opportunities, and much more.
“The West Valley has been developing at a rapid pace in the last several years and needs increased support to house pets looking for their forever home,” said Vice Chair Debbie Lesko, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, District 4. “This animal shelter has been thoughtfully designed to be functional and enjoyable for people and pets and will have over 600 kennels where animals can be housed safely until they are adopted.”
“Glendale has experienced tremendous growth, and Maricopa County has been a great partner,” said Glendale Mayor Jerry P. Weiers. “I want to thank Maricopa County and the Board of Supervisors for their continued investment in Glendale and the West Valley. I appreciate their partnership and look forward to working together on even more projects in the future.”
The new MCACC facility was designed by Multistudio and Animal Arts as a place of care, resilience, and dignity. Rather than consolidating all functions into a single large building, the approximately 94,000 square-foot, enclosed facility is organized as a campus with nearly double that amount of space in covered exterior areas. This creates more access to daylight, outdoor space, fresh air, and separation between kennel runs to support animal well-being and improve safety and ease of care for staff and volunteers.
“This groundbreaking represents a defining step forward in how Maricopa County cares for vulnerable animals and serves the community,” said Debbie McKnight, Director of Maricopa County Animal Care & Control. “This new facility will help us deliver important services to more people and pets in our growing county by giving our teams the space, tools, and environment they need to protect animal welfare, support adoptions, and strengthen public health and safety.”
The facility, being built by general contractor Kitchell at 10139 W. Northern Ave., will feature low-stimulation housing for shy and fearful dogs, offer a grooming room and photo studio for pet portraits, house a large multi-purpose room for outreach events and meetings, and include a beautiful natural walking path along New River.
When complete, the facility will bring together administrative space, public lobbies, intake and adoption areas, foster and release functions, a full veterinary clinic, volunteer support, partner work areas, kennels, and service spaces into a single coordinated environment. The project is part of Maricopa County’s broader effort to expand service capacity in the West Valley and build infrastructure that can support future operational needs.
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