new animals shelter to replace crowded, aging facility in maricopa county

An animal shelter in Maricopa County that is more than 40 years old and has a number of structural issues may soon be replaced.

Officials with Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, which operates two shelters, say they want to build a new facility to replace the current Mesa shelter at Loop 101 and Rio Salado Parkway.

That facility has had cooling system problems, cracking walls, and has often not had enough space to house animals. Shelter officials say that the facility is also no longer up to industry standards.

Last month, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control issued a “Code Red Alert” announcing that the Mesa shelter, built to house 300 dogs, was well over capacity with more than 350.

The possibility of expanding the Mesa shelter was looked into, but deemed not cost-effective, given the age of the building.

Instead, a new structure is slated to go up on land already owned by the county at the intersection of Mesa Drive and Baseline Road in the East Valley.

As proposed, the new shelter would have more treatment and recreation space for the animals.

Cost for the entire project has not been announced, but should be known once the $1.8 million design process for the facility is completed within the next several months.

The other county animal shelter is located in Phoenix at 27th Avenue and Durango Street.

Together, the two shelters house, treat, and process an estimated 40,000 animals every year.

By Garry Boulard

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