With shovels hitting dirt last Wednesday, Maricopa County officially kicked off construction on a nearly 94,000-square-foot Animal Care & Control campus on Glendale’s west side, a project leaders say will boost shelter capacity across the fast-growing West Valley. County and city officials gathered as crews started site work, touting the development as a modern, campus-style upgrade from older shelters that will pull intake, medical care, adoptions, and volunteer operations together under one roof.
According to Maricopa County, the new facility will sit at 10139 W. Northern Ave. and is being built by Kitchell, with design work by Multistudio and Animal Arts. The county describes an approximately 94,000-square-foot enclosed campus with nearly twice that amount of covered outdoor space, outfitted with administrative offices, intake and adoption areas, a full veterinary clinic, and workspaces for partner organizations. The campus is projected to open in May 2028, according to Arizona's Family.
County leaders and shelter staff
In a news release, Maricopa County quoted Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee as saying the project will “expand our capacity to shelter animals humanely.” Maricopa County Animal Care & Control Director Debbie McKnight said the campus will give staff and volunteers more space, better tools, and an improved environment to support animal welfare and adoptions. County officials cast the new build as part of a broader effort to invest in public health and animal services across the West Valley.
What the campus will include
Local coverage reports the campus will feature more than 600 kennels, 18 play yards, low-stimulation housing for shy or fearful dogs, a dedicated “mutt-ernity” ward, a grooming room, and even a pet portrait studio. Designers planned a network of smaller buildings tied together with extensive covered outdoor areas to boost natural light, fresh air, and separation between kennel runs, which officials say can reduce stress for animals. Those touches line up with a national shift toward shelter campuses that blend clinical care, adoption hubs, and enriched outdoor spaces, as highlighted by ABC15.
Timeline and next steps
Construction began in the first week of June, and the campus is scheduled to welcome its first animals in May 2028, Arizona's Family reported. Once Maricopa County Animal Care & Control moves operations to the new Glendale site, a separate rescue group is expected to take over the county’s current West Valley shelter building. County leaders are already nudging residents to think about adopting, fostering, or volunteering as the project moves forward, and say they plan to share construction updates through official county channels.
