PHOENIX – Maricopa County Animal Care and Control is looking to improve its two shelters, with plans to relocate its East Valley facility and upgrade the Phoenix location.

“The current east shelter simply does not meet industry standards,” Executive Director Mary Martin said in a Thursday news release.

“A new facility will help keep animals there comfortable, healthy and adoptable and give ample coverage to that community as well.”

According to county statistics, the current East Valley shelter can handle 250 animals, but the demand is for 300 to 350. The Phoenix shelter’s capacity is 350 and the demand is 500 to 600.

Under the latest plan, a new shelter would be built at the existing county government campus at Mesa Drive and Baseline Road in Mesa.

The location is convenient for visitors, near the U.S. 60, and there would be no additional costs to acquire land.

“That means a greater percentage of our money can go toward our primary mission of caring for animals and finding more of them permanent homes,” Deputy County Manager Reid Spaulding said in the release.

The existing Mesa facility at 2630 W. Rio Salado Parkway, near the Loop 101, will remain in operation until the new shelter is ready. A timeline has not yet been determined.

A plan to consolidate all shelter services at the Phoenix location on 27th Avenue near Durango Street was considered and rejected.

“We hope to see improvements in our central facility as well so we can continue to see and maintain the more than 95 percent live-release rate we have had for two years,” Martin said.

According to the Maricopa County website, the Board of Supervisors in 2017 approved $1.8 million to study expanding the Phoenix shelter, and about $300,000 has been spent so far.

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