GLENDALE, AZ — Maricopa County has marked a major milestone in animal welfare and public service with a groundbreaking ceremony for the future Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC) facility being built at 10139 W. Northern Ave., Glendale, AZ 85307. The new West Valley facility will expand the county’s capacity to care for animals, support staff and volunteers, and improve service for residents across one of the nation’s largest open-admission shelter systems.
"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 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.”
The project advances MCACC’s mission to serve the people and pets of Maricopa County by fostering a safe community and reducing the homeless pet population. By creating a modern, purpose-built campus for sheltering, veterinary care, adoptions, foster support, and field operations, the county is investing in a facility designed to meet growing operational needs while improving the experience of animals and the people who care for them.
McKnight was named the director of Maricopa County Animal Care & Control after a nationwide search, bringing extensive leadership experience in shelter operations, animal care, and behavior to the role. Under her leadership, MCACC has emphasized stronger community engagement, access to adoption, staff support, partner relationships, and improved in-shelter care.
“Multistudio, together with Animal Arts, led a rigorous process of design iteration and engagement with the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control team to develop a facility that instills dignity in the lives of animals throughout their stay,” said Joey Gamblin, project manager and lead design architect at Multistudio. “Working from a thesis of ‘land as an instrument of care,’ we utilized the site to ensure equitable access to fresh air, daylight, and views buffered by natural landscape to reduce anxiety.”
Designed by Multistudio in collaboration with Animal Arts, the Maricopa County Animal Care & Control facility reimagines the county shelter as a place of care, resilience, and dignity. Rather than consolidating all functions into a single large building, the approximately 94,000 SF enclosed facility is organized as a campus with nearly double that amount of space in covered exterior area, creating 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.
The design draws from the surrounding landscape and the practical logic of barn typologies, with gabled rooflines, shaded overhangs, and clerestories that respond to climate, program, and scale. Across the site, landscape elements such as mounding, grasses, and tree planting are intended to reduce visual stress between dogs, provide shade, and make the land itself part of the care model.
When complete in May 2028, 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.
