Phoenix, Arizona
Located on the east side of Phoenix, Arizona, this facility is home to one of the largest animal control agencies in the country with a housed population of over 50,000 animals per year. It is also one of the most successful. Benefiting from years of good management and director foresight, this agency early on embraced the fact that animal control can be more than a dog pound.
The new facility is one of the first animal control complexes to combine shelter functions with a formal Education Center. Used by school groups and the general public, the Center offers ongoing programs that demonstrate proper animal care and the importance of spaying and neutering. Strategically located adjacent to the Adoption Center, the Education Center can be opened up to include the viewing of animals available for adoption in displays behind glass. This education/adoption combination is an innovative design that has caused this facility to be a popular destination for Maricopa County residents and an approach that is being emulated across the country.