Rachel Chan

A dog in a kennel at MCACC East Valley Animal Care prior to being adopted in 2016.

Maricopa County wants to consolidate its animal shelters into one location on the west side of Phoenix. That means closing its East Valley location.

The shelter at 27th Avenue and Durango Street will be expanded, and its design was recently approved by the board of supervisors.

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control spokesman Jose Santiago said the new building is still in the design phase, but would have more kennels than both existing shelters combined.

“The idea of having 1,100 kennels in a new facility, that would definitely supply enough space for the need within the community,” he said.

Santiago said the shelters are often overcrowded, though the rate of animal intake has declined every year in the past five years.

He attributes that to keeping dogs longer to lower the kill rate.

Santiago said the upgrades could include more outdoor area and better service.

“I think what people need to remember is that it’s within our name, we are Animal Care," he said. "So we want to do what’s best for the care and comfort of the animals and providing a much larger facility in a centralized location really is the best option.”

The county still has to approve funding for an expansion, and there are no plans for the 30-year-old East Valley shelter building. It will remain open until the new shelter is ready, which they expect will be in 2019.