Pima Animal Care Center construction officially underway

Sundt contractors began Phase 1 of the new animal shelter Feb. 1

PIMA COUNTY, Arizona – Sundt contractors started physical construction of Pima Animal Care Center’s new shelter Feb. 1. Over the next two months, much of the work will involve installing utility trenches and constructing the foundation for the new building.

The new building, which is Phase 1 of construction, will open to the public this December.

“We’re on our way to having the modern shelter we’ve always dreamed of,” said Justin Gallick, PACC’s director of community engagement. “Once completed, this new facility will allow us to serve our pets, and the entire community really, in a way that we’ve never been able to before.”

When finished, the new shelter will double in size, measuring at about 60,000-square-feet with nearly 93 percent of this total area allocated to functions that directly house or support the housing, care, and adoption of pets at PACC.

The shelter will have all the necessary features to ensure it meets modern day standards recommended for animal care facilities across the country. Features include separation of species throughout the facility, adequately sized housing areas for dogs and cats, and improved natural light and ventilation in pet housing areas. The elements incorporated into the design of PACC’s new shelter resulted from input received from two animal shelter design consultants, Animal Arts Design and UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, led by the local design firm Line and Space.

The new facility will also have an expanded veterinary clinic, indoor and outdoor dog housing, cat group housing areas, and other design features to safeguard the health of pets during their stay at PACC, from admission to adoption.

“When completed, our shelter will look entirely different that it does today,” Gallick said. “We can’t wait to showcase the new facility to our pets and the community who not only supported this much-needed improvement, but also voted to make it happen.”

To stay updated with the latest project information, including pictures of the construction process, visit the PACC bond construction webpage.